title: The p53 codon 72 arg/arg homozygous women in central Italy are at increased risk for HPV infections.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81-00133, Rome. marco.ciotti@ptvonline.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciotti
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coletti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappiello
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Syrjanen
authors.forename: Cartesio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Favalli
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D001120:Arginine