p53 polymorphism, human papillomavirus infection in the oral cavity, and oral cancer

Objectives. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has emerged as a risk factor in oral carcinogenesis. An arginine-coding polymorphism of the tumor suppressor protein p53 at codon 72 is more readily degraded by the HPV oncoprotein EG. Our objective was to evaluate the association between p53 polymorphism at codon 72 and HPV infection In the oral cavity, as well as its association with oral cancer. Study design. Oral squamous cells from 202 patients with oral cancer and 333 age-sex frequency matched controls were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction for the presence and type of HPV and for alleles of codon 72 in p53. Fisher exact test and chi(2) tests were used to evaluate the data, Results, The p53 codon 72 polymorphism is not associated with HPV infection, whether comparing HPV-negative controls with HPV-positive controls or comparing HPV-negative cases with HPV-positive cases. Additionally, we round no association with the codon 72 polymorphism and oral cancer, whether comparing HPV-negative controls with HPV-negative cases or comparing HPV-positive controls with HPV-positive cases. Conclusions. There is no association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and HPV infection or between the p53 polymorphism and the risk of oral cancer.