PTU - Polskie Towarzystwo Urologiczne
list of articles:

CODE: 21 - VEGF A (-2578) C polymorphism in patients with prostate cancer - preliminary report
Article published in Urologia Polska 2006/59/Suplement 1.

authors

Artur Lemiński 1, Agnieszka Bińczak-Kuleta 2, Miłosz Parczewski 2, Mariusz Kaczmarczyk 2, Andrzej Ciechanowicz 2, Andrzej Sikorski 1
1 Katedra i Klinika Urologii PAM w Szczecinie
2 Katedra Diagnostyki Laboratoryjnej i Medycyny Molekularnej PAM w Szczecinie

summary

Introduction. Mutations in cytokine genes may infulence development and clinical features of prostate cancer. One of key cytokines regulating tumour angiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Two polymorphisms A (-1154) G and A (-2578) C were identified in the sequence of promoter region of VEGF as those influencing gene expression in vitro. Persons with mutated alleles i. e. G (-1154) or C (-2578) are characterised by higher levels of VEGF expression compared with wild type homozygotes. Recently conducted research revealed that frequency of homozygotes A (-1154) /A (-1154) was significantly lower in prostate cancer group than in controls.
Objectives. Identification of association of A (-2578) C polymorphism of VEGF gene with prostate cancer susceptibility and with it's clinical features.
Materials and methods. Written consent for participation in the study was given by 66 patients who underwent prostate biopsy in our department in 2004. In 36 patients pathologic confirmation of prostate carcinoma was found. Control group comprised remaining 30 patients, in whom biopsy has not revealed malignant tissue. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and underwent further amplification with PCR method using primes flanking the polymorphic region. VEGF genotypes were identified based on picture of PCR products separated by electrophoresis in ethidium bromide stained 3% agarose gel.
Results. Mean age of patients did not differ significantly between groups of patients with prostate cancer and cancer free controls and came to 67.8 and 65.8 years respectively. No significant differences were found in frequencies of genotypes (study group: 44% AA, 28% AC and 28% CC versus control group 27% AA, 40% AC and 33% CC, p>0.05) and alleles (study group: 58% A and 42% C versus control group: 47% A and 53% C, p>0.05) of A (-2578) C VEGF polymorphism. Among patients with prostate cancer no significant association was identified between VEGF genotype and clinical features of tumour i. e. age at diagnosis, prostate volume, PSA level and Gleason score.
Conclusions. Our preliminary results suggest lack of association of A (-2578) C polymorphism in promoter of vascular endothelial growth factor gene with susceptibility to prostate cancer and with chosen clinical features of this disease. Precise evaluation of significance of this VEGF gene variant requires larger population to be studied.