Abstract
A short CAG repeat length in the gene encoding for the androgen receptor (AR) has been associated with prostate cancer (PC) risk and aggressiveness. In Latino men, information on this association is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate this association in Mexican males. Using fragment analysis by capillary electrophoresis, we determined the number of CAG repeats—(CAG)n—in AR gene from 158 incident PC cases and 326 age-matched healthy controls (±5 years), residing in Mexico City, Mexico. According to Gleason scale and age at diagnosis, cases were classified as high (⩾7) and low grade (<7), as well as early onset (<60 years) or late onset PC (⩾60 years). At diagnosis, 78% of cases were classified as high-grade and 26.6% as early onset. Men with sporadic (no family history of PC) and early-onset PC presented shorter CAG repeat length than controls (18.6±2.2 vs 19.5±2.5; P=0.02). Lower number of CAG repeats (CAG)⩽19 were associated with a greater risk for early-onset PC (odds ratio: 2.31; 95% confidence interval: 1.14–4.69). CAG repeat length could increase the risk for sporadic and early-onset PC. The best cutoff point for identifying at-risk subjects was (CAG)19. However, further studies are necessary to replicate our findings in subjects with a family history of PC and also to evaluate the association between CAG repeats length and disease progression.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by CONACyT grant number 140482 (to LT-S). We are grateful for the contribution of Arianna Ventura-Bahena, and of Ms Nicol Ventura-Bahena, who participated in the conformation of the samples bank and the coding and entering of the information, respectively. Likewise, we are grateful to each of the participating hospitals: General Hospital of Mexico (SSA), National Cancer Institute (SSA), Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical and Nutrition Sciences (SSA), and the Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI Oncology Hospital (IMSS), the Dr Carlos McGregor Sánchez Navarro Regional General Hospital No.1 (IMSS) and the Adolfo López Mateos Regional Hospital (ISSSTE). We also thank Laboratorio de Genómica, Proteómica y Metabolómica from LaNSE-Cinvestav for helping with the genotyping processes.
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Gómez, R., Torres-Sánchez, L., Camacho-Mejorado, R. et al. Androgen receptor CAG polymorphism and sporadic and early-onset prostate cancer among Mexican men. J Hum Genet 61, 781–786 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhg.2016.49
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jhg.2016.49


