BACKGROUND:
The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays an important role in genomic stability. A common G-to-C polymorphism at codon 72 in the p53 gene has been accompanied with high risk of lung, nasopharyngeal, oral, prostate, and colorectal cancers, and may result in genetic susceptibility to breast cancer. We studied the effect of this p53 polymorphism on breast invasive ductal carcinoma development

METHODS:
This case–control study was conducted among 51 patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma and 51 matched controls in Isfahan. P53 codon 72 genotypes were identified using allele-specific polymerase-chain reaction (PCR).

FINDINGS:
In control samples, the genotype distribution of p53 polymorphism showed 43.2%, 52.9% and 3.9% for the Arg/Arg, Arg/Pro and Pro/Pro genotypes, respectively. In cancer group the distribution was 86.2% for Arg/Arg, 11.8% for Arg/Pro and 2% for Pro/Pro. Distribution differences in p53 codon 72 polymorphism between the cases and controls were statistically significant (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION:
This study indicates that p53 codon 72 polymorphism is a genetic predisposing factor for breast invasive ductal carcinoma development in samples of Isfahan. However, further studies are needed to determine the role of p53 codon72 polymorphism in breast cancer development.

KEY WORDS:
Polymorphism, p53 codon 72, breast cancer