title: Prostate cancer outcome and tissue levels of metal ions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are several studies examining prostate cancer and exposure to cadmium, iron, selenium, and zinc. Less data are available on the possible influence of these metal ions on prostate cancer outcome. This study measured levels of these ions in prostatectomy samples in order to examine possible associations between metal concentrations and disease outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks of prostatectomy samples of 40 patients with PSA recurrence, matched 1:1 (for year of surgery, race, age, Gleason grading, and pathology TNM classification) with tissue blocks from 40 patients without recurrence (n = 80). Case-control pairs were compared for the levels of metals in areas adjacent to tumors. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for quantification of Cd, Fe, Zn, and Se.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with biochemical (PSA) recurrence of disease had 12% lower median iron (95 µg/g vs. 111 µg/g; P = 0.04) and 21% lower zinc (279 µg/g vs. 346 µg/g; P = 0.04) concentrations in the normal-appearing tissue immediately adjacent to cancer areas. Differences in cadmium (0.489 µg/g vs. 0.439 µg/g; 4% higher) and selenium (1.68 µg/g vs. 1.58 µg/g; 5% higher) levels were not statistically significant in recurrence cases, when compared to non-recurrences (P = 0.40 and 0.21, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association between low zinc and low iron prostate tissue levels and biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer. Whether these novel findings are a cause or effect of more aggressive tumors, or whether low zinc and iron prostatic levels raise implications for therapy, remains to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biophysical Toxicology, Department of Environmental and Infectious Disease Sciences, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Andrey G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Sarafanov
authors.forename: Todor I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Todorov
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Centeno
authors.forename: Virgilia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Macias
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beam
authors.forename: Marion A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: André A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kajdacsy-Balla
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D002104:Cadmium; D007501:Iron; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc