No Association Between p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 Polymorphism and the Risk of Lung Cancer in a Korean Population

A member of the p53 family, p73 may play an important role in the development of lung cancer. Variations in the DNA sequence in the p73 gene can lead to alterations in the production of p73 and/or activity, which can affect an individual’s susceptibility to lung cancer. To test this hypothesis, this study examined the association between the G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism in the p73 gene and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population. The p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 genotypes were determined in 582 lung cancer patients and 582 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects. Compared with the GC/GC genotype, the GC/AT and the AT/AT genotypes were not significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.84–1.38; and adjusted OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 0.83–2.24, respectively]. In addition, the risk estimate for the combined variant genotype (GC/AT + AT/AT) was similar to that of the GC/GC genotype (a dominant model for the AT allele, adjusted OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.88–1.41). These results suggest that the p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism does not significantly affect susceptibility to lung cancer in the Korean population.