title: Absence of point mutation in codons 12 and 13 of K-RAS oncogene in HPV-associated high grade dysplasia and squamous cell cervical carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research data on the K-RAS gene mutation in carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix remain contradictory. Hence the question of whether spot mutations of the RAS genes or their excessive expression are an indispensable condition for the generation of the neoplastic phenotype of the cervical epithelial cell remains without an explicit answer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was identification of point mutation in codons 12 and 13 of the first exon of K-RAS gene in DNA from squamous cell cervical carcinomas, high grade dysplasias, and normal epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 35 postoperative tissues from patients diagnosed with high grade dysplasia and 29 postoperative tissues from patients diagnosed with squamous cell cervical carcinoma. The control group consisted of normal cervical tissue specimens obtained from 33 patients who underwent hysterectomy due to uterine leiomyomas. Identification of point mutation in codons 12 and 13 of the first exon of K-RAS genes was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-SSCP technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCR-SSCP analysis did not reveal the presence of point mutation in codons 12 and 13 of K-RAS gene in any of the analyzed cases.
authors.affiliation: Medical Center Oslo, Vetlamsdon 101, 1405 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pochylski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwaśniewska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology