HLA-DQB1*03 homozygosity (OR(age-adjusted) = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.17-19.30; P = 0.03) or p53Pro72Pro (OR(age-adjusted) = 5.84; 95% CI: 1.18-28.99; P = 0.03) was found to be significantly associated with CaCx, each in the absence of the other in this group but not when present jointly in contrast to those lacking both factors (P = 0.214).
This finding implies that polymorphic amino acids at the putative antigen binding residues 9 and 37 of HLA-DQB1 alleles may play an important role in the development of cervical cancer.
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between HLA-DQB1*03 alleles and the risk of cervical cancer induced by human papillomavirus (HPV).
Furthermore, specific HLA-DQB1 sequences may be important in determining the immune response to HPV peptides and may affect the risk for cervical cancer after HPV infection in mestizo Honduran women.