INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE T786C POLYMORPHISM AND PSA, PSA DERIVATIVES, AND PROSTATE CANCER IN THE TURKISH POPULATION

Background: Prostate cancer is a slowly progressing cancer. However, it has remained a major medical problem for affected men. Risk factors of prostate cancer include age, race, and prostate cancer family history. Prostate cancer may occur at different frequencies between ethnic populations and countries. Currently, studies on genetic risk factors in prostate cancer aetiology have been increasing. Due to the importance of changes in endothelial nitric oxide synthase in carcinogenesis, we aimed to reveal whether eNOS T786C polymorphism is associated with prostate cancer.Methods: Archival samples included in this study were whole blood samples taken from patients who were grouped according to prostate biopsy pathology results (BPH, n: 42; PCa, n: 48) and from healthy participants (controls, n:27). DNA was isolated from these whole blood samples and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed for endothelial nitric oxide synthase T786C polymorphism with LightCycler 480 II. Measured free and total prostate-specific antigen serum levels were evaluated retrospectively.Results: There was a statistical difference between patient healthy control and control-healthy control groups regarding genotype distributions for eNOS T786C polymorp hism. Controls were more likely to have TC and CC genoty-pes and C alleles than the other two groups.Conclusions: Compared to other groups, the percentage of the eNOS786C allele in the control group was found to be higher. As a result of these data, it can be thought that carr-ying the allele may be protective against the disease.Keywords: endothelial nitric oxide synthase, prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific antigen derivatives, T786C polymorphism