Weighted gene coexpression network analysis of prostate cancer

Population-based cohort studies found that the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in the African Americans are more than double of other races in the United States. Some socioeconomic and environmental factors can not fully explain this health disparity among different populations. The pathogenesis of prostate cancer is characterized by some genetic mutations and deregulated signaling pathways. Understanding the gene modules or networks could help us elucidate the mechanisms and causes underlying this racial disparity in prostate cancer. In this work, we applied a weighted gene coexpression network analysis method to analyze the microarray data of prostate cancer sampled from different races. Our studies reveal several gene modules that are not preserved in the prostate cancer progression, and also identify some modules specific to the African American and white American patients.