Analysis of different versions of the IARC p53 database with respect to G-->T transversion mutation frequencies and mutation hotspots in lung cancer of smokers and non-smokers.

Analysis of the IARC p53 database revealed a large number of discrepancies in the classification of smoking status for identical lung cancer entries in different versions of the database. In addition, no statistically significant differences in G-->T transversion mutation frequencies or in mutational hotspots at codons 157, 248 and 273 were found in the R3 version of the database between p53 sequences from smoking and non-smoking lung cancer patients. The possible influence of confounding factors on p53 mutation spectra was demonstrated as illustrated by the impact of ethnicity on G-->T transversion mutation frequencies.