Association of rs6983561 Polymorphism at 8q24 With Prostate Cancer Mortality in a Japanese Population

BackgroundGenome-wide association studies have revealed several genetic variants at 8q24 that are associated with prostate cancer susceptibility. Rs6983561 (A/C) is a single-nucleotide polymorphism located at 8q24 that has been established as a genetic risk marker for prostate cancer susceptibility. The present study investigated the association between the rs6983561 polymorphism and prostate cancer mortality in a Japanese population.Patients and MethodsThe study examined 518 native Japanese male patients with sporadic prostate cancer. Germline DNA samples were obtained from all participants and genotyping of rs6983561was performed using a TaqMan assay. Observation periods were from the date of diagnosis of prostate cancer to May 21, 2010. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the cause-specific survival (CSS) and the overall survival (OS).ResultsPatients with the CA/CC genotype of rs6983561 survived significantly longer than those with the AA genotype. In a multivariate model, the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the CSS and the OS for the rs6983561 polymorphism were 2.438 (1.262 – 5.046, P = .007) and 1.957 (1.142 – 3.485, P = .014), respectively. When the analysis was restricted to subjects with metastatic disease, the HRs of the CSS and the OS were 3.353 (95% CI, 1.689 – 7.446; P = 3.76 x 10-4) and 3.361 (95% CI, 1.741 – 7.136; P = 1.70 x 10-4), respectively.ConclusionIn the Japanese population examined in this study, the rs6983561 polymorphism at 8q24 was significantly associated with prostate cancer mortality, especially among patients with metastatic disease.