Infrequent p53 gene mutation and expression of the cardia adenocarcinomas from a high-incidence area of Southwest China.

INTRODUCTION Adenocarcinomas of the cardia are the lesions arising from the proximal stomach or within 3cm of the gastroesophageal junction. These cancers tended to be advanced at the time of presentation, usually with poor prognosis. In recent decade, the incidence of adenocarcinoma of gastric cardia and esophagus are increasing steadily, while there has been a decrease in the proportion of the cancers arising from the distal stomach. The biological and epidemiological features of the cardia adenocarc inoma were distinct from those arising from the distal stomach. The specific etiologic factors involved in the increasing incidence remained unresolved. Significantly higher levels of DNA aneuloidy, p53 protein expression and mutations have been reported in gastric cardia tumors, compared with tumors arising in the gastric antrum. p53 expression may be used as a marker in the early detection of cardia adenocarcinoma, mutations of p53 gene at specific codons in human cancers may be an indication of specific exposure or genomic susceptibility, and may serve as a reporter gene reflecting exposure to specific carcinogen. The previous studies. Suggested that the mutation and functional inactivation of p53 gene might play some important roles in the carcinogenesis of cardia adenocarcinomas etiologically. In this study, the p53 gene mutation spectrum and protein overexpression were investigated in the cardia adenocarcinoma from a high-incidence area of Southwest China, comparison of mutation spectra was made with those in cardia adenocarcinomas from other regions, some clues may be drawn to the etiology and carcinogenesis of cardia adenocarcinomas in the local area.