HPC2/ELAC2 polymorphism associated with Japanese sporadic prostate cancer

BACKGROUND HPC2/ELAC2 gene was identified by linkage analysis from familial prostate cancer (Pca) patients in USA. To determine the association of HPC2/ELAC2 gene with Japanese sporadic Pca, we performed a case‐control study focused on two missense polymorphisms. METHODS We genotyped the two polymorphic sites of Ser217Leu and Ala541Thr in sporadic Japanese Pca patients (n = 285) and matched controls (n = 233). Controls were unrelated Japanese outpatients who had no history of any cancer and normal PSA level (less than 4.0 ng/ml). Statistical analyses were performed by Mann–Whitney's U‐test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS We observed a significantly higher frequency of the Thr allele at 541 polymorphic site in Pca patients (8.4%) compared to the control group (2.1%) (P = 0.0030, Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.02, 95% CI = 1.50–10.8). However, this SNP does not correlate with clinical stage, PSA level, Gleason score of biopsies or age at diagnosis. No association was identified at Ser217Leu polymorphic site. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that Thr allele at 541 in HPC2/ELAC2 has strong significance in the predisposition of sporadic Pca in Japan. This polymorphism can be useful to predict the personal Pca risk, which lead the effective screening of Pca. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.