Association of p53 codon 72 polymorphism with susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan.

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is key in tumor development and progression, and the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the p53 gene codon 72 (p53Arg/Pro) changes the structure of the protein. In addition, it affects its activity, which may affect cancer risk. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan. A total of 342 HCC patients and 347 non-cancer control subjects were recruited, and the polymorphism of p53 codon 72 was measured by TaqMan minor groove binder fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. The distribution frequency of p53 sites of arginine (Arg)/Arg, Arg/proline (Pro), Pro/Pro were 18.4, 48.8 and 32.8% in the control group, as compared with 18.7, 49.9 and 31.4% in the case group, which indicated that there was no difference between two groups (χ=0.14; P=0.93). Upon further stratification with smoking, alcohol consumption, gender and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, no risk increasing genotype was identified. However, interactions between p53 codon 72 SNP and smoking, alcohol consumption and HBV infection may increase the risk of HCC [smoking odds ratio (OR), 2.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21-3.29; alcohol consumption OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.08-3.26; HBV infection OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.10-3.08]. No significant association was identified between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and HCC, and it may not have an independent effect on the susceptibility to HCC in a Chinese population from northeast Sichuan. However, interaction between genetic factors and environment exposure significantly increased the risk of HCC.