Grant Number:	1R01CA084950-01 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Bunker, Clareann
Organization:	University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh
Project Title:	Molecular Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer in Tobagonians
Fiscal Year:	1999

Preliminary prostate cancer screening data from the Afro- Caribbean population aged 50-79 on the Caribbean island of Tobago revealed a high rate (29 percent) of elevated PSA (greater than 4ng/ml). Of the 79 percent undergoing biopsy, 51 percent were diagnosed with prostate cancer. High incidence of prostate cancer has recently been reported among Afro-Caribbean Jamaicans. These data suggest that the elevated risk for prostate cancer, observed in African Americans, is present in other populations of West African descent. This strongly suggests that prostate cancer risk is influenced by genetic component(s) in combination with lifestyles/metabolic factors common across populations of African descent living in diverse environments. We propose to conduct a molecular epidemiology study of prostate cancer in the Tobago male population, aged 40-79 (n=5121), (92 percent of African descent). We are currently screening the population, aged 50-79 (n=3000) using serum (prostate specific antigen) PSA (greater than 4 ng/ml) and digital rectal exam (DRE). This proposed study will screen men aged 40-49 (n=1800) for elevated PSA (greater than 2ng/ml) or abnormal DRE, in addition to men aged 50-79. We expect to study 300 screening detected cases compared with 300 frequency age matched controls. We will determine whether variants in candidate genes related to sex hormone metabolism, growth factor, vitamin D, PSA transport and toxic substance metabolism, or to loci for familial prostate cancer of chromosomes 1 and X, are associated with prostate cancer, and whether gene frequencies differ from published studies of Caucasian and African American populations. Other molecular markers will include serum arachidonic acid and IGF-1 (for each, hypothesize high levels in cases). Bone mineral density, a surrogate for long term IGF-1 and sex hormone exposure, and central fat distribution will be measured (for each, hypothesize elevated in cases). This large, very cooperative, male population of West African descent, provides a unique opportunity for the study of prostate cancer risk because prostate cancer risk is high, the population is primarily of West African descent, and there is less admixture than among African Americans. Understanding the contribution of environment, genetic and metabolic factors will lead to measures to reduce the risk for prostate cancer among men of West African descent in the U.S., the Caribbean and other geographic areas.




Short- and Long-Term Reciprocal Bone-Muscle Relationships in the Upper and Lower Extremity of Afro-Caribbean Men by DXA: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Tobago Bone Health Study.
Authors: Wong A.K. , Pokhoy A. , Chandrakumar A. , Cvejkus R.K. , Zmuda J.M. .
Source: Jbmr Plus, 2020 Oct; 4(10), p. e10406.
EPub date: 2020-10-01 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 33103031
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Volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone structure, and structural geometry among rural South Indian, US Caucasian, and Afro-Caribbean older men.
Authors: Jammy G.R. , Boudreau R.M. , Singh T. , Sharma P.K. , Ensrud K. , Zmuda J.M. , Reddy P.S. , Newman A.B. , Cauley J.A. .
Source: Archives Of Osteoporosis, 2018-05-22 00:00:00.0; 13(1), p. 60.
EPub date: 2018-05-22 00:00:00.0.
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Serum carotenoid and retinol levels in African-Caribbean Tobagonian men with high prostate cancer risk in comparison with African-American men.
Authors: McDonald A.C. , Bunker C.H. , Raman J. , Richie J. , Patrick A.L. .
Source: The British Journal Of Nutrition, 2017 Apr; 117(8), p. 1128-1136.
EPub date: 2017-05-11 00:00:00.0.
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Elevated Serum Psa Is Associated With Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection And Increased Circulating Cytokine Levels In Men From Tobago
Authors: Henning J.D. , Karamchandani J.M. , Bonachea L.A. , Bunker C.H. , Patrick A.L. , Jenkins F.J. .
Source: The Prostate, 2017-01-24 00:00:00.0; , .
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Human herpesvirus 8 establishes a latent infection in prostates of Tobago men resulting in increased macrophage infiltration.
Authors: Henning J.D. , Bunker C.H. , Patrick A.L. , Jenkins F.J. .
Source: The Prostate, 2016 Jun; 76(8), p. 735-43.
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Argument for prostate cancer screening in populations of African-Caribbean origin.
Authors: Patrick A.L. , Bunker C.H. , Nelson J.B. , Dhir R. , Wheeler V.W. , Zmuda J.M. , Richard J.R. , Belle A.C. , Kuller L.H. .
Source: Bju International, 2015 Oct; 116(4), p. 507-8.
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Human herpesvirus 8 seroconversion in a population-based cohort of men in Tobago.
Authors: McDonald A.C. , Jenkins F.J. , Bunker C.H. , Wilson J.W. , Patrick A.L. , Weissfeld J.L. .
Source: Journal Of Medical Virology, 2015 Apr; 87(4), p. 642-7.
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Rates of and risk factors for trabecular and cortical BMD loss in middle-aged and elderly African-ancestry men.
Authors: Sheu Y. , Bunker C.H. , Jonnalagadda P. , Cvejkus R.K. , Patrick A.L. , Wheeler V.W. , Gordon C.L. , Zmuda J.M. .
Source: Journal Of Bone And Mineral Research : The Official Journal Of The American Society For Bone And Mineral Research, 2015 Mar; 30(3), p. 543-53.
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Risk factors for fracture in middle-age and older-age men of African descent.
Authors: Sheu Y. , Cauley J.A. , Patrick A.L. , Wheeler V.W. , Bunker C.H. , Zmuda J.M. .
Source: Journal Of Bone And Mineral Research : The Official Journal Of The American Society For Bone And Mineral Research, 2014 Jan; 29(1), p. 234-41.
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The association between renal function biomarkers and subclinical cardiovascular measures in African Caribbean families.
Authors: Li H. , Kuipers A. , Kammerer C.M. , Bunker C.H. , Kuller L.H. , Miljkovic I. , Patrick A.L. , Wheeler V.W. , Zmuda J.M. .
Source: Ethnicity & Disease, 2013 Autumn; 23(4), p. 492-8.
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Global patterns of prostate cancer incidence, aggressiveness, and mortality in men of african descent.
Authors: Rebbeck T.R. , Devesa S.S. , Chang B.L. , Bunker C.H. , Cheng I. , Cooney K. , Eeles R. , Fernandez P. , Giri V.N. , Gueye S.M. , et al. .
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Patterns and correlates of grip strength change with age in Afro-Caribbean men.
Authors: Forrest K.Y. , Bunker C.H. , Sheu Y. , Wheeler V.W. , Patrick A.L. , Zmuda J.M. .
Source: Age And Ageing, 2012 May; 41(3), p. 326-32.
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The association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with indicators of bone quality in men of Caucasian and African ancestry.
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Chromosome 8q24 variants are associated with prostate cancer risk in a high risk population of African ancestry.
Authors: Okobia M.N. , Zmuda J.M. , Ferrell R.E. , Patrick A.L. , Bunker C.H. .
Source: The Prostate, 2011 Jul; 71(10), p. 1054-63.
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ADRB2 gene variants, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry body composition, and hypertension in Tobago men of African descent.
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Source: Metabolism: Clinical And Experimental, 2011 May; 60(5), p. 698-705.
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Age-related decline in bone density among ethnically diverse older men.
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Source: Journal Of Bone And Mineral Research : The Official Journal Of The American Society For Bone And Mineral Research, 2009 Dec; 24(12), p. 1960-8.
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Lipoprotein subclass and particle size differences in Afro-Caribbeans, African Americans, and white Americans: associations with hepatic lipase gene variation.
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