title: Association of the G289S single nucleotide polymorphism in the HSD17B3 gene with prostate cancer in Italian men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate cancer is a significant public health problem in this country. Substantial data support a plausible role for androgens in the etiology of this disease. The human HSD17B3 gene encodes the testicular (or type III) 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme, which catalyzes testosterone biosynthesis in men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have investigated the G289S (glycine at codon 289 replaced by serine) polymorphism at the HSD17B3 locus as a candidate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for prostate cancer risk in constitutional DNA from 103 Italian prostate cancer patients and 109 Italian disease-free centenarians to assess the role of this SNP in susceptibility to prostate cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The G289S polymorphism confers a significant increase in risk for prostate cancer (odds ratio = 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-6.07) in our study population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data are consistent with a plausible role of the G289S SNP in prostate cancer susceptibility. Therefore, the HSD17B3 gene may be a plausible candidate gene for prostate cancer risk.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genetic Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90089-9075, USA.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Margiotti
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C Leigh
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spera
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novelli
authors.forename: Juergen K V
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Reichardt
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases