Multidrug resistance related genes and p53 expression in human non small cell lung cancer
Galimberti, S.; Marchetti, A.; Buttitta, F.; Carnicelli, V.; Pellegrini, S.; Bevilacqua, G.; Petrini, M.
Anticancer Research 18(4c): 2973-2976
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 9713494 Document Number: 490055
Background: Many genes (mdr1, mrp, DNA topoisomerases II) are known to be involved in the resistance to unrelated drugs (the MDR phenomenon), but the mechanisms of their activation have to be further investigated. Materials and Methods: Because several authors showed that p53 mutated gene was able to induce mdr1 overexpression, we evaluated in 51 non small cell lung cancer samples, already tested for p53 mutations, the expression of mdr1, mrp, DNA topoisomerase II alpha and beta mRNAs by qualitative RT-PCR assays. Results. Mutations of p53 were found in 56% of cases. Mdr1 expression was detected in 27%, mrp in 100%, topoisomerase a in 82% and beta in 94% of the samples. Conclusions: It was not possible to detect any relationship between the expression of the MDR-related genes and tumor histological type, stage or lymph node involvement. Nevertheless, a close association between p53 alterations and either mdr1 gene (p=0.001) or DNA topoisomerase II alpha (p = 0.003) expression was found.