title: A rare point mutation in the Ras oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Ras gene is one of the oncogenes most frequently detected in human cancers, and codes for three proteins (K-, N-, and H-Ras). The aim of this study was to examine the mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 of the three Ras genes in cases of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired samples of HCC and corresponding non-malignant liver tissue were collected from 61 patients who underwent hepatectomy. A dot-blot analysis was used to analyze the products of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of codons 12, 13, and 61 of K-, N- and H-Ras for mutations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only one mutation (K-Ras codon 13; Gly to Asp) was detected among the 61 patients. Interestingly, this patient had a medical history of surgery for both gastric cancer and right lung cancer. No mutations were found in codons 12 and 61 of K-Ras or codons 12, 13 and 61 of the N-Ras and H-Ras genes in any of the HCCs or corresponding non-malignant tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicated that the activation of Ras proto-oncogenes by mutations in codons 12, 13, and 61 does not play a major role in hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. taketomi@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirabe
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Shohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshiya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: Tomoharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugio
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D003062:Codon; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm