Association between hormonal genetic polymorphisms and early-onset prostate cancer

We investigated the association between seven polymorphisms in four candidate genes involved in vitamin D and androgen metabolism with early-onset prostate cancer (CaP) risk. The polymorphisms were genotyped in 288 UK males who were diagnosed with CaP at the age of 55 y or younger and up to 700 population-based controls. An additional 50 cases ( not selected for age) and 76 controls were also genotyped. Short ( <= 22 repeats) AR (CAG)(n) repeats were associated with a significantly reduced risk of early onset CaP ( OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50 - 0.91) compared with men with long ( 422) repeats. Men homozygous for the leucine variant of SRD5A2 p. 89V>L were also found to be at a significantly increased risk of CaP compared with men who were homozygous for the valine allele ( OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.15 - 2.98). No associations were found with the AR (GGC)(n), CYP17 Msp A1 I, VDR Taq I, SRD5A2 (TA)(n) and p. 49A>T polymorphisms and CaP risk. These findings suggest that common polymorphisms in the AR and SRD5A2 genes may be associated with early-onset CaP in British men.