RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The p53 Codon 72 arg/arg Homozygous Women in Central Italy are at Increased Risk for HPV Infections JF Anticancer Research JO Anticancer Res FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 3745 OP 3748 VO 26 IS 5B A1 CIOTTI, MARCO A1 COLETTI, ANNA A1 GIULIANI, LAURA A1 CAPPIELLO, GIUSEPPINA A1 SYRJANEN, KARI A1 FAVALLI, CARTESIO YR 2006 UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/26/5B/3745.abstract AB 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 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). Conclusion: These data suggest that arg/arg homozygous patients are at increased risk for HR-HPV infections.