Abstract B55: Health disparities among African Americans: The role of zinc in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer

Virtually all human diseases are the result of the interaction of genetic susceptibility factors and modifiable environmental factors, broadly defined to include infectious, chemical, nutritional and behavioral factors. Many people tend to classify the cause of a disease as either genetic or environmental. Common diseases, such as cancer are a result of the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Prostate cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer observed within the population of American men. It is the second most common cancer diagnosed. According to the Center for Disease Control, 189, 075 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 in the U.S., and out of that astounding quantity 29,002 men died from prostate cancer. Despite the evident decrease in the fatalities due to prostate cancer over the years, prostate cancer is still silently eradicating the population of men within America. African Americans disproportionately suffer from prostate cancer. On average, AAs are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as compared to European Americans of similar age. The content of zinc in the prostate glandular cells is among the highest in the body, serving as an essential trace element responsible for key biological processes including growth, development, and reproduction. I hypothesize that zinc and the transportation of zinc is believed to be a vital component in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Through a series of experiments (Color Shift Assay, Histological and Differential Zinc Staining, and Intracellular Zinc Determination), the role of zinc in the development of prostate cancer was determined. It is and has been clearly confirmed that African Americans experience down-regulation of zinc accumulation than European Americans. This down-regulation of zinc appears to play a role in the development of diabetes, breast cancer, hypertension and that of the aforementioned, all of which disproportionally affects African Americans verses any other racial groups. Based on genetic and environmental factors through the run of evolution and time, the studies clearly established that zinc is being depleted in areas where zinc is of high importance for proper cell function and survival. The results suggest and show that the accumulation of zinc is significantly reduced in African Americans in contrast to European Americans in the prostate. Observations obtained and coupled with numerous reports of the loss of zinc accumulation, individuals of African origin have a lower capacity to absorb zinc and transport zinc by way a specialized transporting protein to the appropriate areas compared to that of individuals of European descent.