Association between KLK3 rs2735839 G/A Polymorphism and Serum PSA Levels in Japanese Men

Abstract

Objectives: To clarify the association of kallikrein-related peptidase 3 (KLK3) rs2735839 G/A polymorphism with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in Japanese men. Methods: Subjects were participants of the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study who visited the Seirei Preventive Health Care Center in Shizuoka, Japan. Among the 5,040 individuals aged 35–69 years who were enrolled in 2006–2007, serum PSA data were available for 2,323 male subjects without a past history of prostate cancer. The diagnostic criteria for PSA positivity was PSA ≥4.0 ng/ml. Genotyping of the KLK3 polymorphism was conducted by the polymerase chain reaction with the confronting two-pair primers (PCR-CTPP) method. Results: The mean ± SD of PSA levels (mg/dl) were 1.54 ± 1.73 for those with KLK3 rs2735839 G/G genotype, 1.34 ± 1.33 for G/A, and 1.20 ± 1.23 for A/A, which was significantly different (p < 0.0001). The age-adjusted odds ratios of PSA test positivity were 0.62 (95% confidence interval 0.41–0.94) for those with G/A + A/A relative to those with G/G. Conclusions: The present study revealed that the KLK3 rs2735839 G allele was significantly associated with higher serum PSA levels also in Japanese.