Background: Determining the role of genetic markers in individual sensitivity to chemical exposures raises a possibility of risk assessment of occupational diseases and their prevention. This paper focuses on the results of the identification of molecular-genetic markers associated with occupational skin cancer susceptibility. This study aimed to explore an association between polymorphisms of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene and a risk of developing occupational skin neoplasms.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 71 workers with occupational skin neoplasms, 99 healthy workers, and 100 healthy population-based controls in Bashkortostan Republic, Russia in 2015. Genotyping of TP53 polymorphisms (rs1042522, rs1625895, and rs17878362) was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the strength of the association.
Results: Subjects carrying allele C of rs1042522 were associated with an increased risk of occupational skin neoplasms [P=0.027, odds ratio (OR)=1.97, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.08-3.63]. An increased risk was also associated with allele 16bp of rs17878362 (P=0.010, OR=3.32, 95 % CI=1.31-8.78) and allele A of rs1625895 (P=0.003, OR = 5.45, 95 % CI = 1.72-19.15).
Conclusion: The polymorphic variants rs1042522, rs1625895 and rs17878362 of the TP53 gene are related to increased risks of occupational skin cancer. This study suggests the potential use of molecular-genetic data to assess increased individual risks of the development and prognosis of occupational skin neoplasms.
Keywords: Occupational skin cancer; Polymorphism; TP53.