Altered mitochondrial genome content signals worse pathology and prognosis in prostate cancer

Background Mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) content is depleted in many cancers. In prostate cancer, there is intra‐glandular as well as inter‐patient mtDNA copy number variation. In this study, we determine if mtDNA content can be used as a predictor for prostate cancer staging and outcomes. Methods Fresh prostate cancer biopsies from 115 patients were obtained at time of surgery. All cores underwent pathological review, followed by isolation of cancer and normal tissue. DNA was extracted and qPCR performed to quantify the total amount of mtDNA as a ratio to genomic DNA. Differences in mtDNA content were compared for prostate cancer pathology features and disease outcomes. Results We showed a significantly reduced mtDNA content in prostate cancer compared with normal adjacent prostate tissue (mean difference 1.73‐fold, P‐value