Androgen receptor CAG polymorphism and the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a Brazilian population

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a very frequent age-related proliferative abnormality in men. Polymorphic CAG repeat in the androgen receptor (AR) can alter transactivation of androgen-responsive genes and potentially influence BPH risk. We investigated the association between CAG repeat length and risk of BPH in a case-control study of a Brazilian population. We evaluated 214 patients; 126 with BPH and 88 healthy controls. DNA was extracted from peripheral leucocytes and the AR gene was analyzed using fragment analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval were estimated using logistic regression models. Mean CAG length was not different between patients with BPH and controls. The CAG repeat length was examined as a categorical variable (CAG 21 and CAG 22) and did not differ between the control vs. the BPH group. We found no evidence for an association between AR CAG repeat length in BPH risk in a population-based sample of Brazilians.

Keywords

• Receptors, Adrenergic
• Polymorphism, Genetic;
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia