H-ras gene mutations in salivary gland pleomorphic adenomas.

The DNA from 17 specimens of pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands was screened for the presence of ras gene mutations, which are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of various human neoplasias. By a sensitive method of hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide probes on in vitro amplified tumor DNA, point mutations, mainly in codon 12 of the H-ras gene, were detected in six tumor specimens (35%). This high incidence of mutated ras genes suggests that their alteration may play a role in the pathogenesis of pleomorphic adenomas.