Analysis of germline and tumor mutations of p53 gene in familial occurrence of soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND

Familial soft tissue sarcomas are extremely rare. There is little information available on the clinical features and molecular findings of the hereditary occurrence of mesenchymal tumor.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A woman and her younger brother had malignant fibrous histiocytoma (pleomorphic type) and liposarcoma (pleomorphic type) in the lower limbs, respectively. Analysis of p53 mutations in exons 5-9 of the tumor and in germ-line was done.

RESULTS

A guanine to adenine substitution occurred in CGC, codon 175 of exon 5 in p53 gene, to CAC in the tumor sample of Case 1. Likewise, a thymine to cytosine substitution occurred in TTT, codon 270 of exon 8 in p53 gene, to TCT in tumor sample of Case 2. Germline mutations were not seen in the either patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Different missense mutations of p53 were detected in each tumor, however no germline mutations of p53 were found. The alteration of codon 175 in Case 1 is relatively common mutation. On the contrary, the mutation in codon 270 in Case 2 was extremely rare in cancers. Further molecular investigation is needed to understand the mechanism in familial occurrence of sarcomas.