Background: The role of p53 gene in the gastric cancer is still controversial. This study is aimed at determining the rate of the p53 gene codon 72 polymorphisms in gastric cancer patients and evaluating the relationship between these polymorphisms and endoscopic and histopathological features of gastric cancer.
Patients and methods: Sixty eight patients with gastric cancer (cases) and one hundred and thirty six patients without gastric cancer (controls) were enrolled. p53 gene codon 72 polymorphisms were determined by PCR-RFLP technique with DNA extracted from samples of gastric tissue.
Results: In the group of gastric cancer, Arginine/Argnine, Arginine/Proline and Proline/Proline genotypes were found in 29.4%, 42.7% and 27.9%, respectively. The differences of rates were not statistically significant between cases and controls (p > 0,05). In males, the Proline/Proline genotype was found in 38.1% in patients with gastric cancer and more frequent in patients without gastric cancer (15.7%, p = 0,01). An analysis of ROC curve showed that the cut-off was the age of 52 in the Proline/Proline genotype, but it was 65 years old in the Arginine/Proline genotype. The Proline/Proline genotype was found in 41.9% in Borrmann III/IV gastric cancer, this rate was higher than Borrmann I/II gastric cancer (16.2%, p = 0.037) and also higher than controls (18.4%, p = 0,01). The rate of Proline/Proline genotype was 41.7% in the diffuse gastric cancer, it was higher than in controls (p = 0,023).
Conclusion: No significative difference of rate was found in genotypes between gastric cancer group and controls. However, there was the relationship between Proline/Proline genotype and gastric cancer in males, Borrmann types of gastric cancer, the diffuse gastric cancer.
Key words: polymorphism, codon 72, p53 gene, PCR - RFLP, gastric cancer.
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