Project Title
A salivary hormonal study on individuals of African ancestry living in different socioeconomic environments, in order to understand etiology of prostate cancer
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Dr. Wathsala Medawala
Abstract
While the incidence of prostate cancer has decreased in the United States in recent decades, men of African descent are disproportionately affected by this disease. Variations in hormone levels have been hypothesized to explain ethnic differences in prostate cancer risk. Here, we analyze salivary testosterone and cortisol levels among men of African descent using ELISA technique to illuminate the etiology of prostate cancer. This study was part of a larger familial cohort of African-born men living in the United States with a first-degree male relative living in Africa, and examines associations among socio-demographic variables, hormone levels, and development of prostate cancer. The saliva samples collected from participants living in Cameroon, Africa (n=21) were found to have a mean testosterone concentration of 88.859 pg/mL and SEM of 7.980 pg/mL while the mean testosterone concentration of men living in the US (n=82) was 93.621 pg/mL with a SEM of 3.834 pg/mL (p=0.289). Participants living in Cameroon had a mean cortisol concentration of 0.088 µg/dL with a SEM of 0.009 µg/dL while those living in the US had a mean cortisol concentration of 0.131 µg/dL and SEM of 0.011 µg/dL (p=0.0016). Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found among participants regarding time spent living in the U.S., age, healthcare, marital status, and education level. The results from this study indicate that some of the demographic factors can affect hormonal levels of participants and provide clues to be further investigated to advance our understanding of the etiology of prostate cancer.
A salivary hormonal study on individuals of African ancestry living in different socioeconomic environments, in order to understand etiology of prostate cancer
While the incidence of prostate cancer has decreased in the United States in recent decades, men of African descent are disproportionately affected by this disease. Variations in hormone levels have been hypothesized to explain ethnic differences in prostate cancer risk. Here, we analyze salivary testosterone and cortisol levels among men of African descent using ELISA technique to illuminate the etiology of prostate cancer. This study was part of a larger familial cohort of African-born men living in the United States with a first-degree male relative living in Africa, and examines associations among socio-demographic variables, hormone levels, and development of prostate cancer. The saliva samples collected from participants living in Cameroon, Africa (n=21) were found to have a mean testosterone concentration of 88.859 pg/mL and SEM of 7.980 pg/mL while the mean testosterone concentration of men living in the US (n=82) was 93.621 pg/mL with a SEM of 3.834 pg/mL (p=0.289). Participants living in Cameroon had a mean cortisol concentration of 0.088 µg/dL with a SEM of 0.009 µg/dL while those living in the US had a mean cortisol concentration of 0.131 µg/dL and SEM of 0.011 µg/dL (p=0.0016). Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found among participants regarding time spent living in the U.S., age, healthcare, marital status, and education level. The results from this study indicate that some of the demographic factors can affect hormonal levels of participants and provide clues to be further investigated to advance our understanding of the etiology of prostate cancer.