Ethnicity and habits in p53 gene mutation in oral squamous cell carcinoma / Fatimah Suriati Sulaiman, Khor Goot Heah and Jamil Ahsan Kazi

Objectives: Our previous study demonstrated that 31% (n=58/18) of OSCC patients have p53 gene mutation. In this study, we investigate the relationship of ethnicity and habit to p53 gene mutation of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Methods: The present study used Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) to examine p53 gene mutation from exon 1 to 11. DNA specimens from 58 OSCC patients and 10 healthy people (controls) were used in this study. Our results demonstrated that 31% (n=58/18) of OSCC patients have p53 gene mutation. Among them 56% (n=10/18) of mutation occurred in exon 3, followed by exon 4 which was 50% (n=9/18).
Result: The Malay, Indian, and Chinese ethnic groups each accounted for 28% of OSCC patients with p53 gene mutations. 56% of the individuals had a habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, or chewing betel quid.56% of the individuals had a habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, or chewing betel quid. Sixty percent (n=6) of Chinese and Malay patients have mutations in almost all exons, while Indian patients primarily have mutations in exon 4.
Conclusion: Our current study suggests that further investigation is needed to understand the relationship between ethnicity, habits, and their interaction with genetic and epigenetic modifiers in exon-specific p53 mutations