Association of key antioxidants and their gene variants with prostate tumor genomic instability

Chromosomal damage and genomic instability are trademarks of carcinogenesis, and micronutrients and genetics interact to protect the genome against this harmful process. Evidence suggests a positive correlation between eating certain foods and a decrease in prostate cancer development (primary prevention). Our group investigated possible links between antioxidant levels and post-diagnosis of prostate cancer (secondary prevention). We examined the association of prostate cancer aggressiveness with the fraction of whole tumor genome altered by copy number and copy number of specific genes of interest using array Comparative Genome Hybridization (aCGH) technology. Our results demonstrated tumors from high-risk prostate cancer cases have more overall genomic instability than those at low-risk. Two antioxidant genes, OGGI and SEPP1, showed more copy number gain in the high-risk group than the low-risk group. Association between our results along with antioxidant serum levels and germline genotype with prostate cancer clinical outcome could provide more insight into secondary intervention.