Approved Research

Analysis of risk factors and prognostic factors related to prostatic diseases (prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer)

Lay summary

Aims:

1) To identify potential risk factors within UK Biobank to determine whether they are causally associated with development of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

2) To identify potential prognostic factors within UK Biobank to determine whether they are associated with short-term and long-term outcome of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

3) To calculate polygenic risk scores for exploring its effect and interaction with non-genetic factors, and measuring potential causality.

4) To develop and validate risk prediction models for prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

5) To explore trajectory of risk and prognostic factors and their causal associations with development and prognosis of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

Scientific rationale:

Populations are growing older in countries and population ageing has been a global phenomenon. Prostate disease incidence directly correlates with age. National disease burden of the three prostatic diseases will continue to increase. In our previous studies, we had found that gut microbiota, cardiovascular disease, oral microbiome, periodontal disease, body mass index, gene polymorphisms were associated with prostate disease. However, there is still a lack of sufficient and robust evidence on broadly estimating risk and prognosis of the prostate diseases and the trajectory changes of these factors and disease in a population-based prospective cohort. Moreover, the evidence of impacts of the factors on long-term outcome of the prostatic diseases are also insufficient.

Project duration

This project is expected to last for 36 months.

Public health impact

This work will be an advancement in our understanding of development and prognosis of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Knowledge of identified links can enable the public, policymakers and epidemiology scientists to make preventative strategies for the three prostatic diseases and can provide scientific evidence for early intervention and better management.