Although the presence of aromatase in the prostate and its aberrant expression in prostate cancer is significant, its role and contribution to prostate carcinogenesis remains unclear.
In conclusion, our results suggest that several SNPs along the androgen pathway, especially in CYP19A1 and CYP17A1, may influence prostate cancer development and progression.
Individuals carrying both the CYP19A1 and KLK3 -252A>G variant alleles had a significantly increased risk for prostate cancer (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.10-7.49; P = 0.03).
The aim of the present study was to verify whether (a) only one or both isoforms of the 5alpha-Rs are expressed in the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and in BPH, or (b) the aromatase is present in these samples.
The concentrations of aromatase mRNA (mean +/- SD) which were measured by fluorometric quantitation in 16 of 19 patients with BPH and in 3 of 4 patients with prostate cancer, were 1.81 +/- 3.02, and 0.84 +/- 0.27, x 10(-3) attomoles/micrograms of total RNA, respectively.