No association of pri-miR-143 rs41291957 polymorphism with the risk of congenital heart disease in a Chinese population

Role of miR-143 and miR-146 in Risk Evaluation of Coronary Artery Diseases in Autopsied Samples

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common and fatal cardiovascular disease. Among known CAD risk factors, miRNA polymorphisms, such as Has-miR-143 (rs41291957 C>G) and Has-miR-146a (rs2910164 G>A), have emerged as important genetic markers of CAD. Despite many genetic association studies in multiple populations, no study assessing the association between CAD risk and SNPs of miR-143 and miR-146 was documented in the Japanese people. Therefore, using the TaqMan SNP assay, we investigated two SNP genotypes in 151 subjects with forensic autopsy-proven CAD. After pathological observation, we used ImageJ software to assess the degree of coronary artery atresia. Moreover, the genotypes and miRNA content of the two groups of samples with atresia <10% and >10% were analyzed. The results showed that the CC genotype of rs2910164 was more frequent in patients with CAD than in controls, which was associated with the risk of CAD in the study population. However, Has-miR-143 rs41291957 genotype did not show a clear correlation with the risk of CAD.

rs41291957 controls miR-143 and miR-145 expression and impacts coronary artery disease risk

The role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the etiopathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases is well known. The effect of SNPs on disease predisposition has been established not only for protein coding genes but also for genes encoding microRNAs (miRNAs). The miR-143/145 cluster is smooth muscle cell-specific and implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Whether SNPs within the genomic sequence of the miR-143/145 cluster are involved in cardiovascular disease development is not known. We thus searched annotated sequence databases for possible SNPs associated with miR-143/145. We identified one SNP, rs41291957 (G > A), located -91 bp from the mature miR-143 sequence, as the nearest genetic variation to this miRNA cluster, with a minor allele frequency > 10%. In silico and in vitro approaches determined that rs41291957 (A) upregulates miR-143 and miR-145, modulating phenotypic switching of vascular smooth cells towards a differentiated/contractile phenotype. Finally, we analysed association between rs41291957 and CAD in two cohorts of patients, finding that the SNP was a protective factor. In conclusion, our study links a genetic variation to a pathological outcome through involvement of miRNAs.

APRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis determining the association of miRNA polymorphisms and risk of congenital heart disease

PURPOSE

Recent genetic association studies showed conflicting results on the relationship of miRNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and congenital heart disease (CHD) risk. The purpose of the present systematic review was to collect the current available evidences to evaluate the association between miRNA polymorphisms and CHD risk.

METHODS

Four electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and CENTRAL were extensively searched for relevant studies published before February, 2019. Observational studies determining the association between miRNA polymorphisms and risk of CHD were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale by 2 independent researchers. Major characteristics of each study and estimation of effect size of individual locus polymorphism were summarized. In addition, meta-analysis was performed to quantify the associations between miRNA polymorphisms and CHD risk.

RESULTS

Nine studies containing 6502 CHD patients and 6969 healthy controls were included in this systematic review. Ten loci in 9 miRNAs were reported. Only rs11614913 in miR-196a2 was determined to have significant associations with CHD susceptibility, which was supported by meta-analysis (CC vs CT+TT: odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.30, 1.82; P < .00001). A strong evidence indicated lack of association between rs2910164 in miR-146a and CHD. Limited or conflicting evidences were found for the associations of the other variants (rs11134527, rs139365823, rs76987351, rs3746444, rs4938723, rs2292832, rs41291957, rs895819) and risk of CHD.

CONCLUSIONS

Locus polymorphisms in miRNAs are not generally associated with CHD. Only rs11614913 was found to have significant associations with CHD. Further studies will be needed, using larger populations of different ethnicities, to obtain a better understanding of these associations.

Association of functional variant in GDF1 promoter with risk of congenital heart disease and its regulation by Nkx2.5

GDF1 plays an important role in left–right patterning and genetic mutations in the coding region of GDF1 are associated with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, the genetic variation in the promoter of GDF1 with sporadic CHD and its expression regulation is little known. The association of the genetic variation in GDF1 promoter with CHD was examined in two case–control studies, including 1084 cases and 1198 controls in the first study and 582 cases and 615 controls in the second study. We identified one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs181317402 and two novel genetic mutations located in the promoter region of GDF1. Analysis of combined samples revealed a significant association in genotype and allele frequencies of rs181317402 T/G polymorphism between CHD cases in overall or ventricular septal defects or Tetralogy of Fallot and the control group. rs181317402 allele G polymorphism was significantly associated with a decreased risk of CHD. Furthermore, luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNA pulldown assay indicated that Nkx2.5 transactivated the expression of GDF1 by binding to the promoter of GDF1. Luciferase activity assay showed that rs181317402 allele G significantly increased the basal and Nkx2.5-mediated activity of GDF1 promoter, while the two genetic mutations had the opposite effect. rs181317402 TG genotype was associated with significantly increased mRNA level of GDF1 compared with TT genotype in 18 CHD individuals. Our results demonstrate for the first time that Nkx2.5 acts upstream of GDF1 and the genetic variants in GDF1 promoter may confer genetic susceptibility to sporadic CHD potentially by altering its expression.

miRNA Polymorphisms and Risk of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recently extensive focus has been concentrated on the role of miRNAs in the initiation and progression of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCDs) which constitute a range of conditions including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs, especially coronary artery disease (CAD)), congenital heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs, especially the ischemic stroke (IS)). An increasing number of studies are evaluating the association between different miRNA polymorphisms and risk of CCDs, but results have been inconclusive. This study represents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between miRNA polymorphisms and risk of CCDs. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were queried to identify eligible articles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the association of miRNA polymorphisms with CCD susceptibility. A total of 51 eligible articles evaluating the association of 31 miRNA polymorphisms were identified. Meta-analysis was performed for six miRNA polymorphisms. miR-146a rs2910164 (30 studies: 13,186 cases/14,497 controls), miR-149 rs2292832 (Nine studies: 4116 cases/3511 controls), miR-149 rs71428439 (Three studies: 1556 cases/1567 controls), miR-196a2 rs11614913 (20 studies: 10,144 cases/10,433 controls), miR-218 rs11134527 (Three studies: 2,322 cases/2,754 controls) were not associated with overall CCD. miR-499 rs3746444 was associated with CCD (20 studies: 9564 cases/8876 controls). In the subgroups, rs2910164 and rs3746444 were only associated with CVDs, especially CAD. In conclusion, the results support the existence of a role for miR-146a rs2910164 and miR-499 rs3746444 in determining susceptibility to CCDs, especially CAD.

Interpreting the various associations of MiRNA polymorphisms with susceptibilities of cardiovascular diseases: Current evidence based on a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To interpret the various associations between miRNA polymorphisms and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

METHODS

Literature search has identified relevant studies up to June 2016. A meta-analysis was performed followed the guidelines from the Cochrane review group and the PRISMA statement. Studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PUBMED and WHO clinical trials registry center. A meta-analysis has been done with a fixed/random-effect model using STATA 14.0, which also has been used to estimate the publication bias and meta-regression.

RESULTS

The results from 11 case-control studies were included. The miR-146a G/C makes a contribution to the causing of CVD as recessive genetic model. And the miR-499 G/A raised the risks of cardiomyopathy, however it could still accelerate the procedure of CVD combined with myocardial infraction. At this point, we consider that it could deepen the adverse of outcomes from coronary artery disease (CAD), but it's hard to draw an association between miR-499 G/A and CAD. At last the miR-196a2 T/C demonstrated a contrary role between development problem and metabolic issues, which protects the development procedure and impairs the metabolism to cause different disease phenotypes.

CONCLUSION

Despite inter-study variability, the polymorphisms from miR-146a, miR-499 and miR-196a2 have impacts on cardiovascular disease. Each type of miRNA has individual role in either cardiac development or the origins of CVD.

A Rare Rs139365823 Polymorphism in Pre-miR-138 Is Associated with Risk of Congenital Heart Disease in a Chinese Population

miR-138 modulates cardiac morphogenesis in zebrafish. We explored whether a genetic polymorphism in miR-138 might contribute to the occurrence of sporadic congenital heart disease (CHD) and the potential mechanism. We performed a case-control study consisting of 857 CHD cases and 938 non-CHD controls by genotyping miR-138 in a Chinese population. Two SNPs, including rare rs139365823 located in the pre-miR-138 sequence and rs76987351 located in the pri-miR-138 sequence, were identified by sequencing miR-138. The results demonstrated that the genotypes and allele frequencies of the rs139365823 minor allele A were significantly associated with the increased risk of CHD cases overall or in the Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) subtype, but not with the rs76987351 A/G allele. Real-time PCR data showed that the rs139365823 minor allele A significantly increased the expression of mature miR-138, whereas the rs76987351 minor allele A had the opposite effect. As TOF is caused by severe outflow tract (OFT) development and an alignment defect, we identified Dvl2, involved in OFT development, as a direct target of miR-138. Further, the rs139365823 minor allele A enhanced the miR-138-mediated inhibitory regulation of Dvl2. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time that the functional variant rs139365823 in pre-miR-138 altered the expression of mature miR-138 and its inhibitory effect on target genes and conferred the risk for CHD in the population studied here.