Mutations of RAS gene family in specimens of bladder cancer.

INTRODUCTION Studies have shown different types of RAS mutations in human bladder tumors with a wide range of mutation frequencies in different patient populations. This study aimed to assess the frequency of specific-point mutations in the RAS gene family of a group of Iranian patients with bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the tumor specimens of 35 consecutive patients with transitional cell carcinoma. The DNA samples were evaluated for the occurrence of HRAS, KRAS, and NRAS activation using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. RESULTS None of the patients had mutations in the RAS gene family "hot spots" including codons 12, 13, and 61. CONCLUSION We failed to find RAS mutations in our bladder tumor samples. These observations may reflect the involvement of different etiological factors in the induction of bladder tumor of which RAS mutation might not be present in all populations.