[A study on the role of DNA repair gene O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in the development of human lung cancer].

Objective: To study the role of O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (hMGMT) in the development of human lung cancer.

Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was applied to measure hMGMT mRNA expression in 150 lung cancer specimens, 40 normal lung tissues, and in the peripheral mononuclear blood cells from 50 lung cancer cases and 50 normal controls. The protein expressions of p53, C-MYC and K-RAS were assessed by immuno-histochemistry.