Mutations of RAS gene family in specimens of bladder cancer.
BACKGROUND
Studies have shown different types of RAS mutations in human bladder tumors with a wide range of mutation frequencies in different patient populations. This study aimed to assess the frequency of specific-point mutations in the RAS gene family of a group of Iranian patients with bladder cancer.


METHODS
We examined the tumor specimens of 35 consecutive patients with transitional cell carcinoma. The DNA samples were evaluated for the occurrence of HRAS, KRAS, and NRAS activation using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.


RESULTS
None of the patients had mutations in the RAS gene family "hot spots" including codons 12, 13, and 61.


CONCLUSIONS
We failed to find RAS mutations in our bladder tumor samples. These observations may reflect the involvement of different etiological factors in the induction of bladder tumor of which RAS mutation might not be present in all populations.
Karimianpour
Navaz
N
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
Mousavi-Shafaei
Parisa
P
Ziaee
Abed-Ali
AA
Akbari
Mohammad Taghi
MT
Pourmand
Gholamreza
G
Abedi
Amirreza
A
Ahmadi
Ali
A
Afshin Alavi
Hossein
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D003062:Codon; D018631:ras Proteins