ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: [corrected] An experimental study has indicated that individuals homozygous for the Arg-encoding allele of p53 gene may have an increased susceptibility to HPV-related cervical cancer but many epidemiological studies have failed to repeat this result. Many epidemiological studies have failed in the attempt to repeat this results. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether the p53 arginine allele confers a risk factor for cervical carcinogenesis. STUDY DESIGN: Using PCR based technology, DNAs from 90 normal cervical samples and 205 abnormal cervical tissue scrapes were analyzed for the type of HPV present and p53 codon 72 polymorphism. RESULTS: Non statistically significant differences were found for the frequencies of p53 genotypes in the different cytological/histological groups (chi2=1.4; P=0.97) nor for the risk for HPV infection (chi2=1; P=0.9). CONCLUSION: This study showed that polymorphism at codon 72 of TP53 gene is not associated with an increased susceptibility to cervical disease and/or HPV infection in the Argentine women population.
