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Association between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, selenium, and subsequent prostate cancer.
- Source :
- JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute; 12/20/2000, Vol. 92 Issue 24, p2018-2023, 6p, 4 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Selenium and alpha-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in supplements, appear to have a protective effect against prostate cancer. However, little attention has been paid to the possible role of gamma-tocopherol, a major component of vitamin E in the U.S. diet and the second most common tocopherol in human serum. A nested case-control study was conducted to examine the associations of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and selenium with incident prostate cancer.<bold>Methods: </bold>In 1989, a total of 10,456 male residents of Washington County, MD, donated blood for a specimen bank. A total of 117 of 145 men who developed prostate cancer and 233 matched control subjects had toenail and plasma samples available for assays of selenium, alpha-tocopherol, and gamma-tocopherol. The association between the micronutrient concentrations and the development of prostate cancer was assessed by conditional logistic regression analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided.<bold>Results: </bold>The risk of prostate cancer declined, but not linearly, with increasing concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (odds ratio (highest versus lowest fifth) = 0.65; 95% confidence interval = 0.32--1.32; P(trend) =.28). For gamma-tocopherol, men in the highest fifth of the distribution had a fivefold reduction in the risk of developing prostate cancer than men in the lowest fifth (P:(trend) =.002). The association between selenium and prostate cancer risk was in the protective direction with individuals in the top four fifths of the distribution having a reduced risk of prostate cancer compared with individuals in the bottom fifth (P(trend) =.27). Statistically significant protective associations for high levels of selenium and alpha-tocopherol were observed only when gamma-tocopherol concentrations were high.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The use of combined alpha- and gamma- tocopherol supplements should be considered in upcoming prostate cancer prevention trials, given the observed interaction between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and selenium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- PROSTATE cancer
SELENIUM
VITAMIN E
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00278874
- Volume :
- 92
- Issue :
- 24
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 4065431
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/92.24.2018