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. Materials and 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 47158 (81%); arg/pro 9158 (15.5%) and pro/pro 2158 (3.4%), while those in controls were: arg/arg 19132 (59%); arg/pro 10132 (31.2%) and pro/pro 3132 (9.3%) (Fishers 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). Conclusion: These data suggest that arg/arg homozygous patients are at increased risk for HR-HPV infections.