HPC2/ELAC2 polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk: analysis by age of onset of disease.

The candidate prostate cancer susceptibility gene HPC2/ELAC2 has two common coding polymorphisms: (Ser?Leu 217) and(Ala?Thr 541). The Thr541 variant in the HPC2/ELAC2 gene has previously been reported to be at an increased frequency inprostate cancer cases. To evaluate this hypothesis we genotyped 432 prostate cancer patients (including 262 patientsdiagnosed 455 years) and 469 UK, population based control individuals with no family history of cancer. We found nosignificant difference in the frequencies of Thr541-containing genotypes between cases and controls (OR=1.41, 95% CI 0.79–2.50). The association remained non-significant when the analysis was restricted to cases divided by age of onset into thosediagnosed 455 years (OR=1.50, 95% CI 0.79–2.85) or to patients diagnosed 455 years (OR=1.27, 95% CI 0.59–2.74).We conclude that any association between the Thr541 variant and prostate cancer is likely to be weak.British Journal of Cancer (2002) 87, 905–908. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6600564 www.bjcancer.com