Tumour necrosis factor alpha 308 G/A is a risk marker for the progression from high-grade lesions to invasive cervical cancer.

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a strong pro-inflammatory cytokine with important functions on immune response to viral infections. A single nucleotide polymorphism on the -308 position of the promoter region of TNFA gene characterised by a G > A transition has been associated with different TNF-α levels and therefore with differential susceptibility for the development several diseases. A cross-sectional case-control study was performed with 509 women with cancer from the northern region of Portugal, including 205 healthy women and 337 women with different cervical lesions including invasive cervical.

IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism as a susceptibility marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Portugal.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy in Western countries that is widely associated with the infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Several studies have showed that a common allele (allele 2) of the 86-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism within intron 2 of the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) gene is associated with several disorders, including viral-associated cancers.

Methods: We have developed a hospital-based case-control study to characterise the role of the IL-1RN 86-bp VNTR polymorphism in the development of NPC with 112 patients with the disease and 433 healthy individuals from the northern region of Portugal.

IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism and genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer in Portugal.

Human Papillomavirus infection is considered as the main etiological factor of cervical cancer (ICC), although, the role of host genetic factors in ICC susceptibility has been increasing. Immunological response is crucial for the prevention of viral associated diseases. Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) is considered to be an important regulator of host immunity and several studies have shown a potential role of a 86 bp VNTR polymorphism within intron 2 of the IL-1RN gene in host immune response variability.

Is there a biological plausability for p53 codon 72 polymorphism influence on cervical cancer development?

The interaction between HPV E6 and p53 protein is known as the most important event in HPV-associated carcinogenesis. Some in vitro studies suggested that p53 genetic variants are targeted for ubiquitin-proteasome degradation induced by E6 with different abilities. A common p53 variant at position 72 (R72P) has leaded to the development of several studies regarding its role on cervical cancer development.

Genetic risk markers for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Portugal: tumor necrosis factor alpha -308G >A polymorphism.

The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a strong proinflammatory cytokine produced by the activated macrophages in the immune response to viral infections. A common polymorphism on the promoter region of TNFA gene (-308G >A) has been associated with different susceptibilities to the development of several diseases including viral-associated neoplasias. Data suggest that the A allele has been associated with higher levels of TNF-α and, therefore, leads to increased risk of cancer development.

Is the p53 codon 72 polymorphism a key biomarker for cervical cancer development? A meta-analysis review within European populations.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the necessary cause for cervical cancer development, and the interaction of HPV-E6 with p53 is known as the most important event in HPV-associated carcinogenesis. In vitro studies have suggested that HPV-E6 interacts more efficiently with the arginine (Arg) p53 variant at position 72 as it appears to be more susceptible to degradation through the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. However, few reports have corroborated this data, and the role of the p53 codon 72 polymorphism in the development of cervical cancer requires further elucidation.

Linkage of TP53 codon 72 pro/pro genotype as predictive factor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma development.

Genetic predisposition has been suggested as a cofactor for cancer aetiology and a polymorphism in TP53 codon 72 has been associated as a susceptibility factor for several cancers. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare neoplasia in western civilizations and genetic predisposition might play an important role in its development. We evaluated the linkage of the polymorphic variants (Arg/Pro) on TP53 codon 72 with nasopharyngeal cancer development in a case-control study with 392 individuals from a northern Portuguese population, including 107 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 285 healthy controls.

Linking TP53 codon 72 and P21 nt590 genotypes to the development of cervical and ovarian cancer.

TP53 and its downstream effector gene P21 are two important genes in cell cycle regulation. Genetic alterations on p53 and attenuation of p21 expression result in progression through cell cycle G1 checkpoint, which can lead to cancer development. We analysed the frequency of TP53 codon 72 and 3'UTR P21 polymorphisms in 681 blood samples from 371 cervical cancer patients, 122 ovarian cancer patients and 188 healthy controls using AS-PCR and PCR-RFLP.

TP53 and P21 polymorphisms: response to cisplatinum/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynaecologic cancer and its standard treatment consists of platinum-based chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery. The p53 protein plays a critical role on different cellular processes in response to DNA damage and it is responsible for transcriptional induction of the P21 gene. We have analysed 114 blood samples in order to investigate the effect of the TP53 codon 72 and the P21 3'UTR polymorphisms in response to cisplatinum/paclitaxel chemotherapy for OC treatment.

TP53 codon 72 polymorphism and risk for cervical cancer in Portugal.

High-risk human papillomavirus are essential for the development of cervical cancer; however, TP53 is the most frequently altered tumor suppressor gene among tumors and is described as a cofactor for cervical carcinogenesis. TP53 has two common polymorphic forms encoding either proline or arginine, at position 72, and the presence of homozygous arginine has been reported as a risk factor for cervical cancer in many populations. We evaluated the effect of this TP53 polymorphism in a northern Portuguese population.