To identify new risk variants for cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, we performed a genome-wide association study of 16 million SNPs identified through whole-genome sequencing of 457 Icelanders. We imputed genotypes for 41,675 Illumina SNP chip-typed Icelanders and their relatives. In the discovery phase, the strongest signal came from rs78378222[C] (odds ratio (OR) = 2.36, P = 5.2 × 10−17), which has a frequency of 0.0192 in the Icelandic population. We then confirmed this association in non-Icelandic samples (OR = 1.75, P = 0.0060; overall OR = 2.16, P = 2.2 × 10−20). rs78378222 is in the 3′ untranslated region of TP53 and changes the AATAAA polyadenylation signal to AATACA, resulting in impaired 3′-end processing of TP53 mRNA. Investigation of other tumor types identified associations of this SNP with prostate cancer (OR = 1.44, P = 2.4 × 10−6), glioma (OR = 2.35, P = 1.0 × 10−5) and colorectal adenoma (OR = 1.39, P = 1.6 × 10−4). However, we observed no effect for breast cancer, a common Li-Fraumeni syndrome tumor (OR = 1.06, P = 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.88–1.27).

Measuring serum levels of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) is the most common screening method for prostate cancer. However, PSA levels are affected by a number of factors apart from neoplasia. Notably, around 40% of the variability of PSA levels in the general population is accounted for by inherited factors, suggesting that it may be possible to improve both sensitivity and specificity by adjusting test results for genetic effects. In order to search for sequence variants that associate with PSA levels, we performed a genome-wide association study and follow-up analysis using PSA information from 15,757 Icelandic and 454 British men not diagnosed with prostate cancer. Overall, we detected a genome-wide significant association between PSA levels and SNPs at six loci: 5p15.33 (rs2736098), 10q11 (rs10993994), 10q26 (rs10788160), 12q24 (rs11067228), 17q12 (rs4430796), and 19q13.33 (rs17632542 (KLK3: I179T), each with Pcombined < 3×10−10. Among 3,834 men who underwent a biopsy of the prostate, the 10q26, 12q24, and 19q13.33 alleles that associate with high PSA levels are associated with higher probability of a negative biopsy (OR between 1.15 and 1.27). Assessment of association between the 6 loci and prostate cancer risk in 5,325 cases and 41,417 controls from Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania, and the US showed that the SNPs at 10q26 and 12q24 were exclusively associated with PSA levels, whereas the other 4 loci also were associated with prostate cancer risk. We propose that a personalized PSA cutoff value, based on genotype, should be used when deciding to perform a prostate biopsy.

Prostate cancer is the third‐most common form of cancer in men in Romania. The Romanian unscreened population represents a good sample to study common genetic risk variants. However, a comprehensive analysis has not been conducted yet. Here, we report our replication efforts in a Romanian population of 979 cases and 1027 controls, for potential association of 34 literature‐reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with prostate cancer. We also examined whether any SNP was differentially associated with tumour grade or stage at diagnosis, with disease aggressiveness, and with the levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen). In the allelic analysis, we replicated the previously reported risk for 19 loci on 4q24, 6q25.3, 7p15.2, 8q24.21, 10q11.23, 10q26.13, 11p15.5, 11q13.2, 11q13.3. Statistically significant associations were replicated for other six SNPs only with a particular disease phenotype: low‐grade tumour and low PSA levels (rs1512268), high PSA levels (rs401681 and rs11649743), less aggressive cancers (rs1465618, rs721048, rs17021918). The strongest association of our tested SNP's with PSA in controls was for rs2735839, with 29% increase for each copy of the major allele G, consistent with previous results. Our results suggest that rs4962416, previously associated only with prostate cancer, is also associated with PSA levels, with 12% increase for each copy of the minor allele C. The study enabled the replication of the effect for the majority of previously reported genetic variants in a set of clinically relevant prostate cancers. This is the first replication study on these loci, known to associate with prostate cancer, in a Romanian population.

Intraluminal contents of benign and malignant prostatic tissue are associated with varying forms of acellular structures. These include corpora amylacea, prostatic calculi, and prostatic crystalloids. There are relatively few microscopy studies about the characterization of intraluminal structures from benign and malignant prostatic glands and little is known about their chemical composition. In the present study, we used a combination of special histochemical methods, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy to characterize intraluminal contents of benign and malignant prostate glands. The study was done on 33 radical prostatectomy and four transurethral resections of prostate specimens. Histochemical methods such as von Kossa, autometallography (AMG), as well as PSA immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy were performed to characterize intraluminal contents of benign and malignant prostate glands. Von Kossa staining was observed in acellular structures, corpora amylacea, prostatic calculi, and calcified blood vessels. AMG staining was observed in the lumen of small glands, in the epithelium lining prostate glands, and corpora amylacea. PSA staining showed prostatic glands with both positive and negative corpora amylacea and epithelial cells. Ultrastructural observation revealed the presence of a variety of highly heterogeneous aggregates composed of fibrillar elements that were similar to those of amyloid.

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