E-cadherin promoter polymorphisms are not associated with the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in Caucasian patients

Background−160C→A and −347G→GA polymorphisms in the promoter region decrease E-cadherin gene transcription. Decreased E-cadherin expression predicts poor outcome among patients with cancer. We sought to investigate whether −160C→A and/or −347G→GA polymorphisms were associated with the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.MethodsTaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) was used to detect −160C→A and −347G→GA polymorphisms in deoxyribonucleic acid from the paraffin-embedded prostate tissues of 98 Caucasian patients.ResultsThe genotype frequencies were −160C/C: 48% (47 of 98); −160C/A: 44% (43 of 98); −160A/A: 8% (8 of 98); −347G/G: 68% (67 of 98); −347G/GA: 28% (27 of 98); and −347GA/GA: 4% (4 of 98). Using the chi-square test, we found that the polymorphisms −160C→A and −347G→GA were not related to other clinical and pathologic parameters (i.e., age, prostate-specific antigen level, Gleason grade, and clinical stage) (P > 0.05). In combination analysis, there was no significant relationship between patients with both −160C/C and −347G/G, and these same parameters (P > 0.05). Using the log-rank test, we found no significant difference in relapse-free survival and overall survival between patients with −160C/C and those with −160A/C or −160A/A (P = 0.0764 and 0.2746, respectively), and also no significant difference between patients with −347G/G and those with −347GA/G or −347GA/GA (P = 0.9416 and 0.7367, respectively). There was also no significant difference in relapse-free survival and overall survival between patients with homozygosities of −160C/-347G and patients with other genotypes (P = 0.1418 and 0.2434, respectively).ConclusionWe conclude that E-cadherin −160C→A and/or −347G→GA polymorphisms are not associated with the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in Caucasian patients.