Objective: To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in p21 and p27 genes with the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
Methods: Genotypes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restrictive fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in 234 patients with EOC and 284 control women in China.
Results: (1) The frequencies of the p21 in healthy controls were 34.2%, 49.6% and 16.2%, while the distribution of the C and T allele was 59.0% and 41.0%, respectively. The p21 C/C (28.2%), C/T (53.0%), T/T (18.8%) distribution in ovarian cancer patients was not significantly different from that in healthy controls (P > 0.05). There was no statistic difference in allele distribution between ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls (P > 0.05) either. The stratification analysis by tumor histological type did show that the genotype distribution in four types of ovarian cancer patients was significantly different from that in healthy controls (P = 0.02) . The C/C genotype was likely to reduce the risk of epithelial endometrial cancer, and the adjusted odds ratio was 0.56 (95% CI:0.32-0.98). (2) The genotype frequencies of the p27 in healthy controls were 88.4%, 10.9% and 0.7%, while the distribution of the V and G allele was 93.8% and 6.2%, respectively. The V/V (93.6%), V/G (5.1%) and G/G (1.3%) distribution in ovarian cancer patients was significantly different from that in healthy controls (P = 0. 04). There was no statistic difference in allele distribution between ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls (P > 0.05). Compared with the V/G and G/G genotypes, the V/V genotype increased the risk of EOC, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.92 (95% CI: 1.02-3.63).
Conclusion: The C/C genotype of p21 may reduce the risk of epithelial endometrial cancer, and the genotype of p27 V/V may be a potential risk factor for susceptibility to EOC.