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Vitamin D, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, diabetes and obesity: are they associated to risk and prognosis for Prostate Cancer?

Principal investigator; Malm, Johan, Associate Professor, MD/PhD

Clinical speciality: Clinical chemistry

Phone: ++4640333536

Co-workers, Lund University: Abrahamsson Per-Anders, Giwercman Aleksander, Lilja Hans

Research area/areas: Cancer and Oncology

In contrast to prostate cancer mortality the prevalence of subclinical prostate cancer is approximately the same irrespective of ethicity and geographical localization -> other factors are of importance for the growth of subclinical prostate cancer.
The risk for prostate cancer decreases with increasing sun exposure. The prostate cancer mortality is two times higher in the northern parts of the US and Europe as compared to the southern parts. The prostate cancer mortality is higher in afroamericans compared to caucasians.
The results from vitamin D studies and prostate cancer are conflicting (the majority negative) as are studies on the vitamin D receptor. Most studies are small, non prospective and have not taken into account clinical phenotype data.
A number of studies suggest a positive association between prostate cancer and obesity, and a negative association between diabetes and prostate cancer - could both associations have a endocrine component?

We study men from two major epidemiological studie - Malmö Diet Cancer and Malmö Preventive Medicine. Vitamin D, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, androgens, weight development and diabetes are correlated to clinical phenotype data.
Analysis of vitamin D levels in 943 men diagnosed with prostate cancer indicate a non-linear relationship - lowest risk in men with lowest and highest vitamin D.
We have birth weights and lengths from 3654 men and BMI at military conscription from 5622 men.

If vitamin D can reduce prostate cancer incidence or mortality our project can form a basis for new guide lines concerning vitamin D - especially in high risk groups.

Link to project homepage: http://

5 recent original publications

Vegvari, A., Rezeli, M., Häkkinen, J., Sihlbom, C., Carlsohn, E., Malm, J., Lilja, H., Laurell, T., Marko-Varga, G.
Bioinformatic strategies for unambigous identification of prostate specific antigen in clinical samples.
J. Proteomics. 2011; e-pub ahead:

Jonsson, M., Frohm, B., Malm, J.
Binding of emenogelin to intact human spermatozoa studied by flow cytrometry and surface plasmon resonance.
J. Androl. . 2010; 31(6): 560-565

Malm et al.
Enzymatic action of prostate-specific antigen (PSA or hK3): substrate specificity and regulation by Zn2+, a tight-binding inhibitor.
The Prostate. 2000; 45(2): 132-139

Peter, A., Lilja, H., Lundwall, Å.
Semenogelin I and II, the major gel-forming proteins in human semen, are substrates for transglutaminase.
European Journal of Biochemistry. 1998; 252: 216-221

Peter, A., Lilja, H., Lundwall, Å.
Semenogelin I and II, the major gel-forming proteins in human semen, are substrates for transglutaminase.
European Journal of Biochemistry. 1998; 252: 216-221

Further publications here (new window)

Financing/year