The p53 codon 72 arg/arg homozygous women in central Italy are at increased risk for HPV infections.
BACKGROUND
The oncoprotein E6 binds to and degrades the p53 tumor suppressor protein, with different efficacy depending on the p53 codon 72 (arg/pro) polymorphism. The arg/arg allele has been shown to increase the risk for cervical cancer.


METHODS
Fifty-eight women infected with HPV and 32 normal controls were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism to detect arg/arg or arg/pro alleles.


RESULTS
The allele frequencies in HPV-positive women were: arg/arg 47/58 (81%); arg/pro 9/58 (15.5%) and pro/pro 2/58 (3.4%), while those in controls were: arg/arg 19/32 (59%); arg/pro 10/32 (31.2%) and pro/pro 3/32 (9.3%) (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.068). The risk of having HSIL in arg/arg homozygous patients had odds ratio (OR) = 1.33 (95% CI 1.12-1.58, p = 0.628). Women with the arg/arg phenotype were at significantly increased risk for HPV infection; OR = 2.93 (95% CI 1.11-7.66, p = 0.028). Being homozygous arg/arg also substantially increased the risk of HR-HPV infection, with OR = 3.84 (95% CI 0.71-20.57, p = 0.128), whereas heterozygosity for arg/pro was protective against HR-HPV; OR = 0.186 (95% CI 0.03-1.04, p = 0.074). Allele frequencies in women with different HPV types were not significantly different, however (p = 0.174).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that arg/arg homozygous patients are at increased risk for HR-HPV infections.
Ciotti
Marco
M
Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81-00133, Rome. marco.ciotti@ptvonline.it
Coletti
Anna
A
Giuliani
Laura
L
Cappiello
Giuseppina
G
Syrjanen
Kari
K
Favalli
Cartesio
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003062:Codon; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
D003062:Codon; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D001120:Arginine