Background: Inactivation of p53 is the most common change identified in human cancer. Nucleotide alterations in p53 intron 6 have been reported to be associated with the dysregulation of p53 function and tumor development. The aim of our study was to assess whether the intron 6 G13964C variant of the p53 gene is associated with the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a risk factor in colon cancer.
Materials and methods: To determine whether the intronic G13964C alteration is involved in colon carcinogenesis, surgical specimens from 55 patients with colon cancer and HPV-positive tumors were examined by PCR-RFLP. Blood samples from 77 healthy subjects were used as the control group.
Results: The 13964C variant was found in 14.5% of colon cancer patients and 12.9% of the control subjects. One patient and two controls were homozygous for this base change.
Conclusion: No evidence of a significant association between the p53 G13964C allele and colon carcinoma was found.