Mutation of p53 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.

To elucidate the role of p53 mutation in hepatocarcinogenesis in Taiwan, a hepatitis B viral infection hyperendemic area, exons 5 to 8 of the p53 gene in the tumor tissue of 61 hepatocellular carcinomas were amplified and sequenced. A total of 20 cases (32.8%) were found to have mutations; 36.6% (15 of 41) for the hepatitis B surface antigen positive group and 25.0% (5 of 20) for the hepatitis B surface antigen negative group. The corresponding normal liver showed no mutation. The mutation is widely distributed throughout exons 5 to 8. Only 4 cases (6.6%), all positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, had a specific hot spot mutation at codon 249 with G to T transversion. Our results show that scattered point mutations in p53 are not uncommon in hepatocellular carcinoma samples from Taiwan and may be important in the development of this cancer. However, the aflatoxin related specific mutation seems much less related to the genesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.