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The Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC) and prostate cancer. A role as clear as black and white?
Author(s) -
LENTSCH ALEX B.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.02-0066hyp
Subject(s) - prostate cancer , chemokine , cancer , immunology , chemokine receptor , medicine , antigen , malaria , epigenetics , biology , cancer research , immune system , gene , genetics
ABSTRACT Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer‐related death among men in the United States. African American men have a 60% greater incidence of prostate cancer and a twofold higher mortality rate than Caucasian men. The Duffy antigen/receptor for che‐mokines (DARC) is a receptor expressed on erythrocytes and vascular endothelial cells that binds to and clears angiogenic chemokines. The DARC also functions as the erythrocyte receptor for invasion by malarial parasites. Approximately 70% of African Americans lack erythrocyte expression of the DARC as a genetic mechanism of protection against malaria infection. Given the importance of angiogenic chemokines in the development of tumor vascular networks and the che‐mokine binding properties of the DARC, the possibility that a lack of DARC expression on erythrocytes may represent an epigenetic factor that predisposes African American men to a greater incidence and mortality of prostate cancer should be considered..—Lentsch, A. B. The Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC) and prostate cancer. Arole as clearas black and white? FASEB J. 16, 1093–1095 (2002)