Relationship between plasma carotenoids and prostate cancer.
Carotenoids, particularly lycopene, are thought to decrease prostate cancer risk, but the relationship between plasma carotenoid concentrations and risk in various populations has not been well characterized. Comparing 118 non-Hispanic Caucasian men mainly from southeast Texas with nonmetastatic prostate cancer with 52 healthy men from the same area, we conducted a case-control analysis evaluating associations between risk and plasma levels of total carotenoids, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha- and trans-beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, total lycopenes, trans-lycopene, total cis-lycopenes, and cis-lycopene isoforms 1, 2, 3, and 5. Risk for men with high plasma levels of alpha-carotene, trans-beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein and zeaxanthin was less than half that for those with lower levels. In contrast, we observed no significant associations for total lycopenes, all-trans-lycopene, and cis-lycopene isomer peaks 2, 3, and 5, although high levels of cis-lycopene isomer peak 1 were inversely associated with risk. Analysis of men with aggressive disease (Gleason scores of > or =7, n = 88) vs. less aggressive cases (Gleason scores of <7, n = 30) failed to reveal significant associations between carotenoid levels and the risk of diagnosis with aggressive disease. These findings suggest that, in these men, higher circulating levels of alpha-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, trans-beta-carotene, and lutein and zeaxanthin may contribute to lower prostate cancer risk but not to disease progression.
Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. shinechang@MDAnderson.org
Shine
S
Chang
John W
JW
Erdman
Steven K
SK
Clinton
Maya
M
Vadiveloo
Sara S
SS
Strom
Yuko
Y
Yamamura
Cherie M
CM
Duphorne
Margaret R
MR
Spitz
Christopher I
CI
Amos
John H
JH
Contois
Xiangjun
X
Gu
Richard J
RJ
Babaian
Peter T
PT
Scardino
Stephen D
SD
Hursting
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007536:Isomerism; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000097:blood; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein