p53 mutation in the genesis of metastasis.

Development of metastatic cancer is a complex series of events that includes genesis of tumor-related vascular and lymphatic systems, enhanced cellular motility, and the capacity to invade and survive at distant sites, as well as evasion of host defences. The wild-type p53 protein plays key roles in controlling these facets of tumor progression, and loss of normal p53 function can be sufficient to predispose tumor cells to gain metastatic properties. In contrast, dominant p53 mutants that have gained oncogenic functions can actively drive metastasis through a variety of mechanisms. This chapter aims to highlight these processes.

Growth inhibitory concentrations of EGF induce p21 (WAF1/Cip1) and alter cell cycle control in squamous carcinoma cells.

Previous studies have reported inhibition of A431 squamous carcinoma cell growth by nanomolar concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF), a potent mitogen for cells of epithelial origin. In this study, we examined potential mechanisms through which inhibition of keratinocyte growth mediated by EGF might occur by analysing components of the cell cycle regulatory machinery in A431, HN6 and HN30 keratinocytes in the presence of growth inhibitory or growth stimulatory doses of EGF. Treatment of cells with 25 pM EGF produced an increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation in A431, HN6 and HN30 cells, with respect to control cultures. Exposure to 2.5 nM EGF reduced [3H]thymidine incorporation in A431 cells and HN6 cells to 11% and 70% of control levels, respectively, whereas HN30 cells continued to proliferate in the presence of EGF. [3H]thymidine incorporation assays carried out over 24 h revealed repression of DNA synthesis in A431 cells after 12 h exposure to 2.5 nM EGF compared to untreated cells. Flow cytometry studies demonstrated accumulation of cells in G0/G1 after addition of 2.5 nM, but not 25 pM EGF. Western blot analysis revealed elevation of p21 (WAF1/CIP1/SDI1) protein levels in A431 and HN6 cells under growth-inhibitory conditions. Stimulatory doses of EGF did not induce p21 in these cells. Northern blot hybridization demonstrated elevated levels of p21 mRNA within 4 h of exposure of A431 cells to 2.5 nM EGF, which remained elevated above basal levels at 24 h. In vitro kinase assays demonstrated temporal differences in CDK2 and CDK6 activities which were related to EGF concentration. Immunocomplex Western blotting demonstrated increased association of p21 with CDK2 and CDK6 in A431 cells treated with 2.5 nm EGF. Furthermore, temporal alterations in the association of PCNA with p21 and with CDK6 were observed. The data indicate that p21 is a likely mediator of EGF-induced growth-inhibition, probably through mechanisms involving sequestration of PCNA and inhibition of CDK activity.

TGF-beta isoforms fail to modulate inositol phosphates and cAMP in normal and tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes.

This study examined inositol phosphate and cAMP regulation by TGF-beta 1, -beta 2 and -beta 3 in normal and tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes. Previous findings indicated that the cell lines expressed TGF-beta cell surface receptors and had a range of response to exogenous TGF-beta 1, -beta 2 and -beta 3 from being refractory to the ligand to marked inhibition. Basal levels of inositol phosphates broadly reflected the differentiation status of the cells as demonstrated by involucrin expression, but did not correlate with responsiveness to TGF-beta 1, as measured previously by thymidine incorporation. Treatment of cells with bradykinin or serum caused up-regulation of inositol phosphate levels; by contrast, TGF-beta 1, -beta 2 and -beta 3 failed to modulate inositol phosphates. In two tumour-derived cell lines, the TGF-beta isoforms had no effect on cAMP levels, despite a significant increase in cAMP using a potent agonist of adenylate cyclase (forskolin). Furthermore, the cAMP analogue, dibutyryl cAMP, failed to mimic the inhibitory or refractory responses of TGF-beta in these cells lines. The results demonstrate that in normal and tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes, TGF-beta signal transduction is not mediated by inositol phosphates or cAMP.

Cellular factors may enable squamous carcinoma cells to overcome TGF beta-mediated repression of CDK2 activity.

Cell lines developed from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas exhibit variable responses to the negative regulatory effects of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) on cell growth. To analyse the effects of TGF beta on regulators of cell cycle progression, we characterised cell lines derived from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for their biological sensitivities to TGF beta, growth inhibition, then examined the effects of TGF beta treatment on the expression and activity of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and inhibitors of these kinases. Western blot analysis of cell lysates from untreated or TGF beta-treated cultures showed no alterations in expression of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6 or cyclin E in cell lines which were either sensitive (HaCaT, HN6) or refractory (HN12, HN30) to the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF beta. However, treatment of cells with TGF beta resulted in a several fold increase in cellular levels of p21 (WAF1/Cip1), irrespective of biological response. Immune complex in vitro kinase assays demonstrated that the activity of CDK2 was inhibited by exposure to ligand in each case, confirming that a TGF beta signalling pathway which regulates kinase activity was intact in these cell lines. The data suggest that cellular factors expressed in HN12 and HN30 enable these cells to override TGF beta-mediated inhibition of CDK2 activity and allow cell cycle progression. This may represent an important mechanism which allows cells to evade growth arrest during malignant progression.

p21(WAF1/Cip1) retards the growth of human squamous cell carcinomas in vivo.

The excessive proliferation exhibited by cancer cells is frequently a result of their failure to adequately regulate cell cycle progression. In the present study, we developed a xenograft model of oral cancer in athymic mice, using squamous carcinoma cell lines and examined the ability of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (WAF1/Cip1) to retard tumour growth in vivo, using a retroviral delivery system. Human p21 cDNA was cloned by polymerase chain reaction, expressed, and the encoded protein shown to have biological activity in in vitro kinase assays. Amphotropic retrovirus cultures which expressed recombinant p21 were generated and used to treat established squamous cell carcinoma xenografts. Two weeks following onset of treatment tumours injected with p21 virus producer cells showed a reduction in size between 3- and 10-fold compared with tumours which received control cells which produced control virus alone. The data indicate that recombinant p21 may be of future use for therapeutic intervention in oral cancer.

P53 and cyclin D1 staining patterns of malignant and premalignant oral lesions in age-dependent populations.

OBJECTIVE: Recent epidemiologic studies have identified a trend of increasing cancer incidence in younger patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this might be reflected by different molecular mechanisms for tumor development. STUDY DESIGN: Dysplastic and malignant oral lesions from age-distinct patient populations were immunohistochemically analyzed for expression of p53 and cyclin D1. Chi-square analysis was used to determine statistical significance. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of "older" and 75% of "younger" carcinomas stained positively with p53; 63% of carcinomas in the older population and 55% of carcinomas in the younger population showed cyclin D1 positivity. Dysplasias showed similar cyclin D1 staining in both groups. Interestingly, 100% of "younger" dysplasias stained positively for p53, whereas 35.3% of "older" dysplastic lesions showed immunoreactivity. Staining of carcinomas was not statistically significant, whereas p53 staining of dysplasias proved highly significant (P < .025). CONCLUSIONS: p53 immunoreactivity is detectable at an earlier stage of carcinogenesis in younger patients than in the traditional risk population for oral cancer.

Human oncoprotein MDM2 activates the Akt signaling pathway through an interaction with the repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor conferring a survival advantage to cancer cells.

The current paradigm states that the Akt signaling pathway phosphorylates the human oncoprotein mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), leading to its nuclear translocation and degradation of the tumor suppressor p53. Here we report a novel Akt signaling pathway elicited by MDM2. Upregulation of endogenous MDM2 promotes, whereas its downregulation diminishes, Akt phosphorylation irrespective of p53 status. MDM2 requires phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase activity for enhancing Akt phosphorylation and upregulates this activity by repressing transcription of the regulatory subunit p85 of PI3-kinase. MDM2 interacts with the repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), a tumor suppressor that functions by downregulating PI3-kinase activity and Akt phosphorylation, prevents localization of REST on the p85 promoter and represses p85 expression. The deletion mutant of MDM2 capable of upregulating Akt phosphorylation represses p85 expression and interferes with localization of REST on the p85 promoter, whereas the deletion mutant of MDM2 that does not increase Akt phosphorylation cannot perform these functions. Silencing of REST abrogates the ability of MDM2 to upregulate Akt phosphorylation and downregulate p85 expression, implicating the ability of MDM2 to interact with REST in its ability to inhibit p85 expression and activate Akt phosphorylation. Inhibition of MDM2-mediated Akt phosphorylation with an Akt-phosphorylation-specific inhibitor abrogates its ability to improve cell survival. Consistently, the Akt phosphorylation function of MDM2 was required for its ability to improve cell survival after treatment with a chemotherapeutic drug. Our report not only unravels a novel signaling pathway that contributes to cell survival but also implicates a p53-independent transcription regulatory function of MDM2 in Akt signaling.

Human papillomavirus DNA in biopsies of oral tissues.

The DNAs of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 4, 16 and 18 have been detected in biopsies of normal and malignant human oral mucosa by Southern blot hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By the former technique, HPV-4, HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNAs were detected in three separate carcinomas but were found in adjacent dysplastic and normal tissue by the PCR only. The PCR technique also allowed detection of HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNA in additional carcinomas and normal samples. The oral HPV-4 DNA was molecularly cloned and extensive restriction analysis and nucleotide sequencing showed identity with the prototype HPV-4 DNA. The HPV-18 DNA detected by Southern blot hybridization showed an altered restriction pattern in the E1 region of the viral genome; however direct nucleotide sequencing of PCR products from the E6 open reading frame showed no sequence alterations in either normal or malignant samples.

p53 gene mutations in pituitary adenomas: rare events.

OBJECTIVE: Occult pituitary adenomas are said to occur in up to 20% of random autopsy examinations, yet the only oncogene known to be associated with pituitary adenomas, gsp, is found in only 40% of somatotrophinomas, a subtype that accounts for a minority of pituitary tumours. Mutations of the p53 tumour suppressor gene are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of as many as 50% of all human cancers, including tumours of the central nervous system. The objective of this study was to determine whether p53 gene mutations are associated with pituitary adenomas. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Fragments of pituitary adenoma tissue from 29 patients undergoing routine hypophysectomy for pituitary tumour were coated in cryostat embedding medium and frozen at -80 degrees C within 24 hours of resection. They consisted of 9 somatotroph, 4 corticotroph, 1 mammotroph and 15 endocrinologically inactive adenomas, all of the non-invasive clinical phenotype. Sequential frozen sections were subjected to in situ hybridization analysis for anterior pituitary hormone transcripts and examined histologically to ensure that the frozen sections used to generate DNA templates for polymerase chain reaction amplification were not contaminated with non-tumour tissue. MEASUREMENTS: p53 exons 7 and 8, within which 98% of substitution mutations are thought to occur, and exons 4-6 in tumours immunopositive for p53, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and ligated into the vector pCR2. DNA from small-scale plasmid preparations of pCR2 containing cloned p53 exons from human pituitary adenomas was sequenced using an automated fluorescence-based system (DuPont Genesis 2000) and compared with wild-type sequence. Apparent mutations were confirmed or refuted by sequencing a further 2-4 clones isolated from the same template. RESULTS: Although immunocytochemical staining patterns for wild-type p53 varied markedly between different tumours, no mutations were identified in any of the exonic sequences examined. CONCLUSIONS: p53 mutations, at least within the high mutation domains of p53, occur infrequently in human pituitary adenomas. Increased steady-state levels of p53 protein identified immunocytochemically may be a consequence of binding to other cellular proteins in these tumours.

Presence of human papillomavirus sequences in tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes expressing mutant p53.

A series of eight oral epithelial cell lines derived from untreated human oral squamous cell carcinomas, which had arisen in patients with different tobacco histories, were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, expression of stable p53 protein and p53 point mutation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening, but not Southern blot analysis, showed HPV-16 early region sequences to be present at low copy number (< 1 copy per cell) in two cell lines at early passage (3-5) in vitro (H400, T45), implying that only subpopulations of cells harboured viral DNA. HPV sequences were undetectable in cells at later passage (12-15), suggesting that viral sequences had been lost during growth in vitro, or that negative selection of HPV-containing cells had occurred. High levels of p53 were detected in the two HPV-positive cell lines and in three others (H103, H314, H357) by Western blotting, suggesting expression of mutant (stable) p53 molecules. A sixth cell line (H157) expressed a truncated p53. Sequence analysis of exons 2-11 of the p53 gene revealed missense mutations in six cell lines, one of which (H413) did not result in high levels of protein, and nonsense mutations in the remaining two cell lines (H157, H376). The results suggest that p53 mutation is a frequent genetic event in oral cancer. In addition, the expression of mutant p53 in oral cancer cells does not preclude a papillomaviral aetiology for these tumours. Analysis of p53 expression alone may result in underestimation of the frequency of p53 mutations in human cancers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

MTS1/CDK4I is altered in cell lines derived from primary and metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The MTS1/CDK4I gene encodes a 16 kDa cyclin kinase inhibitor and maps to chromosome 9p21. Previous studies have suggested the presence of a major tumour suppressor gene at this locus which may be inactivated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To determine the status of this gene in human primary and metastatic HNSCC, we examined the locus and its transcript for abnormalities by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 14 cell lines studied, four had lost only exon 1, one had lost only exon 2, three had lost both exons 1 and 2, and none of the remaining six lines expressed a normal p16 mRNA. These latter six cell lines expressed p16 transcripts that had suffered deletions ranging in size from 2-16 base pairs. In each case, deletions led to a change of reading frame. Furthermore, in two cases abnormalities in the MTS1/CDK4I gene were identical in cells derived from metastatic tumours as compared to cells derived independently from the corresponding primary tumour. The identical nature of mutations observed in primary tumours and metastases derived from the same patient provides strong evidence that inactivation of p16 function was an in vivo event.

Effects of transforming growth factor beta-1 on growth-regulatory genes in tumour-derived human oral keratinocytes.

This study examined the effect of transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) on c-myc, RB1, junB and p53 expression together with pRb phosphorylation, in carcinoma-derived and normal human oral keratinocytes with a range of inhibitory responses to this ligand. Amplification of c-myc was observed in eight of eight tumour-derived cell lines and resulted in corresponding mRNA expression. The down-regulation of c-myc expression by TGF-beta 1 predominantly reflected growth inhibition by TGF-beta 1, but in two of eight tumour-derived cell lines which were partially responsive to TGF-beta 1 c-myc expression was unaltered by this ligand. While RB1 mRNA levels were unaltered by TGF-beta 1, the ligand caused the accumulation of the underphosphorylated form of the Rb protein in all cells irrespective of TGF-beta 1-induced growth arrest. junB expression was up-regulated by TGF-beta 1 in cells with a range of growth inhibitory responses. All cells contained mutant p53. TGF-beta 1 did not affect p53 mRNA expression in both tumour-derived and normal keratinocytes and there was no alteration in p53 protein levels in keratinocytes expressing stable p53 protein following TGF-beta 1 treatment. The data indicate that TGF-beta-induced growth control can exist independently of the presence of mutant p53 and the control of Rb phosphorylation and c-myc down-regulation. It may be that TGF-beta growth inhibition occurs via multiple mechanisms and that the loss of one pathway during tumour progression does not necessarily result in the abrogation of TGF-beta-induced growth control.

Functional characterization in vivo of mutant p53 molecules derived from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Loss of wild-type p53, either through deletion or mutation, has been demonstrated in most squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC). Whether these mutant molecules contribute to tumor progression purely through loss of wild-type functions or by growth-promoting mechanisms, however, remains unclear. To begin to address these issues, we isolated a series of p53 cDNAs from HNSCC cell lines that contain missense or nonsense point mutations, insertions, or deletions. The ability of each of these molecules to transform NIH/3T3 cells to a malignant phenotype was assessed by stable transfection and expression under the control of a strong heterologous promoter. NIH/3T3 cells transfected with pLTR6p53, which harbors an H179L missense mutation, formed large tumors rapidly (in less than 4 wk) when transplanted to athymic mice, as did cells expressing pLTR13p53, which had undergone a V173F missense mutation and an in-frame deletion of 48 bp between codons 208 and 223. Cells transfected with pLTR17p53, predicted from the nucleotide sequence to encode a severely truncated p53 corresponding to the N-terminal 56 amino acids, also formed tumors. Cells transfected with pLTR15p53, which was predicted to encode a less severely truncated molecule, formed much smaller tumors and at lower frequencies. NIH/3T3 cells transfected with pLTR12p53 (exon 7 splice donor mutant), pLTRwtp53 (wild-type p53), or vector alone failed to form tumors for up to 2 mo after transplantation. pLTR6p53-transfected cells exhibited a highly malignant phenotype with invasion of regional lymph nodes, mediastinal and lung metastases, invasion of the abdominal wall, and dissemination throughout the peritoneal cavity. Histological assessment of the tumors revealed intensely vascularized fibrosarcomas with numerous cellular atypia, including frequent and aberrant mitoses. Tumor explants were recultured, and northern blot analysis of cellular RNA confirmed that the expression of exogenous p53 was maintained in each case. These data indicate that different p53 mutants contribute to tumorigenesis by specific mechanisms. Furthermore, the results obtained by using the pLTR17p53 transfectants imply that some truncated molecules may overcome the effects of wild-type p53 to contribute to malignancy.

Functional characterization of p53 molecules expressed in human squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene has been demonstrated in a large proportion of human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) and has been assumed to play a role in the pathogenesis of these tumors, although no formal evidence of functional aberration has been demonstrated. In this study, we isolated cDNA clones encoding the entire p53 coding region from six human HNSCC cell lines that showed aberrant patterns of p53 expression in the parental cells, analyzed their nucleotide sequences, and characterized their function in vivo. cDNAs cloned from four cell lines harbored alterations within the p53 coding sequence (one missense mutation, one missense mutation plus in-frame deletion, one splice donor mutation, and a 1-nt insertion). HN30 cells, which contained wild-type p53 nucleotide sequences, showed a high constitutive level of protein expression. HN26 cells contained wild-type coding sequences but did not express the 53-kDa protein, although the mRNA was transcribed and a molecule of increased molecular mass (70 kDa) was observed by western blotting. Functional studies revealed that none of the four proteins encoded by mutant cDNAs were able to transactivate expression of a reporter plasmid containing a wild-type p53 consensus binding site when cotransfected into p53-null cells, whereas molecules encoded by wild-type p53 cDNAs increased reporter gene expression about a hundredfold over uninduced levels. Co-expression of each mutant cDNA with wild-type p53 cDNA and a wild-type p53-responsive reporter gene demonstrated that each of the proteins encoded by mutant cDNAs harbored some degree of inhibitory activity that varied depending on the mutation present. Thus, aberrant p53 function as a result of mutation or altered expression characterizes oral squamous cell carcinomas. The inhibitory activity of these molecules may be a mechanism for deregulation of the function of co-expressed wild-type p53 that may be of importance during the early stages of tumor development.

Consistent chromosomal anomalies in keratinocyte cell lines derived from untreated malignant lesions of the oral cavity.

Cytogenetic analysis has been carried out on 8 early passage cell lines derived from 8 untreated human oral squamous cell carcinomas. Clonal aberrations were detected in the karyotypes of each cell line. A high frequency of breakpoints were noted on chromosomes 1, 7, 8, 9, 11, and X. An isochromosome 8 was present in 6 out of 8 cell lines; isochromosome 9 (3 cell lines) and isochromosome 11 (1 cell line) were also found. In 4 out of 8 cell lines X chromosome harboured breakpoints, a novel finding in oral squamous cell carcinomas. Breakpoints were common on chromosome 1, with 1p12-p13 most frequently involved. Tandem duplication of 11q13-q23, which contains a number of growth regulatory genes, was also noted in 2 cases. We correlate the sites of proto-oncogenes and other growth control genes with chromosomal breakpoints and suggest that several of these may play a role in the pathogenesis of oral cancer.

Induction of apoptosis in head-and-neck squamous carcinoma cells by gamma-irradiation and bleomycin is p53-independent.

We have examined the ability of gamma-irradiation and bleomycin to induce apoptosis in a model system consisting of cell lines derived from naturally occurring human head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinomas with contrasting p53 status and expression levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules. Following exposure to gamma-irradiation (20 Gy) or bleomycin (3.5 microM) for 0 to 96 hr, cells expressing either transcriptionally inactive mutant p53 (HN6) or a truncated p53 molecule (HN19) underwent apoptosis, as assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling, in contrast to cells that express wild-type p53 (HN30), suggesting that apoptosis induced by these agents occurs by p53-independent mechanisms. Apoptosis in HN6 and HN19 cells was preceded by a G(2)/M cell-cycle block, as analyzed by DNA content and BrdU staining. In contrast, HN30 cells remained blocked in both G(1) and G(2)/M and failed to re-enter the cell cycle. Levels of Bcl-2 were elevated in 3 of 10 cell lines, and only marginal differences were observed for Bcl-x(L). Pro-apoptotic proteins bax and Bcl-x(S) were detectable in normal keratinocytes and 4 tumor cell lines. Bax-delta (16 kDa) was highly represented in normal keratinocytes, and levels of bak were variable between cell lines. Elevated expression of Bcl-2 failed to protect HN19 cells from either gamma-irradiation or bleomycin-induced apoptosis. Our data support the existence of p53- and Bcl-2-independent pathways regulating apoptosis in keratinocytes and suggest that efficacy of either radiotherapy or bleomycin treatment for oral squamous-cell neoplasms may not, therefore, be influenced solely by endogenous p53 status.

Ras gene point mutation is a rare event in premalignant tissues and malignant cells and tissues from oral mucosal lesions.

Three series of biopsy specimens of premalignant and malignant oral lesions, together with seven human keratinocyte cultures, previously established from oral squamous cell carcinomas, were analysed for point mutation in exons 1 and 2 of the c-Ha-ras, c-Ki-ras and N-ras genes by direct nucleotide sequencing of DNAs amplified in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Only one out of 12 biopsy samples (8.3%), a well-differentiated carcinoma which was the latest in a series of floor of mouth lesions from 1 of the 3 patients studied, harboured a mutant c-Ha-ras gene, being heterozygous at codon 12 for a GGA-GTA change. One cell line (H357) showed heterozygosity in both exons 1 and 2 of c-Ha-ras, harbouring a GGT to AGT mutation over codon 13 and a CAG to CAA mutation over codon 61. The remaining six oral carcinoma cell lines (85.7%) were homozygous normal at both exons 1 and 2 of c-Ha-ras. All cell lines showed normal c-Ki-ras and N-ras loci. We conclude that ras gene mutation is an infrequent occurrence in the malignant progression of oral epithelial cells, despite the probable importance of chemical carcinogens in the aetiology of the disease. We emphasise the need to search for other cellular sequences which may be targets for chemical or viral carcinogens.

Autocrine production of TGF-alpha and TGF-beta during tumour progression of rat oral keratinocytes.

This study describes a new technique to separate transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) from culture supernatants using ion exchange chromatography; assays of competitive inhibition of ligand binding were used to quantify the amount of growth factor. The method was simple, inexpensive and did not require large volumes of culture medium. The autocrine production of TGF-alpha and TGF-beta was examined in oral keratinocyte cell lines derived from the palatal and lingual mucosa of rats painted with the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO). Escape from cellular senescence (immortality) was associated with a marked increase in TGF-alpha production (cell line R2P) but tumour progression, as reflected by the development of anchorage independence in agarose gels and tumorigenicity in athymic mice, did not result in a consistent increase or decrease of TGF-alpha production compared to normals. Four cell lines (R8AP, R1T, R3T, R1P), with different functional cellular phenotypes, produced two to three times more TGF-alpha than normals. TGF-alpha production was inversely correlated to epidermal growth factor cell surface receptor expression. The autocrine production of TGF-beta was variable with the majority of cell lines producing markedly little TGF-beta; three cell lines (R4T, R8BP, R9T) produced more TGF-beta than normals. The production of TGF-beta was unrelated to tumour progression, the expression of TGF-beta cell surface receptors or TGF-alpha production. The results indicate that the autocrine production of TGF-alpha and TGF-beta are not accurate markers of tumour progression in the rat 4NQO model of oral carcinogenesis.

Human papillomavirus type 2 DNA in oral verrucous carcinoma.

Tissues from patients with oral verrucous carcinoma were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). The tissues were stained for the presence of the type common papillomavirus antigen by immunohistochemical staining and the presence of HPV DNA was determined by in situ hybridization with biotin-labelled HPV DNA probes. Seventeen tissue specimens were obtained from 9 patients, and included pre-malignant lesions and primary and recurrent tumors. One pre-malignant lesion was positive for papillomavirus structural antigen. This lesion and lesions from 2 other patients hybridized at low stringency (Tm-35 degrees) to 3 different HPV probes. By hybridization under high stringency conditions (Tm-20 degrees), the virus in each case was identified as being HPV2.