Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns in Prostate Adenocarcinoma, Benign Hyperplasia, Metastatic Disease, and Related Lifestyle Factors among African American Men [Georgetown ]

Using Shannon entropy as a metric for epigenetic heterogeneity, mCRPC samples exhibited significant elevated entropy, reflecting greater methylation variability than localized adenocarcinoma PCa and BPH. We also identified distinct smoking and alcohol-associated methylation signatures, with specific CpG sites showing significant differential methylation compared to non-exposed patients. Our analysis provides insights into methylation profiles as predictive markers for distinguishing between BPH, PCa and mCRPC that are also influenced by lifestyle factors.

More importantly, aberrations in methylation favor PCa aggressiveness to metastasis and genomic instability that implies aging and environmental factors. Overall, the differential methylation patterns suggest potential for patient stratification, biomarker-driven treatment strategies including epigenetic therapeutic strategies for AA PCa.