title: Is the Expression of Androgen Receptor Protein Associated With the Length of AC Repeats in the Type III 5-α Reductase Gene in Prostate Cancer Patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Type III 5-α reductase (SRD5A3; steroid 5-α reductase 3) may be associated with the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of our study was to determine whether the length of AC repeats in the SRD5A3 gene is associated with the risk of PCa and the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein in Korean men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the length of AC repeats in the short tandem repeat (STR) region of the SRD5A3 gene in 68 PCa patients and 81 control subjects by genotyping. A total of 55 patients in the PCa group underwent radical prostatectomy. We evaluated the expression of AR protein by using Western blotting and tested the association between the type of AC repeats in the SRD5A3 gene and AR protein expression and clinical and pathologic parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The short type of STR had less than 21 copies of AC repeats in the SRD5A3 gene. The SS type (short and short type) of STR of the SRD5A3 gene was 2.2 times as likely to occur in PCa patients as in controls (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 4.31; p=0.019). However, AC repeats of the SRD5A3 gene were not associated with AR protein expression or clinical or pathologic parameters in PCa samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the short AC repeats of SRD5A3 polymorphism are associated with an increased risk of PCa. SRD5A3 polymorphism may contribute to a genetic predisposition for PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Mok
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki Hak
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jae Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chong Koo
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Sul
keywords: 3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; Androgen receptors; Genetic polymorphism; Prostatic neoplasms