[Detection of p53 mutation using PCR-SSCP silver staining method].

A simple and sensitive technique to detect point mutation of the p53 gene using silver staining method for single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSCP) is reported. In this study, the aberrations of the p53 gene (exon 6-8) in clinical specimens of primary cervical carcinoma were examined. Of 27 tumor tissues 2 samples showed mutations of p53 exon 7. Absence of abnormal bands in the p53 exon 6-8 in all ten normal cervical tissues. It appears that inactivation of p53 gene by point mutation is infrequent in clinical samples of human cervical carcinomas.