Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-skin cancer among men in Western countries. Inflammation appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of PCa. Recent studies have shown that many inflammatory genes are associated with the risk of PCa. Alpha 1 antichymotrypsin (ACT) is an acute phase protein and it is part of the circulating prostate specific antigen (PSA).
Patients and methods: Allele and genotype frequencies of a promoter single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ACT gene were investigated in patients with benign prostate hypertrophy (BHP) or PCa and controls.
Results: The G allele was more represented in PCa patients (odds ratio = 2.349). The PSA levels and prostatic volume did not correlate with the ACT genotype. However, stratifying subjects by age, a correlation of PSA levels and the GG genotype in young PCa patients was found.
Conclusion: Carriers of the ACT G allele are at risk of developing PCa and genotyping healthy subjects could be a new approach for early prevention.