Causal relationship between prostatic diseases and prostate cancer: a mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Genetics

Background:

• The relationship between prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear.
• Investigating causal links is crucial for understanding disease progression and developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the causal effect of prostatitis and BPH on the development of prostate cancer (PCa).

Main Methods:

• Utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach with genome-wide association study data.
• Employed inverse-variance weighted and MR Egger regression for causal inference.
• Conducted sensitivity analyses, including pleiotropic and leave-one-out tests, to ensure result validity.

Main Results:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) demonstrated a significant positive causal effect on prostate cancer (PCa) (OR = 1.209, P = 5.079 × 10⁻⁵).
• Prostatitis showed no statistically significant causal effect on prostate cancer (PCa) (P > 0.05).
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability and validity of the MR findings.

Conclusions:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is causally associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa).
• No significant causal relationship was found between prostatitis and prostate cancer (PCa).
• Further investigation into the biochemical pathways and potential therapeutic targets is warranted.