Association between a CYP3A4 Genetic Variant and Clinical Presentation in African-American Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate cancer incidence, clinical presentation, and mortality rates vary among different ethnic groups. A genetic variant of CYP3A4 , a gene involved in the oxidative deactivation of testosterone, has been associated recently with prostate cancer development in Caucasians. To further investigate this variant, we evaluated its genotype frequencies in different ethnic groups and its association with clinical presentation of prostate cancer in African Americans. CYP3A4 genotypes were assayed in healthy male Caucasian ( n = 117), Hispanic ( n = 121), African-American ( n = 116), Chinese ( n = 46), and Japanese ( n = 34) volunteers using the TaqMan assay. The association between CYP3A4 genotype and prostate cancer presentation was determined in 174 affected African-American men. Genotype frequency of the CYP3A4 variant differed substantially across ethnic groups, with African Americans much more likely to carry one or two copies than any other group (two-sided P < 0.0001). Among African Americans, 46% (80 of 174) of men with prostate cancer were homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant, whereas only 28% (32 of 116) of African-American healthy volunteers were homozygous (two-sided P < 0.005). A consistent positive association was observed between being homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant in African-American prostate cancer patients and clinical characteristics. Men homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant were more likely to present with higher grade and stage of prostate cancer in a recessive model [odds ratio (OR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9–3.4]. This association was even stronger for men who were >65 years of age at diagnosis ( n = 103; OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.4). In summary, the CYP3A4 genotype frequency in different ethnic groups broadly followed trends in prostate cancer incidence, presentation, and mortality in the United States. African-American prostate cancer patients had a higher frequency of being homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant than healthy African-American volunteers who were matched solely based on ethnicity. Among the patients, those who were homozygous for the CYP3A4 variant were more likely to present with clinically more advanced prostate cancer.