Frequency of p53 codon 72 genotypes in human papillomavirus associated squamous intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer

Background. A recent study suggested that the p53Arg (at residue 72) homozygous genotype could be a potential genetic risk factor for cervical cancer among white women. To confirm this result we examined the proportion of p53 genotypes in a larger number of patients with cervical cancer and in patients with squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) compared to a control population. Materials and Methods. We used allele-specific primers to amplify the p53Arg and p53Pro sequences and we examined the proportion of genotypes in the study populations using chi(2)- test. Results. The distributions of p53Arg homozygous, heterozygous and p53Pro homozygous genotypes were 63 %, 27 % and 10 % in cervical cancer patients, 53 %, 36 % and 8 % in individuals with SIL, and 60 %, 36 % and 4 % in control population. Using chi-square test, no significant difference was found between genotype frequencies in the study groups. Conclusion. Thus, the p53Arg homozygous genotype does not seem to increase the risk of cervical cancer in Hungarian women.