To investigate the correlation between p53 DNA polymorphism and cervical cancers with HPV infection and to clarify whether p53 DNA polymorphism behave as a host risk factor of cervical carcinogenesis in Korean population.

For detection of HPV infection, nested PCR targeting at HPV L1 region was carried out after DNA precipitation from 112 normal control and 299 cervical intraepithelial neoplasm and invasive cancer patients. In the case of positive to HPV L1 region, HPV 16/18 infection was analyzed by HPV 16/18 specific nested PCR. To examine p53 genotype codon 72 polymorphism (p53 genotype), p53 exon 4 region amplified, and then amplified products were digested with Acc II restriction enzyme. According to restriction fragment, p53 genotype was classified into homozygous p53 arginine (p53Arg), homozygous p53 proline (p53Pro) and heterozygous p53 arginine/proline (p53Het).

1. The incidence of HPV infection increased as it developed into cancer from normal in cervix, but there was no statistical significance (p>0.05). 2. The incidence of HPV 16/18 infection was much higher in HGSIL and invasive cancer than in LGSIL and control (p<0.05). 3. The distribution of p53 Arg genotype did not have any significant differences in the normal control, CIN and invasive cancer patients (P>0.05). 4. In the normal control, CIN and invasive cancer patients with HPV infection and HPV 16/18 infection, the distribution of p53 Arg did not have any significant differences (p>0.05).

p53 genotype did not act as a host risk factor in cervical carcinogenesis in Korean population. But more researches on the p53 genotype to HPV E6 variants will be needed to know the exact meanings of p53 genotype.