This work is the first to report ADH1B (alcohol dehydrogenase) downregulation in neoplastic prostate at the transcriptional level, indicating protective regulatory roles. ADH7 transcripts were not identifiable in all samples and were present in higher frequency and amount in the African American samples. Racial disparities in ADH7 within the prostate is a novel observation.

• This study was conducted to assess expression patterns of ADH1 and ADH7 isozymes in normal, hyperplastic (benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH]) and neoplastic (prostate cancer [PCa]) prostate as well as to determine racial disparities in ADH expression between African Americans and Caucasians.

• Researchers examined ADH expression patterns through density analysis of ADH immunohistochemistry (n = 21) and real-time RT-PCR of total RNAs by laser-capture microdissection (n = 10) and whole tissue formalin-fixed paraffin embedded prostate biopsies (n = 63).

• Presence of ADH protein in normal prostate as well as its link with glandular epithelium were found.

• In PCa, transcripts of ADH1B were suppressed when compared to BPH.

• There were racial differences in ADH7 transcripts between African American and Caucasian men.

• There were detectable ADH7 messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts in 57.6% of biopsies from African American prostates vs 13.3% of Caucasian prostate biopsies with detectable transcripts.

• This elevated frequency of detection contributes to higher mean ADH7 mRNA transcript levels in African Americans.