Molecular Investigation of the Association Among Common Interleukin-6 Polymorphism and Human Papillomavirus Genotypes with Cervical Cancer Among Iranian Women

Cervical cancer is the fourth most commonly identified cancer and the third important reason for cancer-related death among women in less developed nations. Aside from the human papillomavirus (HPV), the host genetic factors, especially some polymorphisms in the interleukin 6 (IL-6) gene, might relate to the risk of cervical cancer. This study aims to investigate the molecular investigation of HPV infection and its association with the common polymorphism of IL-6 in cervical carcinoma in Iran. This case-control study collected 62 precancerous and cancerous lesions and 62 healthy samples from cancer-free women, subsequent negative colposcopy, and cervical cytology. The frequency of HPV genotypes and the genotyping of IL-6 rs1800795 and rs1800796 were done by different PCR techniques. Results were analyzed using the Epi Info version 7, 2012, with the χ2 test. Compared with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CINI), the HPV positivity rate is saliently higher in CINII/III and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (56.25%, 66.66%, and 73.63%, respectively, p < 0.001). The HPV positivity rate is also higher in SCC in comparison with CINII/III (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the most detected HPV genotypes were HPV16 and 33 in CINI; HPV16, 31, and 35 in CINII/III; and HPV16 and 18 in SCC groups. HPV16 was the most commonly detected genotype in CINI, CINII/III, and SCC, accounting for 44.44%, 50%, and 71.42%, respectively. In addition, the frequency of GG, CG, and CC genotypes from rs1800795 polymorphism was 0.58, 0.32, and 0.10, respectively (p = 0.033), but in the control group, it was 0.70, 0.27, and 0.03, respectively. The findings suggest that HPV16 plays an important role in the emergence of cervical lesions in Iranian patients. As a result, rs1800795 CC genotype and HPV might increase cervical cancer risk in Iranian women.