Common genetic variants in TERT contribute to risk of cervical cancer in a Chinese population.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TERT rs2736098, rs2736100, and CLPTM1L rs402710 at 5p15.33 are significantly associated with risk of a spectrum of cancers. However, cervical cancer has been rarely evaluated. In this study, we genotyped the three SNPs in a case-control study with 1,033 cervical cancer cases and 1,053 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population. Logistic regression analyses showed that the two TERT SNPs both significantly associated with cervical cancer risk in the recessive model (rs2736098, AA vs. AG/GG: adjusted OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06-1.72; rs2736100, CC vs. AC/AA: adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.11-1.73). However, no association was found between CLPTM1L rs402710 and cervical cancer. These results suggest that genetic variants in 5p15.33, especially in TERT, may be markers for susceptibility to cervical cancer.