Absence of p53 mutations in benign and pre‐malignant male genital lesions with over‐expressed p53 protein

Mutations of the tumor‐suppressor gene p53 are common in epithelial tumors. Clonal mutations of p53 have been found in cervical and vulvar carcinomas negative for human papillomavirus (HPV), though at least in cervical cancer HPV infection and p53 mutations are not mutually exclusive. We have previously shown that about 40% of male genital warts and bowenoid papulosis lesions exhibit immunohistochemically detectable aberrant p53 protein, irrespective of the presence of HPV DNA. We studied p53 mutations in exons 4–8 with SSCP and sequencing in 13 male patients with 1 to 3 therapy‐resistant genital warts or intra‐epithelial neoplasias each and in 4 patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, 13 genital warts, 6 bowenoid papulosis, 1 Queyrat's erythroplasia and 1 carcinoma in situ were studied. p53 protein was detected immunohistochemically, and HPV status was analyzed with DNA in situ hybridization and amplification of HPV‐specific DNA. There was no correlation between p53 protein expression and HPV status. No mutations in exons 5–8 of the p53 gene were found in any of the lesions, and furthermore, no exon 4 mutations were found in lesions positive in p53 immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, over‐expression of p53 does not indicate a p53 mutation in male genital warts, pre‐malignant lesions or malignant squamous cell carcinomas. Our study thus suggests that p53 mutations are not important, or at least not early, events in male genital carcinogenesis. Int. J. Cancer 77:674–678, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.