Abstract B56: Prostate cancer: A health disparity among African American men and the racial differences within nonmalignant prostate tissue pertaining to the differential expression of hZIPI.
Authors: Johnson Leslie A. , Williams Kendall M. , Berry Keaira , Kanak Mazhar , Kajdacsy-Balla Andrea’ , Bagasra Omar , Pestaner Joseph 
Published: December 2010

African American men (AA) men suffer far worse from health related issues than any other racial group in America. In today's society, AA men are subjected to a lack of affordable health services, cultural barriers, poverty, employment that doesn't carry health insurance and insufficient medical and social services catering for black men. In nearly 50% of death certificates of prostate cancer (PC) patients, a condition other than PC is listed as the underlying cause of death. PC is the most frequently occurring cancer among men in the US, and is the second leading cause of cancer death. In general, the likelihood of dying of a condition other than from prostate cancer increases with the increase in age at diagnosis. In the United States, men of AA heritage have the highest incidence rate of PC but at a much earlier age than EAs. AA men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as well as have a 40% higher death rate from all other cancers or diseases combined. Heart disease is the number one worldwide killer of both men and women in the United States, where it is responsible for 40% of all deaths. We speculate that there is an underlying molecular link found between the development of PC and cardiovascular disease in relation to the mortality rate of AA men. Although the mortality rate of PC is high but currently declining, there still remain an underestimated number of deaths associated with the disease. The content of zinc in the prostate glandular cells is among the highest in the body, serving as an essential trace element responsible for key biological processes. Zinc is essential for a very large number and variety of cellular functions but is also potentially toxic. Zinc homeostasis is therefore dynamically maintained by a variety of transporters and other proteins distributed in distinct cellular and subcellular compartments. The role of zinc, its underlying active function in the development and progression of prostate malignancy and its potential application are contemporary critical issues for the medical/ scientific community. We therefore theorize that the accumulation of zinc and its transportation, specifically hZip1, is down-regulated in the prostate gland of AAs at an earlier age compared to that of their EA counterpart. Through a series of experiments (in situ hybridization/PCR, RT-PCR, differential Zn staining, and X-ray fluorescent spectrometry) we were able to observe the accumulation of zinc and calibrate the expression of hZip1 to determine the differences between similar age groups of AA males and EA males in order to distinguish obscure differences within the stroma and glandular regions of the prostate. Common diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are a result of the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Virtually all human diseases are the result of the interaction of genetic susceptibility factors and modifiable environmental factors, broadly defined to include infectious, chemical, nutritional and behavioral factors. In AA men, PC has often already advanced to the stage of metastasis when first detected. By providing evidence for reasons why AA men are more susceptible to developing earlier and in the case of aggressiveness, many can be detected and treated in the early stages of expansion and development.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B56.