Introduction: Variants in tumor suppressor genes may affect susceptibility to HPV-related diseases and alter immune responses by modifying cytokine production. Thus, in the current study, we sought to examine how rs1042522 (TP53 codon 72) and rs3088440 (INK4a 540 C>T) variants correlate with serum CA125, IFN-γ, and IL-10 levels in Iraqi women with cervical cancer, genital warts, or no disease.
Methods: We enrolled 106 participants from four Iraqi hospitals (October 2024-January 2025): 26 with cervical cancer, 30 with genital warts, and 50 healthy individuals. Genetic variants were identified through PCR-RFLP, and ELISA was used to measure CA125, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in serum. We applied Chi-square tests for genotype frequencies and Kruskal-Wallis followed by Mann-Whitney U tests for biomarker analysis.
Results: For rs1042522, controls had higher GG genotype frequency (46.0%) than genital warts patients (23.3%; P=0.03), whereas genital warts patients showed increased CC genotype (43.3%). Among genital warts patients, IL-10 concentrations varied by rs1042522 genotype (P=0.025): CC carriers had elevated levels (0.76 pg/mL) versus GG carriers (0.60 pg/mL; P=0.006). The rs3088440 variant showed no meaningful associations with disease or biomarkers.
Conclusion: Our findings link rs1042522 to genital warts risk and IL-10 regulation in affected patients, indicating a genetic basis for immune responses in HPV-associated conditions. This variant may serve as a useful marker for identifying at-risk individuals.
Publication Date: 2026-04-20