The ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) gene plays an important part in carcinogenesis by inactivation via promoter hypermethylation in several cancers. We aimed to examine the effect of the RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism on cervical carcinogenesis in reference to environmental factors, such as smoking and age at first sexual intercourse.

Seven hundred five patients who were diagnosed with cervical neoplasia and who had a positive results for human papillomavirus were enrolled to experimental group, and 641 of normal healthy women were enrolled as controls. All of the subjects were genotyped using the SNaPshot single base primer extension assay.

Compared with RASSF1A TT/GT, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for RASSF1A GG was 1.4 (0.9-2.1) for invasive cervical cancer and 1.1 (0.7-1.7) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or III. The risks for cervical cancer were higher in patients under 40 years old at diagnosis (1.6, 1.0-2.6), than in patients over 40 years old at diagnosis (1.0, 0.7-1.5). Women with RASSF1A GG who currently smoke had a 2.7 (1.3-5.9) times higher risk of cervical cancer. Women with RASSF1A GG who had an early age of first intercourse, as compared with RASSF1A TT/GT, were also at increased risk.

The RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism is associated with a higher risk of cervical cancer and particularly with an early onset of cervical carcinogenesis.