Glyoxalase I phenotype as a potential risk factor for prostate carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To elicit a possible link between glyoxalase I (Gly-I), a detoxifying enzyme, and the incidence of prostate cancer (PCa), we investigated Gly-I phenotypic expression in the prostatic tissue and red blood cells (RBCs) from patients with PCa.


METHODS
Eighty-seven clinical specimens, including 42 PCa tissue samples, 20 RBC samples, and 25 matched pair (prostate and RBC) samples from patients at prostatectomy were examined. The Gly-I phenotypes in these specimens were assessed by nondenaturing starch-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
Of the 87 patients, 63 (72.4%) were white, 15 (17.2%) were black, and 9 (10.4%) were another ethnicity (eg, Hispanic, Asian, Indian). Three Gly-I phenotypes were detected in these specimens as fast, intermediate, and slow-moving bands on the gel. The fast phenotype was the most common form found in the white (34 [54%] of 63) and black (8 [53.3%] of 15) patients, but the third ethnic group was too small for proper analysis. To validate this finding, the data from the white patients were compared with the Gly-I phenotypic frequencies in U.S. populations. The data analysis confirmed that a higher incidence (54%) of the fast type in our white patients was statistically significant (P <0.0001) compared with its phenotypic frequency of 30.6% in the general U.S. white population.


CONCLUSIONS
The significantly high frequency (P <0.0001) of the fast Gly-I phenotype was detected among patients with PCa, suggesting it is a potential risk factor for PCa. Whether its increased incidence in whites reflects the lack of sample numbers for other ethnic groups needs additional investigation.
Samadi
A A
AA
Department of Urology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.
Fullerton
S A
SA
Tortorelis
D G
DG
Johnson
G B
GB
Davidson
S D
SD
Choudhury
M S
MS
Mallouh
C
C
Tazaki
H
H
Konno
S
S
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007791:Lactoylglutathione Lyase / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007791:Lactoylglutathione Lyase