A common 9 bp deletion in the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated gene is not associated with oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: The ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated gene (ATM) product is a well-characterized tumour suppressor that plays a key role in the maintenance of genomic stability. Given the fact that the loss of heterozygosity at the ATM locus is common in head and neck tumours, we investigated the possible association of 7636del9, which is the most frequent ATM deletion, with risk for oral cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 7636del9 9nt deletion was investigated in DNA samples of 67 German and Greek patients with oral cancer and 57 healthy controls of equivalent ethnicity, age and gender, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by electrophoretic analysis.

RESULTS: The anticipated deleted sequence was not detected in any of the DNA samples of oral cancer patients or controls.

CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study indicated no association of the most common mutation in the ATM gene with risk for oral cancer.