Abstract
BackgroundAfrican Americans (AA) have a higher prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv) infection and a higher prostate (PC) risk. Past studies suggest an association between Tv seropositivity and PC, and therefore we prospectively investigated this association among AA men.ResultsIncident PC cases were individually matched to controls in a nested case–control study within the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). Primary analysis included 296 PC cases and 497 race-matched controls. Levels of Tv antibody response were measured by ELISA in serum collected at baseline. Tv antibody response did not significantly differ between cases and controls overall or within AA participants (253 AA cases). There were no significant associations or trends between levels of Tv response and PC risk or the diagnosis of aggressive PC.ConclusionWe found no evidence of a prospective association between baseline Tv infection and PC risk in AA men. Tv infection in men may have substantial health implications in HIV transmission and reproductive outcomes, but may not impact future PC risk in AA men at high-risk for PC. Further efforts need to define past vs. present Tv infection and to separate pathophysiology from PC detection.
Highlights
African Americans (AA) have a higher prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv) infection and a higher prostate (PC) risk
Tv seropositivity was not associated with prostate cancer (PC) risk in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) [4] or a population-based case–control analysis [5]
The majority of the study population was over 60 years of age at recruitment (n = 549, 62 %), and reported a household income less than $15,000/year (n = 512, 58 %)
Summary
African Americans (AA) have a higher prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis (Tv) infection and a higher prostate (PC) risk. Past studies suggest an association between Tv seropositivity and PC, and we prospectively investigated this association among AA men. Urethral infection may ascend to the prostatic urethra and glandular tissue. Tv exposure may induce a sustained inflammatory response to advance prostate carcinogenesis [1]. Analysis of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Physicians Health Study found that Tv antibody seropositivity was significantly associated with prostate cancer (PC) risk [2, 3] or PC death [2]. Tv seropositivity was not associated with PC risk in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) [4] or a population-based case–control analysis [5]. The purpose of this study was to determine the prospective
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