title: Telomere DNA content in prostate biopsies predicts early rise in prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether measurement of telomere DNA content (TC) in prostate biopsy tissue predicts prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence in men after undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Slot blot titration assay was used to quantitate TC in archived diagnostic prostate needle biopsy specimens for subjects (n = 103) diagnosed with prostate cancer and who subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy between 1993 and 1997. TC was compared to the clinical outcome measure; PSA recurrence, defined as an increase in PSA > or = 0.2 ng/mL on 2 or more consecutive measurements post-prostatectomy, was observed retrospectively, for a mean follow-up period of 114 months (range, 1-165).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the cohort, 46 subjects had a PSA recurrence. In a univariate Cox proportional hazards model, low TC (< 0.3 of standard) demonstrated a significant risk for PSA recurrence (HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.02-3.69, P = .04). In a subset analysis of men with biopsy Gleason sum < or = 6 (n = 63; 25 recurrences), a univariate Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that low TC had a greater risk of PSA recurrence (HR = 4.53; 95% CI: 2.00-10.2, P < .01). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, low TC was also significantly associated with PSA recurrence in this subset after controlling for preoperative PSA levels (HR = 6.62; 95% CI: 2.69-16.3, P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low TC measured in prostate biopsy tissue predicts early likelihood of post-prostatectomy PSA recurrence in a retrospective analysis, and in men with biopsy Gleason sum < or = 6 disease it is also independent of preoperative PSA level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Treat
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Heaphy
authors.forename: Larry W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Massie
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bisoffi
authors.forename: Anthony Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011467:Prostate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen