[CAG microsatellite polymorphisms of androgen receptor gene and the stage and grade of prostate cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relationship between the CAG microsatellite in androgen receptor (AR) gene and the stage and grade of prostate cancer(PC).


METHODS
The number of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the AR gene was measured in 37 PC tissues by PCR-SSCP analysis, and its association with stages and grades of PC determined.


RESULTS
The average number of CAG repeats of AR gene differed significantly between PC in stage B (25.04 +/- 1.88) and in stage C-D (24.14 +/- 2.64) (P = 0.002). The frequency of short CAG(< 22) was 13.0% (3/23) in stage B and 28.6%(4/14) in stage C-D, while that of long CAG(> or = 22) was 87.0% (20/23) and 71.4% (10/14) (P = 0.029), respectively. The average number of CAG repeats increased with the decrease in tumor cell differentiation. The frequency of short CAG repeats dropped with the increase in tumor cell differentiation while the opposite was true for that of long CAG repeats.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of CAG repeats in AR gene may be one of the factors determining the biologic characteristics PC. Short CAG repeats may signify aggressiveness of PC.
Li
C
C
Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Dong
J
J
Guan
W
W
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics
D005819:Genetic Markers; D011944:Receptors, Androgen