Background: Folate is required for synthesis of methyl groups and DNA in growing cells. The association between folate and prostate cancer (PCa) is not conclusive.
Methods: We investigated concentrations of folate vitamers, S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) in blood of men with PCa (n = 129) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (n = 73) who were recruited just after the first diagnosis.
Results: In younger subjects <65 years, concentrations of (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate (15.3 vs. 17.7 nmol/L) or total folate (UPLC-MS/MS) (18.7 vs. 23.0 nmol/L) did not differ between men with BPH and those with PCa, while SAM was higher in the controls (128 vs. 116 nmol/L). Younger patients with low- and high grade cancer did not differ in (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate (17.8 vs. 17.3 nmol/L) or total folate (UPLC-MS/MS) (22.9 vs. 23.3 nmol/L), but SAM was lower in patients with low grade PCa (111 vs. 126 nmol/L). In the older group ≥65 years, (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate (18.4 vs. 18.2 nmol/L) and total folate (UPLC-MS/MS) (22.5 vs. 22.1 nmol/L) did not differ between BPH and PCa. Older patients with advanced tumors had lower (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate compared with those with low grade tumor (12.8 vs. 20.0 nmol/L: p = 0.013). Plasma SAM was not different between older patients and controls and was not related to PCa grade.
Conclusions: Lowered serum methyl folate measured at the time of diagnosis in older patients with advanced PCa, and lowered plasma SAM in younger patients with low grade PCa suggest differential folate metabolism that may have mechanistic, prognostic or predictive values.
Keywords: Folate vitamers; Free folic acid; Methyl; Prostate cancer.
Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.