The Monoamine Oxidase A gene promoter repeat and prostate cancer risk

BACKGROUND Amine catabolism by monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a role in prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression. An upstream variable-number tandem repeat (uVNTR) in the MAOA promoter influences gene expression and activity, and may thereby affect PCa susceptibility. METHODS Caucasian (n?=?2,572) men from two population-based case-control studies of PCa were genotyped for the MAOA-VNTR. Logistic regression was used to assess PCa risk in relation to genotype. RESULTS Common alleles of the MAOA-VNTR were not associated with the relative risk of PCa, nor did the relationship differ by clinical features of the disease. The rare 5-copy variant (frequency: 0.5% in cases; 1.8% in controls), however, was associated with a reduced PCa risk (odds ratio, OR?=?0.30, 95% CI 0.130.71). CONCLUSIONS A rare polymorphism of the MAOA promoter previously shown to confer low expression was associated with a reduced risk of developing PCa. This novel finding awaits confirmation in other study populations. Prostate 72:16221627, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.