No Association Between the Trp53 Codon 72 Polymorphism and Head and Neck Cancer: A Case-Control Study in a South Indian Population

Abstract

Genetic polymorphisms are important for predispositions to several human cancers. In the tumour suppressorTrp53 gene, a codon 72 polymorphism is frequent in the form of a single nucleotide polymorphism that leadsto substitution of an arginine for a proline. In the present study, we analysed the association of Trp53 codon 72polymorphs with head and neck cancer through a case-control study approach with PCR-RFLP of DNA fromblood of 47 clinically confirmed patients and 52 healthy controls. The Pro (Trp5372P) and Arg (Trp5372R) allelefrequencies in the healthy controls were 0.44 and 0.56, and not significantly different from those in the cancerpatients at 0.56 and 0.44. The genotype distribution in the controls was 32.7% Arg/Arg, 46.2% Arg/Pro and21.2% Pro/Pro and in the cancer patients 17.0% Arg/Arg, 53.2% Arg/Pro and 29.8% Pro/Pro. No significantdifference in the distribution of genotypes between head and neck cancer patients and healthy controls (P=0.18,χ2 test) was observed. We conclude no association of Trp53 codon 72 polymorphism was observed with head andneck cancer susceptibility.