p53 expression in the carcinogenesis in the oral mucosa.

Hyperplastic lesions of the oral mucosa such as leukoplakia and oral lichen planus can eventually develop into squamous cell carcinomas. In the clinical treatment of these lesions it would be very important to be able to predict the biological behaviour of an individual lesion. In 64 hyperplastic lesions and 85 squamous cell carcinomas of the oral mucosa, the expression of the mutant tumor suppressor gene p53 was investigated. A positive correlation was seen between the expression of the mutant tumor suppressor gene p53 and the grade of dysplasia of the lesions.