Background: A candidate gene for hereditary prostate cancer (PC), recently identified is the RNASEL gene on the chromosome loci 1q25. This gene mediates the apoptotic and antiviral activities of interferon. In some studies, a significant relationship has been reported between the chromosome 1q24-25 (HPC1) and prostate cancer risk, while some other studies did not approve.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the association between R462Q mutation and prostate cancer in a cross-sectional study.

Patients and Methods: One hundred twenty one samples from 51 patients with sporadic PC and 70 patients with non-cancerous prostate were screened for the R462Q mutation. All samples were formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded. The samples were investigated by the use of amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) PCR, followed by gel electrophoresis. To analyze the data the Fisher’s exact and Chi-square tests were used. Statistical analyses were performed, using SPSS 17 software program.

Results: The present study findings showed that RR, RQ and QQ genotypes compromised 82, 14, and 4% of the cancerous samples and 87, 13 and 0 % of the non-cancerous samples, respectively.

Conclusions: We did not find any association between the RNASEL Arg462Gln polymorphism and prostate cancer. Based on these results the RNASEL Gln/Gln genotype does not play an important role in the etiology of sporadic prostate cancer, in the general population. However, additional studies with bigger sample sizes are needed to more clearly explain the role of RNASEL mutations in hereditary prostate cancer.