The Infectious Pathogenesis of Prostate Cancer

Abstract : Accumulating evidence points to a role of chronic inflammation in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers, including prostate. Infections are important agents in the genesis of inflammation. For prostate cancer, several lines of evidence point to a role of infections as important agents, although no specific infection has consistently been identified. In this project, we are examining two specific infectious agents with respect to prostate cancer: T vaginalis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, and the recently identified retrovirus XMRV. The aims of this study are 1-) To assess the role of the newly identified XMRV virus in prostate carcinogenesis and progression; 2-) To characterize the role of the infectious protozoa T. vaginalis in prostate carcinogenesis and progression. The current study is nested within the Swedish Watchful Waiting Cohort, a population-based cohort of 1,256 Swedish men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. During 28 years of follow-up, 320 men have died of cancer, and thus this is a powerful population in which to examine determinants of prostate cancer progression. A tumor repository from archival tissue specimens have been collected from all men in the cohort and will be used to assay for presence of the infections.