p53 Codon 72 arginine/proline polymorphism and cancer in Sudan.

The aim of this report is to determine frequencies and associations of p53 codon 72 arg/pro polymorphism with different types of cancer in Sudan. p53 codon72 arg/pro polymorphism distribution and allele frequencies in 264 samples of different types of cancers were investigated using PCR. The results were compared to 235 normal controls. The results indicated significant differences in frequency and genotype association between different types of cancers. Breast carcinoma patients most prominently showed excess of homozygous arg genotype as compared to controls with an Odd ratio (OR) of 19.44, 95 %CI: 6.6-78.3, P < 0.0001. Less prominently cervical cancer showed genotype effect of 2.4 OR, 95 %CI: 1.12-5.33, P = 0.015, while esophageal cancer had an OR of 0.57, 95 %CI: 0.23-1.42, P = 0.1. In Burkitt's lymphoma, however, in contrast the homozygous arg accounted for only 6.9 %, (OR 0.18, 95 %CI: 0.02-0.89, P = 0.018). We concluded that p53 arg/pro polymorphism has different pattern of frequency in different types of cancer among Sudanese patients, indicating perhaps different etiology and biology of these tumours.