Preferential retention of codon 72 arginine p53 in squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva occurs in cancers positive and negative for human papillomavirus

We have sought to determine the basis for preferential loss of the codon 72 proline (72P) rather than the arginine (72R) allele in squamous cell carci noma of the vulva with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in p53, The proportion of eases containing human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 was not statistically dif ferent among. individuals with either 72RR or 72RP in the germ line (P > 0. 99), but p53 LOH was significantly more common in individuals heterozygous 72RP than in 72RR individuals (P = 0.04). LOH more commonly involved the 72 P allele in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative cancers. Our results imply t hat preferential loss of the 72P allele in vulval squamous fell carcinoma o ccurs by HPV-dependent and -independent mechanisms.