<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>According to current World Health Organization data, worldwide, cancer is second to cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death. The p53 protein is a translation product of the <italic>TP53</italic> gene, and it has many functions in cells. Indeed, for this, it is commonly called the “guardian of the genome”. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of mutation and methylation in the promoter of the <italic>TP53</italic> gene in cells affected with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The research material consisted of 34 DNA samples isolated from surgically removed tissue fragments of head and neck tumors. In this work, analysis of all samples for the presence of mutations proved negative. This result simultaneously revealed an absence of mutation in the <italic>TP53</italic> gene promoter in the analyzed material. However, the detection of changes in the methylation profile status of the promoter of the <italic>TP53</italic> gene in the DNA samples revealed the presence of both methylated alleles in 76.5% of the sample population, while in the remaining 23.5%, methylation was present in only one allele of the studied gene. In our work, we assumed that samples displaying methylation involving two alleles will show greater predisposition to the development of a malignant tumor. The obtained results reveal that despite the lack of mutation in the <italic>TP53</italic> gene promoter, its functioning may be impaired by other mechanisms – either epigenetic or environmental.</p></abstract>

According to current World Health Organization data, worldwide, cancer is second to cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death. The p53 protein is a translation product of the TP53 gene, and it has many functions in cells. Indeed, for this, it is commonly called the “guardian of the genome”. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of mutation and methylation in the promoter of the TP53 gene in cells affected with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The research material consisted of 34 DNA samples isolated from surgically removed tissue fragments of head and neck tumors. In this work, analysis of all samples for the presence of mutations proved negative. This result simultaneously revealed an absence of mutation in the TP53 gene promoter in the analyzed material. However, the detection of changes in the methylation profile status of the promoter of the TP53 gene in the DNA samples revealed the presence of both methylated alleles in 76.5% of the sample population, while in the remaining 23.5%, methylation was present in only one allele of the studied gene. In our work, we assumed that samples displaying methylation involving two alleles will show greater predisposition to the development of a malignant tumor. The obtained results reveal that despite the lack of mutation in the TP53 gene promoter, its functioning may be impaired by other mechanisms – either epigenetic or environmental.

Analysis of mutation and promoter methylation of TP53 gene in tumors of the head and neck

Department of Virology, Medical University of Lublin, ul.Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland

Current Issues in Pharmacy and Medical Sciences

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

According to current World Health Organization data, worldwide, cancer is second to cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death. The p53 protein is a...

Analysis of mutation and promoter methylation of TP53 gene in tumors of the head and neck

Published Online: Jun 08, 2016

Page range: 53 - 56

Received: Feb 08, 2016

Accepted: Mar 14, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cipms-2016-0011

Keywords
TP53, mutation, methylation, head and neck, cancer

© 2016 Adrian Jarzynski et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Analysis of mutation and promoter methylation of TP53 gene in tumors of the head and neck

Published Online: Jun 08, 2016

Page range: 53 - 56

Received: Feb 08, 2016

Accepted: Mar 14, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cipms-2016-0011

KeywordsTP53, mutation, methylation, head and neck, cancer

© 2016 Adrian Jarzynski et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
TP53, mutation, methylation, head and neck, cancer