Abstract
The combined influence of age, smoking, alcohol, blood lead and cadmium concentrations, and serum copper, zinc, and selenium concentrations on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum was investigated in a group of 57 men aged 21 years to 40 years. The subjects had no occupational exposure to metals and no other known reasons suspected of influencing prostate function or metal metabolism. No significant correlation was found between PSA and any of the explanatory variables considered. Nevertheless, when taking into account all of the above-mentioned potentially explanatory variables, the results of stepwise multiple regression showed a significant increase in PSA with respect to an increase in blood lead, and a decrease in PSA with respect to an increase in intensity of alcohol consumption. The median and range values of blood lead concentration in the 57 men were 26.0 microg L(-1) and (10.1 to 108.0) microg L(-1), respectively. These results suggest that even a low-level environmental lead exposure, common for general populations worldwide, may contribute to the risk of prostate cancer in men. The influence of lead as well as cadmium, zinc, and selenium on prostate damage and PSA should be further investigated in relatively young men for the purpose of disease prevention.
Highlights
The combined influence of age, smoking, alcohol, blood lead and cadmium concentrations, and serum copper, zinc, and selenium concentrations on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum was investigated in a group of 57 men aged 21 years to 40 years
Positive association between blood Pb (BPb) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was relatively more pronounced in prostate cancer patients than in BPH and controls. These results suggest that environmental exposure of men to Pb may be a risk factor for prostate cancer and/or benign prostate hyperplasia, possibly through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or reducing the level of Zn which acts as a cellular growth protector [17]
This study considers the combined influence of age, smoking, alcohol consumption, BPb, blood Cd (BCd), serum Cu (SCu), serum Zn (SZn), and serum Se (SSe) on the serum concentration of PSA in men with no occupational exposure to metals
Summary
The combined influence of age, smoking, alcohol, blood lead and cadmium concentrations, and serum copper, zinc, and selenium concentrations on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum was investigated in a group of 57 men aged 21 years to 40 years. The median and range values of blood lead concentration in the 57 men were 26.0 μg L-1 and (10.1 to 108.0) μg L-1, respectively These results suggest that even a low-level environmental lead exposure, common for general populations worldwide, may contribute to the risk of prostate cancer in men. Positive association between BPb and TBARS was relatively more pronounced in prostate cancer patients than in BPH and controls These results suggest that environmental exposure of men to Pb may be a risk factor for prostate cancer and/or benign prostate hyperplasia, possibly through the generation of ROS and/or reducing the level of Zn which acts as a cellular growth protector [17].
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