Length and somatic mosaicism of CAG and GGN repeats in the androgen receptor gene and the risk of prostate cancer in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: The most common malignancy in men worldwide is cancer of the prostate and determinants of prostate cancer (PRCa) risk remain largely unidentified. Many candidate genes may be involved in PRCa, such as those that are central to cellular growth and differentiation in the prostate gland. We analysed the polymorphic CAG and GGN repeats sequence in exon 1 of the AR gene to determine if the number of repeats might be an indicator of PRCa risk in patients with BPH.

Methods: The study evaluated 28 patients who presented with PRCa at least 6 years after the diagnosis of BPH and 56 matched patients with BPH who did not progress to PRCa over a comparable period.

Results: This study showed no evidence for association between the size of AR CAG and GGN repeats and the risk of the development of PRCa in patients with BPH. However, BPH patients with AR CAG instability had a 12-fold increased risk in development of PRCa.

Conclusions: While independent confirmation is required in further studies, these results provide a potential tool to assist prediction strategies for this important disease.