Effect of CYP17 and PSA gene polymorphisms on prostate cancer risk and circulating PSA levels in the Slovak population

Cytochrome P-450c17α ( CYP17 ) and prostate-specific antigen ( PSA ) genes, which are involved in the androgen metabolism cascade, have been studied as possible candidates for genetic influences on prostate cancer development. Contradictory results prompted us to evaluate the frequencies of polymorphisms in the CYP17 and PSA genes as well as the association between these genetic variants and serum PSA levels in prostate cancer patients and men routinely screened for prostate cancer with PSA in the Slovak male population. The CYP17 and PSA polymorphisms were determined by the PCR–RFLP analysis in 197 Caucasian prostate cancer patients and 256 Caucasian controls. We did not find any association between the CYP17 and PSA genotypes and prostate cancer risk overall, or by grade. Also the total serum PSA levels in the cases with the AG or AA genotype were not significantly higher than in the men with the GG genotype ( P > 0.05). Our study did not provide support for the hypothesized relationship between CYP17 and PSA gene polymorphisms and prostate cancer in the Slovak male population.