Association of catechol-o-methyl transferase gene polymorphism with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

BACKGROUND A single nucleotide variation within catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) gene may alter the COMT enzyme activity level. Polymorphism of Val158Met in the COMT gene has been related to malignancy. In this regard, a study was carried out to find a possible association between the COMT gene polymorphism in patients with sporadic prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS All types of COMT158 Val/Met polymorphism were carried out using ASO-PCR method in 41 patients with prostate cancer, 193 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and 107 healthy male individuals. RESULTS The results of this study showed that the frequency of low producer allele A at codon 158 of the COMT gene is significantly different in BPH group compared to normal male control group (OR, 95% CI, p value 1.95: 1.46, 2.44, 0.021, respectively). However no significant difference was noticed when the comparison was made between prostate cancer group and normal male control group and also between BPH and PCa groups. CONCLUSIONS Decreased level of catechol-o-methyl transferase gene activity may play a possible role in benign prostatic hyperplasia development but not in prostate cancer. Increased level of COMT gene activity has a protective role against BPH.