p 53 codon 72 polymorphism in stomach and colorectal adenocarcinomas in Iranian patients

Background: The association of a functional single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 72 of the p53 gene (Arg72Pro) with malignancy is a subject of controversy. We analyzed this polymorphism in 224 patients with gastrointestinal cancers (92 with stomach cancer and 132 with colorectal cancer) and in 163 healthy controls. Material and Methods: DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and amplified with an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Results: There was no significant association between p53 alleles and gastrointestinal cancers. The frequency of the Arg allele was 59.7, 58.8, and 59.2 in the stomach cancer patients, colorectal cancer patients, and controls, respectively. Frequencies of the Pro allele were 40.3 in patients with stomach cancer, 41.2 in patients with colorectal cancer, and 40.8 in controls. Likewise, genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between the two patient groups and controls. There were no differences in genotype or allele frequencies by gender, age, or histological grade. Conclusions: The data do not support the association of the p53 codon 72 polymorphism with stomach or colorectal cancers in Iranian patients.