Epidermal growth factor genetic variation associated with advanced cervical cancer in younger women

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates cell proliferation by binding to its receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor), and the overexpression of this receptor is associated with poorer prognosis. The EGF gene presents a polymorphism at position 61 (A/G), associated with higher EGF production. We examined the association between this polymorphism and cervical cancer through a case-control study.

This study used the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method on a sample of 384 women with cervical lesions and 500 controls of white ethnicity.

In cases of cervical cancer, we found an increased risk of progression to advanced disease (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIb/IV) (odds ratios=2.05; 95% confidence intervals=1.11 to 3.79; P=0.021), and this risk was particularly evident in G carriers for younger women (odds ratios=2.96; 95% confidence intervals=1.41-6.20, P=0.003).

We hypothesize the onset of an advanced disease-driven selective pressure due to the effect of oncogenic human papillomavirus types in a favorable genetic background observed in G carrier women. These results suggest that EGF functional polymorphism may influence cervical cancer prognosis through an EGF/epidermal growth factor receptor pathway.