Hypermethylation of p16 tumor-suppressor gene in ameloblastic carcinoma, ameloblastoma, and dental follicles.

Purpose: The high rate of p16 gene alterations in malignant neoplasms suggests the important effect of this tumor-suppressor gene mutation on the malignant behavior of tumoral lesions. The present study investigated the possible methylation of the p16 tumor in ameloblastic carcinoma, ameloblastoma, and dental follicles.

Materials And Methods: Eighteen samples of ameloblastic carcinoma, ameloblastoma, and dental follicles of mandibular impacted third molar were selected from available documents in the archives of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Taleghani Hospital and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.