A common polymorphism of the wild type p53 is known at codon 72 of exon 4, with 2 alleles
encoding either arginine (CGC, p53Arg) or proline (CCC, p53Pro). A recent study suggested
that this polymorphism affects the susceptibility of p53 protein to human papillomavirus
E6 oncoprotein mediated degradation and that individuals homozygous for p53Arg are seven
times more susceptible to HPV-associated carcinogenesis of the cervix than heterozygotes.
To examine whether the p53Arg genotype could be a risk factor for HPV-associated cervical
carcinomas in the Korean population, we analyzed the p53 codon 72 polymorphism status of
HPV-positive invasive cervical carcinomas from 52 Korean women and 103 healthy control
samples. The proportion of individuals homozygous for p53Arg, homozygous for p53Pro, and
heterozygous for the two alleles were 40%, 19%, and 41% in normal healthy controls; 42%,
17%, and 40% in women with HPV-positive invasive cervical carcinoma. There were no significant
differences in the distribution of p53 genotypes between controls and cervical carcinomas.
This finding indicates that the p53Arg genotype is not associated with an increased
susceptibility to cervical carcinoma in Korean women.
|