Previous studies suggest that the polymorphic p53 intron 2 displays a high frequency of mutations, occurring with different frequencies in tumor tissues versus peripheral blood of lung cancer patients as compared to healthy individuals. We evaluated the significance of these polymorphisms and mutations utilizing matched triple specimens from the lung tumor, normal lung tissue, and peripheral blood of cancer patients. Identical genotypes were observed in normal tissues and blood, while 4 mutations were observed in tumors. The A1 allelic frequency was increased in the adenocarcinoma tissues as compared to normal tissues. Two p53 exon 2 polymorphisms were detected, appearing with equal frequencies among cancer patients and healthy individuals. The p53 intron 2 polymorphic locus is a hot spot for mutations in Hong Kong lung cancer patients.

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