A study of gene expression by RNA-seq in patients with prostate cancer and in patients with Parkinson disease: an example of inverse comorbidity

Mol Biol Rep. 2021 Nov;48(11):7627-7631. doi: 10.1007/s11033-021-06723-0. Epub 2021 Oct 10.

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death in Western countries. Environmental and genetic factors play a pivotal role in PCa etiology. Timely identification of the genetic causes is useful for an early diagnosis. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative movement disorder; it is associated with the presence of Lewy bodies and genetic factors are involved in its pathogenesis. Several studies have indicated that the expression of target genes in patients with PD is inversely related to cancer development; this phenomenon has been named "inverse comorbidity". The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether a genetic dysregulation occurs in opposite directions in patients with PD or PCa.

Methods and results: In the present study, next-generation sequencing transcriptome analysis was used to assess whether a genetic dysregulation in opposite directions occurs in patients with PD or PCa. The genes SLC30A1, ADO, SRGAP2C, and TBC1D12 resulted up-regulated in patients with PD compared to healthy donors as controls and down-regulated in patients with PCa compared with the same control group.

Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis of the presence of inverse comorbidity between PD and PCa.

Keywords: Inverse comorbidity; NGS; Parkinson disease; Prostate cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Proteins* / biosynthesis
  • Neoplasm Proteins* / genetics
  • Parkinson Disease* / genetics
  • Parkinson Disease* / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • RNA-Seq*

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins