A single nucleotide polymorphism in leads to differential prostate cancer risk and telomere length.

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is a key enzyme in its oestrogen metabolism pathway, giving rise to hydroxylation and conjugation. Functionally relevant genetic variants within may affect the telomere length and subsequently lead to prostate carcinogenesis. We evaluated 8 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 1015 men with prostate cancer (PCa) and 1052 cancer-free controls, and calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate their association with risk of PCa. The influence of SNPs on the relative telomere lengths was then appraised in peripheral blood leukocytes using real-time PCR. rs1056836 variant was associated with decreased risk of PCa [odds ratio (OR): 0.80; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-0.99, = 0.041]. Longer telomere length showed a significantly higher proportion of the rs1056836 CG/GG genotypes, compared with that of the CC genotype (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.04-2.45). Our findings suggest that genetic variants within may confer genetic susceptibility to PCa by altering telomere length.