Association of Common Genetic Variants in Pre-microRNAs and Neuroblastoma Susceptibility: A Two-Center Study in Chinese Children

Association of IL6 Gene Polymorphisms and Neurological Disorders: Insights from Integrated Bioinformatics and Meta-Analysis

Interleukin 6 (IL6) is an inflammatory biomarker linked to central and peripheral nervous system diseases. This study combined bioinformatics and statistical meta-analysis to explore potential associations between IL6 gene variants (rs1800795, rs1800796, and rs1800797) and neurological disorders (NDs) and brain cancer. The meta-analysis was conducted on substantial case-control datasets and revealed a significant correlation between IL6 SNPs (rs1800795 and rs1800796) with overall NDs (p-value < 0.05). The disease-stratified analysis of rs1800795 revealed significant correlations with Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases (p-value < 0.05), while rs1800796 showed a substantial connection with Celiac disease (p-value < 0.05). The ethnicity-stratified analysis revealed noteworthy associations between rs1800795 in both Asians and Caucasians (p-value < 0.05), while rs1800796 showed significant associations across all ethnic groups analyzed (p-value < 0.05). Furthermore, integrated Bioinformatics analyses using GTEx and TCGA datasets highlighted IL6's involvement in NDs and its potential role in brain cancer. Specifically, IL6 SNPs (rs1800795 and rs1800797) showed a significant association with Glioma (p-value < 0.001). Copy number alterations and increased IL6 expressions were linked to cancer severity (p-value < 0.001) and hypoxia (p-value < 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that elevated IL6 expression was strongly associated with decreased overall survival in brain cancer patients (p-value < 0.0001). In conclusion, this study identified notable correlations between IL6 SNPs and NDs, underscoring their potential as valuable prognostic biomarkers for various neurological conditions.

The role of MiRNA-34 family in different signaling pathways and its therapeutic options

MiRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules that have been shown to affect a vast number of genes at the post-transcriptional level, hence regulating several signaling pathways. Because the miRNA-34 family regulates a number of different signaling pathways, including those linked to cancer, the immune system, metabolism, cellular structure, and neurological disorders, it has garnered a great deal of attention from researchers. Members of the miRNA-34 family have been shown to inhibit tumors in a variety of cancer types. This family is also important for obesity, the cardiovascular system, and glycolysis. It's interesting to note that the miRNA-34 family is known to play a role in major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease (PD), adverse childhood experiences or trauma, regulation of stress responses, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and stress-related psychatric conditions. In this review, the expected targets of the miRNA-34 family are presented alongside the well-established targets identified by pathway analysis. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of this miRNA family will be discussed.

Novel associations between MTDH gene polymorphisms and invasive ductal breast cancer: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE

To reveal the contributing effects of MTDH gene SNPs in the risk of invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A case-control study was conducted, recruiting a total of 300 cases of IDC and 565 cancer-free controls from East China. Genotyping of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MTDH gene was performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of patients. The three SNPs (rs1311 T > C, rs16896059 G > A, rs2449512 A > G) in the MTDH gene were selected for detection using a TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The association between MTDH and the risk of IDC was analyzed employing an epidemiology case-control study and a multinomial logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Among the three evaluated SNPs, rs1311 T > C, rs16896059 G > A, and rs2449512 A > G demonstrated a significant association with an increased risk of IDC. Furthermore, stratified analysis revealed that individuals carrying the rs1311 CC genotype, rs16896059 GA/AA genotypes, and rs2449512 GG genotype were more susceptible to developing IDC in subgroups of patients younger than 53 years, without family history of IDC, pre-menopause status, clinical stage 2, high grade, with no distant metastasis or invasion, Her2-positive type, ER positive, PR positive, and Ki67 cells less than 10%. However, carriers of the rs16896059 GA/AA genotypes and rs2449512 GG genotype had an elevate the risk of IDC in patients with tumor size larger than 2 cm, post-menopause status, clinical stage 3, with invasion, lymph node infiltration, ER negative, PR negative, Her2 negative, and Ki67 cells exceeding 10%. Compared to the reference haplotype TGA, haplotypes TAA, TAG, and TGG were significantly associated with an increased IDC risk.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we demonstrated a significant association between MTDH gene polymorphisms and an increased risk of IDC. Moreover, our findings suggested that MTDH gene polymorphisms could serve as a potential biomarker for IDC subtyping and therapeutic selection.

Association between DPP6 gene rs10260404 polymorphism and increased risk of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS): a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by continuous diminution of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Earlier studies indicated that the DPP6 gene variant has a role in the development of sALS. This meta-analysis was designed to uncover the role of rs10260404 polymorphism of the DPP6 gene and its association with sALS.

METHODS

All case-control articles published prior to October 2022 on the association between DPP6 (rs10260404) polymorphism and sALS risk were systematically extracted from different databases which include PubMed, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar. Overall odds ratios (ORs) and "95% confidence intervals (CIs)" were summarized for various genetic models. Subgroup and heterogeneity assessments were performed. Egger's and "Begg's tests were applied to evaluate publication bias. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) and false-positive report probability (FPRP) were performed.

RESULTS

Nine case-control studies containing 4202 sALS cases and 4444 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association of the DPP6 (rs10260404) variant with an increased sALS risk in overall pooled subjects under allelic model [C allele vs. T allele, OR = 1.149, 95% CI (1.010-1.307), p-value = 0.035], dominant model [CC + CT vs. TT, OR = 1.165, 95% CI (1.067-1.273), p-value = 0.001], and homozygote comparison [CC vs. TT, OR = 1.421, 95% CI (1.003-2.011), p-value = 0.048] were observed. Moreover, in subgroup analysis by nationality, remarkable associations were detected in Dutch, Irish, American, and Swedish under allelic, dominant, and homozygote models. Additionally, stratification analysis by ethnicity exhibited an association with sALS risk among Caucasians and Americans under different genetic models. Interestingly, none of the models found any significant association with Asians.

CONCLUSION

The present meta-analysis indicates that DPP6 (rs10260404) polymorphism could be a candidate risk factor for sALS predisposition.

ALKBH5 gene polymorphisms and risk of neuroblastoma in Chinese children from Jiangsu Province

Background

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common extracranial malignant solid tumors in children. AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) is an RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase that plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and development. We assessed the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ALKBH5 and the risk of neuroblastoma in a case-control study including 402 patients and 473 non-cancer controls.

Methods

Genotyping was determined by the TaqMan method. The association between ALKBH5 polymorphisms (rs1378602 and rs8400) and the risk of neuroblastoma was evaluated using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

We found no strong association of ALKBH5 rs1378602 and rs8400 with neuroblastoma risk. Further stratification analysis by age, sex, primary site, and clinical stage showed that the rs1378602 AG/AA genotype was associated with a lower risk of neuroblastoma in males (adjusted OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.35-0.97, p = 0.036) and children with retroperitoneal neuroblastoma (adjusted OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.34-0.98, p = 0.040).

Conclusions

ALKBH5 SNPs do not seem to be associated with neuroblastoma risk. More studies are required to confirm this negative result and reveal the relationship between gene polymorphisms of the m6A modifier ALKBH5 and neuroblastoma.

Functional pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 and KRAS 3'UTR rs61764370 SNPs: Novel phenotype modifiers in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome?

PURPOSE

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is a rare cancer predisposing condition caused by germline pathogenic TP53 variants, in which core tumors comprise sarcomas, breast, brain and adrenocortical neoplasms. Clinical manifestations are highly variable in carriers of the Brazilian germline founder variant TP53 p.R337H, possibly due to the influence of modifier genes such as miRNA genes involved in the regulation of the p53 pathway. Herein, we investigated the potential phenotypic effects of two miRNA-related functional SNPs, pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 and 3'UTR KRAS rs61764370, in a cohort of 273 LFS patients from Southern and Southeastern Brazil.

METHODS

The genotyping of selected SNPs was performed by TaqMan® allelic discrimination and subsequently custom TaqMan® genotyping results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing in all SNP-positive LFS patients.

RESULTS

Although the KRAS SNP showed no effect as a phenotype modulator, the rs4938723 CC genotype was significantly associated with development of LFS non-core tumors (first tumor diagnosis) in p.R337H carriers (p = 0.039). Non-core tumors were also more frequently diagnosed in carriers of germline TP53 DNA binding domain variants harboring the rs4938723 C variant allele. Previous studies described pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 C as a risk allele for sporadic occurrence of thyroid and prostate cancers (non-core tumors of the LFS spectrum).

CONCLUSION

With this study, we presented additional evidence about the importance of analyzing miRNA genes that could indirectly regulate p53 expression, and, therefore, may modulate the LFS phenotype, such as those of the miR-34 family.

miR-100 rs1834306 a > G polymorphism decreases neuroblastoma risk in Chinese children

BACKGROUND

Neuroblastoma is a common malignant tumor stemming from the sympathetic nervous system in children, which is often life-threatening. The genetics of neuroblastoma remains unclear. Studies have shown that miRNAs participate in the regulation of a broad spectrum of biological pathways. The abnormity in the miRNA is associated with the risk of various cancers, including neuroblastoma. However, research on the relationship of miRNA polymorphisms with neuroblastoma susceptibility is still in the initial stage.

METHODS

In this research, a retrospective case-control study was conducted to explore whether miR-100 rs1834306 A > G polymorphism is associated with neuroblastoma susceptibility. We enrolled 402 cases and 473 controls for the study. The logistic regression analysis was adopted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between miR-100 rs1834306 A > G and neuroblastoma risk.

RESULTS

Our results elucidated that the miR-100 rs1834306 A > G polymorphism was associated with the decreased risk of neuroblastoma (AG versus AA: adjusted OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.53-0.98, and P = 0.038). The subsequent stratified analysis further found that rs1834306 AG/GG genotype reduced the risk of neuroblastoma in the subgroup with tumors of the mediastinum origin (adjusted OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.41-0.95, and P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, miR-100 rs1834306 A > G polymorphism was shown to associate with decreased neuroblastoma risk in Chinese children, especially for neuroblastoma of mediastinum origin. This conclusion needs to be verified in additional large-size case-control studies.

The role of EPAS1 polymorphisms on COPD susceptibility in southern Chinese

Objective

COPD is the most common chronic respiratory disease with complex environmental and genetic etiologies. It was reported that EPAS1 might participate in the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases. However, the association between EPAS1 and COPD was unclear.

Methods

First, a case-control study enrolling 1130 COPD patients and 1115 healthy controls in Guangzhou was conducted to clarify the association between EPAS1 polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility. Secondly, a prevalence study recruited 882 participants in Gansu to verify the effect of positive polymorphisms on lung function. Finally, the 10-year absolute risk considering environmental factors and genetic variations was calculated by the method of Gail and Bruzzi.

Results

EPAS1 rs13419896 AA genotype reduced COPD risk in southern Chinese (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 0.689, 95% CI = 0.498-0.955; AA vs. GG/GA: adjusted OR = 0.701, 95% CI = 0.511-0.962). Further, the rs13419896 A allele was significantly associated with higher pre-FEV1/pre-FVC in both the Guangzhou and Gansu populations (P < 0.05). Smoking status, coal as fuels, education level, and rs13419896 G > A were finally retained to develop a relative risk model for males. Smoking status, biomass as fuels, and rs13419896 G > A were retained in the female model. The population-attributable risk of the male or female model was 0.457 (0.283-0.632) and 0.421 (0.227-0.616), respectively.

Conclusions

This study first revealed that EPAS1 rs13419896 G > A decreased COPD susceptibility and could be a genetic marker to predict the 10-year absolute risk for COPD.

TRMT61B rs4563180 G>C variant reduces hepatoblastoma risk: a case-control study of seven medical centers

N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is an essential chemical modification of RNA. Dysregulation of RNA m1A modification and m1A-related regulators is detected in several adult tumors. Whether aberrant RNA m1A modification is involved in hepatoblast carcinogenesis has not been reported. tRNA methyltransferase 61B (TRMT61B) is responsible for mitochondrial RNA m1A modification. Some evidence has shown that genetic variants of TRMT61B might contribute to cancer susceptibility; however, its roles in hepatoblastoma are unknown. This study attempted to discover novel hepatoblastoma susceptibility loci. With the TaqMan method, we examined genotypes of the TRMT61B rs4563180 G>C polymorphism among germline DNA samples from 313 cases and 1446 controls. The association of the rs4563180 G>C polymorphism with hepatoblastoma risk was estimated based on odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found that the TRMT61B rs4563180 G>C polymorphism correlated significantly with a reduction in hepatoblastoma risk (GC vs. GG: adjusted OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.49-0.85, P=0.002; GC/CC vs. GG: adjusted OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.51-0.85, P=0.002). In stratified analysis, significant associations were detected in children younger than 17 months old, girls, and subgroups with stage I+II or III+IV tumors. False-positive report probability analysis validated that children with the GC or CC genotype, particularly in those <17 months of age, had a decreased risk of hepatoblastoma. The rs4563180 G>C polymorphism also correlated with expression of TRMT61B and the nearby gene PPP1CB. We identified a high-quality biomarker measuring hepatoblastoma susceptibility, which may contribute to future screening programs.

Identification of FUT7 hypomethylation as the blood biomarker in the prediction of early-stage lung cancer

Early detection of lung cancer (LC) is vital for reducing LC-related mortality. However, noninvasive diagnostic tools remain a great challenge. We aim to identify blood-based biomarkers for the early detection of LC. Here, LC-associated hypomethylation in alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferase VII (FUT7) is identified via the Illumina 850K array in a discovery study and validated by mass spectrometry in two independent case-control studies with blood samples from 1720 LC patients (86.8% LC at stage I, blood is collected before surgery and treatment) and 3143 healthy controls. Compared to the controls, blood-based FUT7 hypomethylation is identified in LC patients at stage I, and even in LC patients with malignant nodules ≤ 1 cm and in patients with adenocarcinoma in situ. Gender plays a role in the LC-associated FUT7 hypomethylation in blood, which is more significant in males than in females. We also reveal that FUT7 hypomethylation in LC could be enhanced by the advanced stage of cancer, involvement of lymph nodes, and larger tumor size. Based on a large sample size and semi-quantitative methods, our study reveals a strong association between blood-based FUT7 hypomethylation and LC, suggesting that methylation signatures in blood may be a group of potential biomarkers for detection of early-stage LC.

A comprehensive meta-analysis comprising 149 case-control studies to investigate the association between IL-6 gene rs1800795 polymorphism and multiple disease risk

BACKGROUND

Individual genome-wide association studies (GWAS) or single case-specific meta-analyses may not be sufficient evidence to take action against a specific gene function. Thus, we tried to determine a consensus association between the IL-6 gene rs1800795 polymorphism and multiple disease risks through an updated statistical meta-analysis.

METHOD

After systematically searching online databases, we found 149 case-control relevant datasets with a sample size of 96,153 (cases: 38,291 and controls: 57862) and conducted the meta-analysis using updated statistical models.

RESULTS

The analyses of this comprehensive meta-analysis revealed a significant association between IL-6 -174G/C polymorphism and overall disorder risk under all genetic models (C vs G: OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.08-1.13; p-value = 4.8E-17; CC vs GG: OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.13-1.26; p-value = 9.4E-12; CG vs GG: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.06-1.14; p-value = 1.1E-07; CC + CG vs GG: OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.10-1.17; p-value = 1.1E-13; CC vs CG + GG: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.06-1.31; p-value = 0.0019) and (OR > 1) with Asian ethnicity. The subgroup analyses based on the diseases revealed that the polymorphism was highly significantly increasing the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) under all genetic models. Likewise, a significant association was observed with increased risk under three genetic models of inflammatory diseases (C vs G; CC vs GG; and CC vs CG + GG), and rheumatoid arthritis (C vs G; CG vs GG; and CC + CG vs GG). Conversely, the -174G/C SNP significantly decreased the risk of ischemic stroke under the two genetic models (C vs G; and CG vs GG). However, the other diseases included in this study showed no significant association with IL-6 (-174G/C) polymorphism.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis provided strong evidence for the association between IL-6 gene rs1800795 polymorphism and multiple disease risks. The IL-6 gene could be a useful prognostic biomarker for CAD, inflammatory disease, ischemic stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis.

NSUN2 gene rs13181449 C>T polymorphism reduces neuroblastoma risk

Neuroblastoma is the most common tumor in infants. RNA m5C modification regulates the survival, differentiation, and migration of cells affecting RNA function. However, the effects of the m5C modification methyltransferase gene NSUN2 polymorphism on neuroblastoma susceptibility have not been reported. TaqMan method was used to determine genotypes of four NSUN2 polymorphisms (rs4702373 C>T, rs13181449 C>T, rs166049 T>G, and rs8192120 A>C) in 402 patients with neuroblastoma and 473 cancer-free controls from Jiangsu province, China. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the association of NSUN2 polymorphisms with neuroblastoma susceptibility. The association was also further assessed in subgroups stratified by age, sex, tumor origin, and stage. GTEx was used to analyze the effect of these polymorphisms on NSUN2 expression. We found the rs13181449 C>T was significantly associated with reduced neuroblastoma risk (CT vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.51-0.92, P = 0.012; CT/TT vs. CC: adjusted OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53-0.92, P = 0.010). Compared with 0-2 protective genotypes, those with 3-4 protective genotypes could significantly reduce the neuroblastoma risk (adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.90, P = 0.006). Stratification analysis showed that the protective effect of rs13181449 polymorphism remained significant in children with age >18 months, boys, and those with early INSS stages. Moreover, children with more protective genotypes in the same subgroups also exhibited significantly reduced neuroblastoma risk. GTEx analysis showed that the rs13181449 T genotype was related with decreased NSUN2 gene expression. In conclusions, NSUN2 rs13181449 polymorphism is associated with decreased neuroblastoma risk, and the underlying mechanism in neuroblastoma needs further study.

Risk Genetic Variants (IL-10) for Osteoporosis in Han Population from Northwest China

Background

Osteoporosis (OP) is a common metabolic bone disease characterized by loss of bone mass. IL-10 is considered to be a powerful immune and inflammatory suppressor. This study aimed to assess association between genetic loci in IL-10 and susceptibility to OP.

Methods

Association analysis between IL-10 genetic loci and OP risk through SNPStats online software. FPRP analysis (false-positive report probability) verified whether the positive results were noteworthy findings. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis were completed by Haploview 4.2 and SNPStats. Multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was used to assess interaction of SNP-SNP in susceptibility to OP.

Results

Allele "G" of IL-10-rs1554286 (OR = 1.21, p = 0.013), allele "C" of IL-10-rs1518111 (OR = 1.22, p = 0.011), allele "C" of IL-10-rs3024490 (OR = 1.20, p = 0.018), and allele "G" of IL-10-rs1800871 (OR = 1.21, p = 0.015) were risk factors for OP. In females, smoking, drinking, or aging ≤60 years old participants, the above genetic loci are also significantly associated with the increased risk of OP. FPRP analysis showed that all positive results are noteworthy findings. There are significant differences in serum levels of uric acid, mean hemoglobin concentration, or mean hemoglobin among different genotypes of IL-10 gene loci. MDR showed that four loci model composed rs1554286, rs1518111, rs3021094, and rs1800871 is the best model for predicting OP risk.

Conclusion

IL-10-rs1554286, -rs1518111, -rs3021094, and -rs1800871 are risk factors for susceptibility to OP.

Association between long non-coding RNA H19 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Common genes mutation was demonstrated associating with the risk of breast cancer (BC) recently, while the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) polymorphism is still controversial. A meta-analysis was designed to discuss the association between lncRNA H19 polymorphisms and susceptibility to BC. The related databases were systematically reviewed up to April 13, 2021. Estimates were summarized as ORs and 95 percent CIs for each included study. The heterogeneity was assessed by the I² test and subgroup analysis. Ten studies with 10354 BC patients and 11,177 control cases were included in our study. LncRNA H19 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2839698 C/T significantly increases the susceptibility of BC (OR = 1.717 , 95 percent CI = 1.052-2.803, P = 0.031). LncRNA H19 polymorphism rs3741219 and rs217727 also increase the risk of ER-positive BC (OR = 1.128 , 95 percent CI = 1.010-1.259, P = 0.0032 for rs3741219, and OR = 1.297, 95 percent CI = 1.027-1.639, P = 0.029 for rs217727). Our results demonstrated that lncRNA H19 SNP rs2839698 C/T was significantly associated with the susceptibility of BC. LncRNA H19 SNP rs217727 and rs3741219 were associated with the risks of ER-positive BC. However, further studies are needed to reach a robust conclusion.

C5orf66 rs4976270/rs639933 Are Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk in Southern Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the common malignant tumors, with high mortality and poor prognosis. Our study aimed to determine the association between the long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) C5orf66 polymorphism and CRC risk in southern Chinese Han population.

METHOD

Using the experimental design of "case-control" study (512 cases and 513 controls), we selected 4 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of C5orf66. All candidate SNPs were genotyped by Agena MassARRAY. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between SNPs and CRC risk. Then, we used false-positive report probability analysis to detect whether the significant result is just a chance or noteworthy observation. Multi-factor dimensionality reduction was used to analyze the interaction of "SNP-SNP" in CRC risk.

RESULTS

Our results showed that C5orf66 SNPs rs4976270 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.69, p = 0.021) and rs639933 (OR = 1.67, p = 0.024) were, respectively, associated with increasing CRC risk in the southern Chinese Han population. Stratified analysis showed that rs4976270 and rs639933 were significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC in subgroups (>60 years, body mass index ≤24 and drinking) under multiple genetic models. In addition, rs254563 and rs647161 also had potential association with CRC risk in subgroups (BMI ≤24 and drinking). Finally, haplotype analysis results showed that haplotype "TA" was significantly associated with increased CRC risk (OR = 1.21, confidence interval = 1.47-2.02, p = 0.043).

CONCLUSION

Our study provides a new idea for the risk assessment of CRC. LncRNA C5orf66 SNPs have a certain association with CRC risk in the southern Chinese Han population.

METTL14 gene polymorphisms influence hepatoblastoma predisposition in Chinese children: Evidences from a seven-center case-control study

Hepatoblastoma as the most prevalent hepatic malignancy in children, its etiology remains unclear. N⁶-Methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification which can modify various physiological processes, plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. Methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), an important component of the m⁶A methyltransferase complex, remains elusive during hepatoblastoma occurrence and development. We explored the relationship between METTL14 gene polymorphisms (rs1064034 T > A, rs298982 G > A, rs62328061 A > G, rs9884978 G > A, and rs4834698 T > C) and hepatoblastoma susceptibility from 313 patients and 1446 controls. The role of METTL14 polymorphisms in hepatoblastoma was evaluated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Of the included subjects, 308 patients and 1444 controls were successfully genotyped. We did not find any significant correlation between the risk of hepatoblastoma and the five potentially functional METTL14 polymorphisms individually. However, the presence of 4-5 risk genotypes exhibited a significant increased hepatoblastoma risk (adjusted OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.03-1.69, P = 0.031) compared to those carriers with 0-3 risk genotypes. Furthermore, the stratified analysis demonstrated that the rs1064034 AA genotype, rs62328061 AG/GG genotypes, rs4834698 TC/CC genotypes, and 4-5 risk genotypes were related to hepatoblastoma susceptibility in certain subgroups. The expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis revealed that rs1064034 T > A and rs4834698 T > C were correlated with the expression levels of METTL14 and its surrounding genes. Prospectively, these findings suggested that METTL14 polymorphisms may correlation with hepatoblastoma susceptibility and provide a fresh insight into the genetic underpinnings of m⁶A modification in hepatoblastoma.

Effect of miR-196a2 rs11614913 Polymorphism on Cancer Susceptibility: Evidence From an Updated Meta-Analysis

Background:MiR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism has been studied in a wide range of cancers throughout the years. Despite a large number of epidemiological studies performed in almost all ethnic populations, the contribution of this polymorphism to cancer risk is still inconclusive. Therefore, this updated meta-analysis was performed to estimate a meticulous correlation between miR-196a2 rs11614913 variant and cancer susceptibility. Methods: A systematic study search was carried out using PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases following PRISMA guidelines to find necessary literature up to December 15, 2021. Pooled odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated using RevMan 5.4 based on ethnicities, cancer types, control sources, and genotyping methods. Results: A total of 152 studies, including 120 135 subjects (53 818 patients and 66 317 controls; 140 studies, after removing studies that deviated from HWE: 51 459 cases and 62 588 controls), were included in this meta-analysis. Quantitative synthesis suggests that the miR-196a2 rs11614913 genetic variant is significantly correlated with the reduced risk of overall cancer in CDM2, CDM3, RM, and AM (odds ratio < 1 and P < .05). It is also observed from ethnicity-based subgroup analysis that rs11614913 polymorphism is significantly (P < .05) linked with cancer in the Asian (in CDM2, CDM3, RM, AM) and the African population (in CDM1, CDM3, ODM). Stratified analysis based on the cancer types demonstrated a significantly decreased correlation for breast, hepatocellular, lung, and gynecological cancer and an increased association for oral and renal cell cancer. Again, the control population-based subgroup analysis reported a strongly reduced correlation for HB population in CDM2, RM, and AM. A substantially decreased risk was also observed for other genotyping methods in multiple genetic models. Conclusions:MiR-196a2 rs11614913 variant is significantly correlated with overall cancer susceptibility. Besides, rs11614913 is correlated with cancer in Asians and Africans. It is also correlated with breast, gynecological, hepatocellular, lung, oral, and renal cell cancer.

Association between rs20456 and rs6930913 of Kinesin-Like Family 6 and Hypertension in a Chinese Cohort

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between kinesin-like family 6 (KIF6) polymorphisms and hypertension in a northeast Chinese cohort. In this study, two single nucleotide polymorphisms of KIF6 (rs20456 and rs6930913) and their haplotype were analyzed in 382 hypertension patients and 378 controls with SHEsis analysis platform, and the gene-environmental interactions were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. After adjusting for confounding factors, significantly lower risk of hypertension was observed in participants with genotype TC (0.416 (CI 0.299–0.578), p < 0.001) and CC (0.577 (0.389–0.857), p=0.007) of rs20456 compared with TT. For rs6930913, allele T (0.522 (0.386–0.704), p < 0.001), genotype TT (0.325 (0.205–0.515), p < 0.001), and genotype CT (0.513 (0.379–0.693), p < 0.001) were significantly associated with lower risk of hypertension than allele C and CC genotype, respectively. Gene-environment analyses confirmed the significant influence on hypertension by the interactions between genotypes distribution in rs20456 (CT: p=0.036, TT: p=0.022) and smoking status. No interactions were found between smoking and rs6930913, except those with dominant or recessive genetic models (both P_s=0.006). There were no interactions between KIF6 and overweight (all P_s > 0.05). Haplotype analyses showed that CC (p=0.005) and TC (p=0.001) of rs20456 and rs6930913 were significantly associated with a statistically increased risk of hypertension. The false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis was used to verify significant findings. In conclusions, KIF6 might affect the susceptibility of hypertension. The allele C (rs20456) and allele T (rs690913) were inclined to protect individuals from hypertension both in genotype and haplotype analyses.

miR-938 rs2505901 T>C polymorphism increases Hirschsprung disease risk: a case-control study of Chinese children

Aim: To explore the association between miR-938 rs2505901 T>C polymorphism and Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) risk in Chinese children. Materials & Methods: We conducted a case-control study in a Chinese population with 1381 cases and 1457 controls. The associated correlation strengths were assessed by adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs. Results: The results revealed that the rs2505901 TC and rs2505901 TC/CC genotype were related to an increased HSCR risk compared to the risk contributed by the rs2505901 TT genotype. A stratification analysis showed that the rs2505901 TC/CC genotype promoted the progression of HSCR more significantly in patients with the short-segment HSCR subtype. Conclusion: Our study indicated that miR-938 rs2505901 T>C polymorphism is significantly associated with HSCR risk in Chinese children. This result needs to be confirmed with well-designed studies.

Genetic polymorphisms in the PCNXL2 gene are risk factors for thyroid cancer in the Chinese population

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and the fastest growing cancer worldwide. Thyroid cancer has the largest genetic component of all cancers. Previous genome-wide association studies indicated that genetic polymorphism in PCNXL2 is related to thyroid cancer susceptibility in European populations. This study aims to determine the influence of PCNXL2 polymorphisms on thyroid cancer risk in Chinese individuals. Methods: This case-control study identified four polymorphisms in PCNXL2 among 510 thyroid cancer cases and 509 healthy controls. The associations of PCNXL2 polymorphisms with thyroid cancer susceptibility were detected by calculating odds ratios. Multifactor dimensionality reduction was performed to detect the impact of SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism)-SNP interactions on the risk of thyroid cancer. Results: The study showed that rs10910660 in PCNXL2 was related to thyroid cancer susceptibility. Rs12129938 played a protective role in thyroid cancer susceptibility. Stratification analysis indicated that rs10910660 increased thyroid cancer risk at age >45 years. Rs12129938 enhanced susceptibility to thyroid cancer at age >45 years, while this SNP decreased thyroid cancer risk at age ≤45 years. Rs4649295 was associated with lower susceptibility to thyroid cancer at age ≤45 years. An association was observed between rs6424270 and rs12129938 with decreased susceptibility to thyroid cancer in women. Rs10910660 was related to thyroid cancer risk in men. The combination of rs6424270, rs10910660, rs12129938 and rs4649295 was the best model to predict thyroid cancer. Conclusion: This study suggests that PCNXL2 polymorphisms are risk factors for thyroid cancer in the Chinese population.

Genetic variations in nucleotide excision repair pathway genes and hepatoblastoma susceptibility

The etiology of hepatoblastoma is largely unknown due to the rarity of this disease. Nucleotide excision repair (NER), a versatile system in repairing DNA damage, is highly implicated in carcinogenesis. However, it remains unclear whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes in the NER pathway are related to hepatoblastoma risk. A total of 313 Chinese children diagnosed with hepatoblastoma and 1446 controls were recruited from seven hospitals across China. TaqMan assay was adopted to genotype 19 SNPs in NER pathway genes including ERCC1, XPA, XPC, XPD, XPF and XPG. Of them, only two SNPs in XPC gene predisposed to hepatoblastoma risk. The XPC rs2607775 polymorphism significantly contributed to hepatoblastoma risk (dominant model: adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.01-2.05, P = .046). However, XPC rs1870134 conferred a significantly decreased risk of hepatoblastoma in recessive model (adjusted OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.26-0.98, P = .042). Stratified analysis revealed that rs2607775 CG/GG genotype, rs1870134 CC genotype and four to five risk genotypes were associated with the risk of hepatoblastoma under certain subgroups. The significant relationships were confirmed by haplotype analyses and false-positive report probability analyses. In addition, expression quantitative trait locus analysis suggested that rs2607775 G increased expression of XPC mRNA. Collectively, our discover a promising candidate XPC gene as a biomarker for the risk of hepatoblastoma.

CTNNA3 genetic polymorphism may be a new genetic signal of type 2 diabetes in the Chinese Han population: a case control study

BACKGROUND

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is the result of a combination of genes and environment. The identified genetic loci can only explain part of T2D risk. Our study is aimed to explore the association between CTNNA3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and T2D risk.

METHODS

We conducted a 'case-control' study among 1002 Chinese Han participants. Four candidate SNPs of CTNNA3 were selected (rs10822745 C/T, rs7920624 A/T, rs2441727 A/G, rs7914287 A/G), and logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between candidate SNPs and T2D risk. We used single factor analysis of variance to analyze the differences of clinical characteristics among different genotypes. In this study, haplotype analysis was conducted by plink1.07 and Haploview software and linkage disequilibrium (LD) was calculated. The interaction of candidate SNPs in T2D risk was evaluated by multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR). Finally, we conducted a false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis to detect whether the significant findings were just chance or noteworthy observations.

RESULTS

The results showed that CTNNA3-rs7914287 was a risk factor for T2D ('T': OR = 1.33, p = 0.003; 'TT': OR = 2.21, p = 0.001; 'TT' (recessive): OR = 2.09, p = 0.001; Log-additive: OR = 1.34, p = 0.003). The results of subgroup analysis showed that rs7914287 was significantly associated with the increased risk of T2D among participants who were older than 60 years, males, smoking, drinking, or BMI > 24. We also found that rs2441727 was associated with reducing the T2D risk among participants who were older than 60 years, smoking, or drinking. In addition, rs7914287 was associated with T2D patients with no retinal degeneration; rs10822745 and rs7920624 were associated with the course of T2D patients. High density lipoprotein levels had significant differences under different genotypes of rs10822745. Under the different genotypes of rs7914287, the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase were also significantly different.

CONCLUSION

We found that CTNNA3 genetic polymorphisms can be used as a new genetic signal of T2D risk in Chinese Han population. Especially, CTNNA3-rs7914287 showed an outstanding and significant association with T2D risk in both overall analysis and subgroup analysis.

Genetic predisposition of SNPs in miRNA-149 (rs2292832) and FOXE1 (rs3758249) in thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND

Many efforts have been made in recent years to investigate the alterations in protein-coding genes as well as non-coding RNAs that are playing an emerging role in the development and progression of cancers. These miRNAs are short non-coding functional RNAs that are involved in the regulation of transcriptome. In different studies, it was found that human miRNA-149 is an important microRNA that is functioning either as onco-miRNAs or acting as tumor suppressors, in different conditions.

RATIONALE

Many of the miRNAs are regulating different SNPs of FOXE1 in different studies which are causing low-to-moderate penetrance of genes that initiates the development of thyroid cancer. The involvement of SNPs in miRNA-149 gene rs2292832 and FOXE1 rs3758249 with PTC for better disease prognosis and management was determined in this study and the relation between these SNPs at the genotypic level was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PTC patients with age and gender-matched controls were recruited in the present study. Blood samples were collected in EDTA vacutainer followed by DNA extraction by the organic method. Genotyping of rs2292832 and rs3758249 was done by ARMS-PCR and PCR- RFLP respectively. Statistical analyses were carried out by using SPSS software (version 20).

RESULTS

The mutation T>C in miRNA-149 rs2292832 was significantly associated with thyroid cancer (p-value 0.0004, < 0.05) while rs3758249 G>C did not show significant association with the disease (p-value 0.124244, > 0.05). Moreover, no correlation of rs2292832 at the genotype level was observed with rs3758249.

CONCLUSIONS

miRNA-149 gene SNP rs2292832 was observed in strong association with thyroid cancer. Lack of genetic association of rs3758249 of FOXE1 gene has been ruled for the disease. The statistically significant association of rs2292832 with thyroid cancer depicts its mechanistic involvement at the cellular level in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Novel Associations Between METTL3 Gene Polymorphisms and Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Five-Center Case-Control Study

Objective

To reveal the contributing role of METTL3 gene SNPs in pediatric ALL risk.

Patients and Methods

A total of 808 pediatric ALL cases and 1,340 cancer-free controls from five hospitals in South China were recruited. A case-control study by genotyping three SNPs in the METTL3 gene was conducted. Genomic DNA was abstracted from peripheral blood. Three SNPs (rs1263801 C>G, rs1139130 A>G, and rs1061027 A>C) in the METTL3 gene were chosen to be detected by taqman real-time polymerase chain reaction assay.

Results

That rs1263801 C>G, rs1139130 A>G, and rs1061027 A>C polymorphisms were significantly associated with increased pediatric ALL risk was identified. In stratification analyses, it was discovered that rs1263801 CC, rs1061027 AA, and rs1139130 GG carriers were more likely to develop ALL in subgroups of common B-ALL, MLL gene fusion. Rs1263801 CC and rs10610257 AA carriers were more possible to increase the risk of ALL in subgroups of low hyperdiploid, and all of these three SNPs exhibited a trend toward the risk of ALL. All of these three polymorphisms were associated with the primitive/naïve lymphocytes and MRD in marrow after chemotherapy in ALL children. Rs1263801 CC and rs1139130 AA alleles provided a protective effect on MRD ≥0.01% among CCCG-treated children. As for rs1139130, AA alleles provided a protective effect on MRD in marrow ≥0.01% on 33 days and 12 weeks among CCCG-treated children, but provided a risk effect on MRD in the marrow ≥0.01% among SCCLG-treated children. As for rs1263801 CC and rs1139130 AA, these two alleles provided a protective effect on MRD in the marrow ≥0.01% among CCCG-treated children.

Conclusion

In this study, we revealed that METTL3 gene polymorphisms were associated with increased pediatric ALL risk and indicated that METTL3 gene polymorphisms might be a potential biomarker for choosing ALL chemotherapeutics.

The effects of MIR137HG genetic polymorphisms on the susceptibility of alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in a Chinese male population

BACKGROUNDS

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is one of the common and complicated diseases in the orthopedic clinic. Previous studies indicate that genetic factors play a crucial role in the occurrence of ONFH. This case-control study aimed to investigate the associations of MIR137HG genetic polymorphisms with the alcohol-induced ONFH risk.

METHODS

A total of 731 participants were recruited to detect the effect of MIR137HG SNPs on the alcohol-induced ONFH risk in a Chinese male population. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to evaluate the associations. Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) was used to analyze the SNP-SNP interaction with the alcohol-induced ONFH risk.

RESULTS

Our study showed that rs7549905 played a protective role in alcohol-induced ONFH risk (OR 0.57, p = 0.045). Stratified analysis indicated that rs9440302 was associated with an increased risk of patients aged >45 years (OR 2.00, p = 0.038), and rs7549905 showed a reduced risk in patients aged ≤ 45 years (OR 0.43, p = 0.023). In addition, we found that rs9440302 and rs7554283 exhibited a significantly increased susceptibility of III-IV grade alcohol-induced ONFH patients (OR 2.34, p = 0.003; OR 2.13, p = 0.011, respectively). We also observed that rs12138817 was related to an increased risk in patients with >21 months of course (OR 1.77, p = 0.043). Interestingly, rs17371457 showed a significant correlation with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that MIR137HG genetic variants are associated with the alcohol-induced ONFH susceptibility in a Chinese male population, which may give scientific evidence for exploring molecular mechanisms of the alcohol-induced ONFH.

Neurodevelopment regulators miR-137 and miR-34 family as biomarkers for early and adult onset schizophrenia

Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) may have stronger familial aggregation and a more severe outcome than adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS). MicroRNA (miRNA) takes on dual roles as a genetic and epigenetic modulator, which may mediate the influence of genetic risk. Neurological soft signs (NSS) are neurological abnormalities that may be intermediate phenotypes or endophenotypes for schizophrenia. Our previous study found poorer performance on NSS tests from patients with EOS and their unaffected first-degree relatives. Thus, we aimed to identify a set of aberrant neurodevelopmental-related miRNAs that could serve as potential biomarkers for EOS or schizophrenia with NSS. This study included 215 schizophrenia patients (104 EOS and 111 AOS), 72 unaffected first-degree relatives, 31 patients with bipolar disorder, and 100 healthy controls. Differential expression analysis revealed that miR-137, miR-34b, and miR-34c were significantly up-regulated in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives compared to healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the miR-137 expression signature could be used to discriminate between patients with EOS and healthy controls (AUC = 0.911). Additionally, miR-34b had the highest ability to discriminate between EOS and AOS (AUC = 0.810), which may indicate different aetiological pathways to disease onset. Moreover, miR-137 dysregulation was correlated with almost all NSS subscales (i.e., sensory integration, motor sequencing, etc.) and, when EOS patients with NSS, miR-137 expression discriminated these patients from healthy controls to a greater extent (AUC = 0.957). These findings support the potential for neurodevelopmental-related miRNAs to be used as indicators of vulnerability to EOS.

Impact of YTHDF1 gene polymorphisms on Wilms tumor susceptibility: A five-center case-control study

Background

Wilms tumor is the most frequent renal malignancy in children. YTHDF1 is associated with the development of several kinds of cancers, yet whether common variants of the YTHDF1 gene influence Wilms tumor risk is unknown. We present, here, a hospital‐based case‐control study specifically designed to investigate the role of YTHDF1 genetic variants on Wilms tumor.

Methods

We successfully genotyped samples of 408 Wilms tumor cases and 1198 controls which were collected from five hospitals across China. The unconditional logistic regression was adopted to analyze the contributions of YTHDF1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to the risk of Wilms tumor. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were generated to evaluate the conferring risk of YTHDF1 gene SNPs (rs6011668 C>T, rs6090311 A>G).

Results

Neither of the two SNPs could contribute to the risk of Wilms tumor. A negative association was also detected in the combined effects of protective genotypes on Wilms tumor risk. The stratification analysis revealed that compared with those with CC genotype, rs6011668 CT/TT genotype was associated with increased Wilms tumor risk in those ≤18 months (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.02–2.30, p = 0.038), and with decreased Wilms tumor risk in those >18 months (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.50–0.97, p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Our present work sheds some light on the potential role of YTHDF1 gene polymorphisms on Wilms tumor risk.

Impact of COL6A4P2 gene polymorphisms on the risk of lung cancer: A case-control study

Lung cancer (LC) is a malignant tumor that poses the greatest threat to human health and life. Most studies suggested that the occurrence of LC is associated with environmental and genetic factors. We aimed to explore the association between COL6A4P2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CHD risk in the Chinese Southern Han population. Based on the 'case-control' experimental design (510 cases and 495 controls), we conducted an association study between five candidate COL6A4P2 SNPs and the corresponding LC risk. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by logistic regression to analyze the LC susceptibility under different genetic models. The results showed that COL6A4P2 rs34445363 was significantly associated with LC risk under alleles model (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.01-1.58, p = 0.038). In addition, rs34445363 was also significantly associated with LC risk under the log-additive model (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.01-1.58, p = 0.041). The results of subgroup analysis showed that rs34445363 (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.03-1.95, p = 0.033) and rs61733464 (OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.52-0.99, p = 0.048) were both significantly associated with LC risk in the log-additive model among participants who were ≤ 61 years old. We also found that the variation of rs34445363 (GA vs. GG, OR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.04-2.86, p = 0.034) and rs77941834 (TA vs. TT, OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.06-3.34, p = 0.032) were associated with LC risk in the codominant model among female participants. Our study is the first to find that COL6A4P2 gene polymorphism is associated with LC risk in the Chinese Han population. Our study provides a basic reference for individualized LC prevention.

The comprehensive landscape of miR-34a in cancer research

MicroRNA-34 (miR-34) plays central roles in human diseases, especially cancers. Inactivation of miR-34 is detected in cancer cell lines and tumor tissues versus normal controls, implying its potential tumor-suppressive effect. Clinically, miR-34 has been identified as promising prognostic indicators for various cancers. In fact, members of the miR-34 family, especially miR-34a, have been convincingly proved to affect almost the whole cancer progression process. Here, a total of 512 (miR-34a, 10/21), 85 (miR-34b, 10/16), and 114 (miR-34c, 10/14) putative targets of miR-34a/b/c are predicted by at least ten miRNA databases, respectively. These targets are further analyzed in gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway, and the Reactome pathway dataset. The results suggest their involvement in the regulation of signal transduction, macromolecule metabolism, and protein modification. Also, the targets are implicated in critical signaling pathways, such as MAPK, Notch, Wnt, PI3K/AKT, p53, and Ras, as well as apoptosis, cell cycle, and EMT-related pathways. Moreover, the upstream regulators of miR-34a, mainly including transcription factors (TFs), lncRNAs, and DNA methylation, will be summarized. Meanwhile, the potential TF upstream of miR-34a/b/c will be predicted by PROMO, JASPAR, Animal TFDB 3.0, and GeneCard databases. Notably, miR-34a is an attractive target for certain cancers. In fact, miR-34a-based systemic delivery combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy can more effectively control tumor progression. Collectively, this review will provide a panorama for miR-34a in cancer research.

A nonsynonymous polymorphism (rs117179004, T392M) of hyaluronidase 1 (HYAL1) is associated with increased risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Southern Han Chinese

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a genetic heterogeneous disease with high mortality and poor prognosis. Hyaluronidase 1 (HYAL1) was found to be upregulated in fibroblasts from IPF patients, and overexpression of HYAL1 could prevent human fetal lung fibroblast proliferation. However, the genetic correlation between the HYAL1 and IPF or connective tissue diseases related interstitial lung disease (CTD‐ILD) has not been determined.

Methods

A two‐stage study was conducted in Southern Han Chinese population. We sequenced the coding regions and flanking regulatory regions of HYAL1 in stage one (253 IPF cases and 125 controls). A statistically significant variant was further genotyped in stage two (162 IPF cases, 182 CTD‐ILD cases, and 225 controls).

Results

We identified a nonsynonymous polymorphism (rs117179004, T392M) significantly associated with increased IPF risk (dominant model: OR = 2.239, 95% CI = 1.212–4.137, p = 0.010 in stage one; OR = 2.383, 95% CI = 1.376–4.128, p = 0.002 in stage two). However, we did not observe this association in CTD‐ILD (OR = 1.401, 95% CI = 0.790–2.485, p = 0.248).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the nonsynonymous polymorphism (rs117179004, T392M) may confer susceptibility to IPF in Southern Han Chinese, but is not associated with susceptibility to CTD‐ILD.

Noriega L, Tovar A, Alegría-Torres JA. Polymorphisms of the genes ABCG2, SLC22A12 and XDH and their relation with hyperuricemia and hypercholesterolemia in Mexican young adults

Background: Hyperuricemia is a pathological condition associated with risk factors of cardiovascular disease. In this study, three genetic polymorphisms were genotyped as predisposing factors of hyperuricemia. Methods: A total of 860 Mexicans (129 cases and 731 controls) between 18 and 25 years of age were genotyped for the ABCG2 (Q191K),  SLC22A12 (517G>A), and  XDH (518T>C) polymorphisms, as predisposing factors of hyperuricemia. Biochemical parameters were measured by spectrophotometry, while genetic polymorphisms were analyzed by real-time PCR. An analysis of the risk of hyperuricemia in relation to the variables studied was carried out using a logistic regression. Results: Male sex, being overweight or obese, having hypercholesterolemia or having hypertriglyceridemia were factors associated with hyperuricemia ( p ≤ 0.05). The ABCG2 polymorphism was associated with hyperuricemia (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.41-4.17, p = 0.001) and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 4.89, 95% CI: 1.54-15.48, p = 0.003), employing a dominant model, but only in male participants. Conclusions: The ABCG2 (Q191K) polymorphism increases the risk of hyperuricemia and hypercholesterolemia in young Mexican males.

CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains (CSMD1) Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibilities to Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease in Northern Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study

Evidence has shown that the CUB and Sushi Multiple Domains (CSMD1) gene is an inhibitor of the complement activation pathway and is also involved in central nervous system inflammation. Previous studies have revealed that the CSMD1 gene is related to familial Parkinson's disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CSMD1 gene and susceptibility to Parkinson's disease in population of northern China. A case-control study was performed on 423 Parkinson's disease patients and 465 healthy controls matched for age and sex. DNA from enrolled subjects were extracted from the peripheral blood, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12681349 (C＞T), rs10503253 (C＞A), and rs1983474 (T＞G) within CSMD1 gene were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Genotype frequency of rs10503253 (CA versus CC : OR = 1.554, 95% CI = 1.169–2.066, p=0.002) and rs1983474 (GG versus TT : OR = 0.599, 95% CI = 0.401–0.895, p=0.012) was significantly different between PD cases and controls, but not for rs12681349. Comprehensive and subgroup analysis indicated that rs10503252 showed significant statistical differences in the dominant model (AA + CA versus CC : OR = 0.677, 95% CI = 0.517–0.886, p=0.004), late-onset cohort (CA versus CC : OR = 1.570, 95% CI = 1.159–2.126, p=0.004), and the female cohort (CA versus CC : OR = 0.687, 95% CI = 0.497–0.952, p=0.023), compared with the matched control group. The difference of recessive model of rs1983474 (GG versus TT + TG : OR = 1.837, 95% CI = 1.287–2.620, p=0.001) was significant in Parkinson's disease. According to the subgroup analysis, results indicated that late-onset cohort (GG versus TT : OR = 0.643, 95% CI = 0.420–0.985, p=0.042), male cohort (TG versus TT : OR = 2.160, 95% CI = 1.162–4.016, p=0.015), and female group (GG versus TT : OR = 0.418, 95% CI = 0.234–0.746, p=0.003) of rs1983474 were significantly associated with Parkinson's disease susceptibility. In both genotype and subgroup analysis, we failed to find any relationship between rs12681349 polymorphism and Parkinson's disease risk. Our results indicate that the rs10503253 and rs1983474 gene polymorphism may be associated with idiopathic Parkinson's disease susceptibility in Chinese population. Nevertheless, these conclusions need to be further verified by more studies.

Genetic variants and risk of thyroid cancer among Iranian patients

The definition of an exclusive panel of genetic markers is of high importance to initially detect among this review population. Therefore, we gave a summary of each main genetic marker among Iranian patients with thyroid cancer for the first time which were classified based on their cellular function. Due to the results, a significant relationship was found between SNP in codons 194, 280, and 399 (XRCC1), Allele 3434Thr (XRCC7), GC or CC genotype 31, G/C (Survivin), 399G>A (XRCC1), Tru9I (vitamin D receptor), G-D haplotype (MDM2), TT genotype, -656 G/T (IL-18), TAGTT haplotype (IL-18), G allele in +49 A>G (CTLA-4), +7146 G/A (PD-1.3), +7785 C/T (PD-1.5), rs1143770 (let7a-2), rs4938723 (pri-mir-34b/c) genes, and thyroid cancers. Moreover, SNP in 677C-->T (MTHFR), GG genotype Asp1312Gly (thyroglobulin), 2259C>T (Rad52), R188H, (XRCC2), T241M (XRCC3) had higher risks of thyroid cancer and lower risks were observed in -16 Ins-Pro (p53), rs3742330 (DICER1). At last, the protective effects were explored in 127 CC genotype (IL-18), rs6877842 (DROSHA). Conduct further studies on the types of DNA repair gene polymorphisms with a larger number in the thyroid cancer using modern methods such as SNP array so that these genes could be used as a biomarker in prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of thyroid cancer. This review presents for the first time a summary of important genetic markers in Iranian patients with thyroid cancer.

Associations between WTAP gene polymorphisms and neuroblastoma susceptibility in Chinese children

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have revealed that WTAP is related to multiple types of cancer. Recently, WTAP has been reported as an independent prognostic factor in patients with neuroblastoma.

METHODS

To explore the association between three WTAP polymorphisms (rs9457712 G>A, rs1853259 A>G and rs7766006 G>T) and neuroblastoma susceptibility in Chinese populations, we performed this case-control study including 898 neuroblastoma cases and 1,734 controls. We genotyped these potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by TaqMan assays. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between WTAP SNPs and the risk of neuroblastoma.

RESULTS

No significant associations were observed in the overall analysis between any of the three WTAP polymorphisms and the risk of neuroblastoma. However, in the age ≤18 months subgroup, we found that the rs1853259 AG/GG genotype exerted protective effects against neuroblastoma (adjusted OR =0.77, 95% CI: 0.59-0.998, P=0.048), whereas the presence of 1-2 combined risk genotypes significantly increased the risk of neuroblastoma (adjusted OR =1.32, 95% CI: 1.02-1.71, P=0.036).

CONCLUSIONS

WTAP gene polymorphisms only have a weak impact on the risk of neuroblastoma in the Chinese children. Further case-control studies, preferable on larger sample sizes, are needed to validate our results.

The Association of Polymorphisms in Base Excision Repair Genes with Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility in Chinese Women: A Two-Center Case-Control Study

Base excision repair (BER) acts upon the most important mechanism of the DNA repair system, protecting DNA stability and integrity from the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects. Multiple researches have indicated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the BER-related gene may be associated with the susceptibility of ovarian cancer. However, the results are controversial. In this two-center case-control study, 19 potentially functional SNPs in six BER-related genes (hOGG1, APE1, PARP1, FEN1, LIG3 and XRCC1) was genotyped in 196 ovarian cancer cases and 272 cancer-free controls. And, their associations with ovarian cancer risk were assessed by unconditional logistic regression analyses. We found that PARP1 rs8679 and hOGG1 rs293795 polymorphisms were associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer under dominant model (adjusted OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.17-0.90, P=0.026; and adjusted OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.13-0.99, P=0.049, respectively). Stratification analysis demonstrated that this association was more pronounced in the subgroups of lower BMI and patients with early menarche and serous carcinoma. Moreover, LIG3 rs4796030 AA/AC variant genotypes performed an increased risk of ovarian cancer under recessive model (adjusted OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.01-2.35, P=0.046), especially in the subgroups of higher BMI, early clinic stage and the carcinoma at the left. These results suggested that PARP1, hOGG1 and LIG3 polymorphisms might impact on the risk of ovarian cancer. However, more researches with larger and different ethnic populations are warranted to support our findings.

Association Between Arg72Pro Polymorphism in TP53 and Malignant Abdominal Solid Tumor Risk in Hunan Children

Pediatric solid tumors are heterogeneous and comprise various histological subtypes. TP53, a tumor suppressor, orchestrates the transcriptional activation of anti-cancer genes. The gene coding for this protein is highly polymorphic, and its mutations are associated with cancer development. The Arg72Pro polymorphism in TP53 has been associated with susceptibility to various types of cancer. Here, in this hospital-based study, we evaluated the association of this polymorphism with susceptibility toward malignant abdominal solid tumors in children in the Hunan province of China. We enrolled 162 patients with neuroblastoma, 60 patients with Wilms' tumor, and 28 patients with hepatoblastoma as well as 270 controls. Genotypes were determined using a TaqMan assay, and the strength of the association was assessed using an odds ratio, within a 95% confidence interval identified using logistic regression models. Our results showed that the Arg72Pro polymorphism did not exhibit significant association with susceptibility toward pediatric malignant abdominal solid tumors. Stratification analysis revealed that this polymorphism exerts weak sex- and age-specific effects on Wilms' tumor and hepatoblastoma susceptibility, respectively. Overall, our results indicate that the Arg72Pro polymorphism may have a marginal effect on susceptibility toward pediatric malignant abdominal solid tumors in Hunan, and this finding warrants further confirmation.

Association of the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism with gynecologic cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis

The association between the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and gynecologic cancer susceptibility is inconclusive. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to precisely estimate of the impact of the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism on gynecologic cancer susceptibility. Electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, WanFang, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined to assess the strength of the association. Fourteen studies with 2712 cases and 3638 controls were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled analysis yielded a significant association between the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism and overall gynecologic cancer susceptibility (dominant model: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03–1.30, P=0.017). A significantly higher gynecologic cancer risk was found for the European population (homozygous model: OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.80–2.61, P<0.001; recessive model: OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.41–3.17, P<0.001; dominant model: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.12–1.48, P<0.001; and allele model: OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.13–1.74, P=0.002), but not in the Asian population. The stratified analysis by cancer type revealed endometrial cancer was significantly associated with the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism (dominant model: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.09–1.54, P=0.003; and allele model: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02–1.60, P=0.031). In conclusion, the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism was associated with higher overall gynecologic cancer susceptibility, especially for endometrial cancer in the European population.

The Genetic Polymorphisms in the MIR17HG Gene Are Associated with the Risk of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Chinese Han Population

Purpose

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumors in the world. Genetic variants have an important role in HNSCC progression. Our study is aimed at exploring the relationship between MIR17HG polymorphisms and HNSCC risk in the Chinese Han population.

Methods

We recruited 537 HNSCC cases and 533 healthy subjects to detect the correlation of six polymorphisms in MIR17HG with HNSCC susceptibility. The associations were evaluated by computing odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Our study revealed that rs7336610 (OR 1.77, 95%CI = 1.09‐2.86, and p = 0.021) and rs1428 (OR 1.73, 95%CI = 1.07‐2.81, and p = 0.025) are strongly associated with increased susceptibility to HNSCC in men. Besides, rs17735387 played a crucial protective role in stage III/IV HNSCC patients (OR 0.34, 95%CI = 0.12‐0.95, and p = 0.040) compared with stage I/II.

Conclusion

Our study firstly indicated that MIR17HG polymorphisms are significantly associated with HNSCC susceptibility, which suggests that MIR17HG has a potential role in the occurrence of HNSCC.

Association study of genetic variants at TTC32-WDR35 gene cluster with coronary artery disease in Chinese Han population

Background

TTC32‐WDR35 gene cluster has been genome‐wide significantly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the common variants in this region contributing to CAD risk remain elusive.

Methods

We performed a case‐control study enrolling 935 CAD cases and 935 age‐sex‐frequency‐matched controls from unrelated southwest Chinese Han population. Five variants were determined by TaqMan assay.

Results

This study indicated that rs721932 CG genotype was associated with CAD risk (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54‐0.86; P = .001). Stratified analysis showed that the risk associated with rs12617744 AA genotype was robust in male (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42‐0.93, P = .02). The gene dosage of the risk allele at rs12617744 showed a significant association with left circumflex artery disease (P = .027) and the number of vascular lesions in patients (P = .034). Moreover, the gene dosage of rs721932 risk allele was associated with vascular lesion numbers (P = .048) and the progression of CAD (P = .028). Compared with carriers of major alleles, the AA genotype of rs12617744 and GG genotype of rs721932 were both associated with plasma HDL level (P = .009 and 0.004, respectively). Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) results showed significantly different TTC32 expression of subjects as a function of SNPs (rs2278528, rs7594214, and rs721932) genotype in the artery. Besides, FPRP analysis did support the strong links between polymorphisms and CAD risk.

Conclusions

SNP rs721932 at TTC32‐WDR35 Gene Cluster was associated with CAD risk, and rs12617744 was associated with the risk of CAD among males. Both SNPs may contribute to the regulation of plasma HDL levels and possibly to the severity of CAD in Chinese Han population.

WTAP Gene Variants Confer Hepatoblastoma Susceptibility: A Seven-Center Case-Control Study

Hepatoblastoma is a rare disease, and its etiology remains to be revealed. Wilms tumor suppressor-1-associated protein (WTAP) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. However, whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the WTAP gene predispose to hepatoblastoma risk awaits to be investigated. With the use of the TaqMan assay, we evaluated the genotype frequencies of three WTAP SNPs (rs7766006 G > T, rs9457712 G > A, and rs1853259 A > G) in Chinese children with 313 hepatoblastoma patients and 1,446 controls. Among these three SNPs, only the rs7766006 T allele exhibited a significant association with hepatoblastoma risk (GT versus GG: adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.53-0.92, p = 0.009; GT/TT versus GG: adjusted OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.57-0.95, p = 0.017). Combined analysis indicated that subjects with two risk genotypes showed significantly higher hepatoblastoma risk, compared to individuals without a risk genotype (adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.02-1.88, p = 0.037). The stratified analysis revealed that the rs1853259 GG genotype, the rs7766006 GT/TT genotype, and two risk genotypes modified hepatoblastoma risk in certain subgroups. The significant results were validated by haplotype analyses and false-positive report probability analyses. Furthermore, the expression quantitative trait locus analysis indicated that rs7766006 T was associated with decreased expression of WTAP mRNA. Collectively, our results suggest that WTAP SNPs may be genetic modifiers for the development of hepatoblastoma.

miR-100 rs1834306 A>G Increases the Risk of Hirschsprung Disease in Southern Chinese Children

Background

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a rare congenital gastrointestinal disease characterized by the absence of intestinal submucosal and myometrial ganglion cells. Recently, researches indicated that miR-100 regulated the growth, differentiation and apoptosis of neurons, and affected the functions of HSCR-associated pathways. While miR-100 rs1834306 A>G polymorphism was shown to modify the susceptibility to tumors, the association between this polymorphism and HSCR susceptibility is still unknown.

Methods

This was a case-control study consisting of 1470 HSCR cases and 1473 controls from southern China. DNA was genotyped by TaqMan real-time PCR. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as statistical indicators.

Results

We found that miR-100 rs1834306 G allele and GG genotype significantly increased HSCR susceptibility (GG vs AA: adjusted OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.04-1.64, P=0.020; G vs A: adjusted OR=1.12, 95% CI=1.01-1.25, P=0.041; GG vs AA/AG: adjusted OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.07-1.59, P=0.010). In the stratified analysis, miR-100 rs1834306 GG genotype carriers had higher risk to develop HSCR in all clinical subtypes when compared with those with AA/AG genotypes, and OR was rising with HSCR aggravation (SHSCR: adjusted OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.03-1.59, P=0.029; LHSCR: adjusted OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.06-2.07, P=0.020; TCA: adjusted OR=2.12, 95% CI=1.22-3.69, P=0.008).

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that miR-100 rs1834306 A>G polymorphism was associated with increased HSCR susceptibility in southern Chinese children. Furthermore, miR-100 rs1834306 GG genotype had a greater genetic pathopoiesis in severe HSCR.

METTL14 Gene Polymorphisms Confer Neuroblastoma Susceptibility: An Eight-Center Case-Control Study

Neuroblastoma is the primary cause of cancer death in childhood. METTL14 is tightly linked to cancer. However, whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the METTL14 gene could predispose to neuroblastoma susceptibility lacks evidence. With an epidemiology case-control study, associations between METTL14 gene SNPs and overall risk for neuroblastoma were estimated in 898 cases and 1,734 controls. Following that, stratified analysis was performed. Among the five analyzed SNPs, rs298982 G>A and rs62328061 A>G exhibited a significant association with decreased susceptibility to neuroblastoma, whereas the associations with increased neuroblastoma susceptibility were observed for rs9884978 G>A and rs4834698 T>C. Moreover, subjects carrying two to five risk genotypes were more inclined to develop neuroblastoma than those with zero to one risk genotypes. The stratified analysis further demonstrated the protective effect of rs298982 G>A and rs62328061 A>G, as well as the predisposing effect of rs4834698 T>C and two to five risk genotypes, in certain subgroups. Haplotype analysis was performed. Moreover, false-positive report probability analysis validated the reliability of the significant results. The expression quantitative trait locus analysis revealed that rs298982 is correlated with the expression levels of its surrounding genes. Our results suggest that some SNPs in the METTL14 gene are associated with predisposition to neuroblastoma.

Association between METTL3 gene polymorphisms and neuroblastoma susceptibility: A nine-centre case-control study

Neuroblastoma ranks as the most commonly seen and deadly solid tumour in infancy. The aberrant activity of m6 A-RNA methyltransferase METTL3 is involved in human cancers. Therefore, functional genetic variants in the METTL3 gene may contribute to neuroblastoma risk. In the current nine-centre case-control study, we aimed to analyse the association between the METTL3 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and neuroblastoma susceptibility. We genotyped four METTL3 gene SNPs (rs1061026 T>G, rs1061027 C>A, rs1139130 A>G, and rs1263801 G>C) in 968 neuroblastoma patients and 1814 controls in China. We found significant associations between these SNPs and neuroblastoma risk in neither single-locus nor combined analyses. Interestingly, in the stratified analysis, we observed a significant risk association with rs1061027 AA in subgroups of children ≤ 18 months of age (adjusted OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.03-3.41, P = .040) and females (adjusted OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.07-3.24, P = .028). Overall, we identified a significant association between METTL3 gene rs1061027 C>A polymorphism and neuroblastoma risk in children ≤18 months of age and females. Our findings provide novel insights into the genetic determinants of neuroblastoma.

Comprehensive analysis of the effect of rs2295080 and rs2536 polymorphisms within the mTOR gene on cancer risk

There is still no conclusion on the potential effect of the rs2295080 and rs2536 polymorphisms of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) gene on different cancers. Herein, we performed a comprehensive assessment using pooled analysis, FPRP (false-positive report probability), TSA (trial sequential analysis), and eQTL (expression quantitative trait loci) analysis. Eighteen high-quality articles from China were enrolled. The pooled analysis of rs2295080 with 9502 cases and 10,965 controls showed a decreased risk of urinary system tumors and specific prostate cancers [TG vs. TT, TG+GG vs. TT and G vs. T; P<0.05, OR (odds ratio) <1]. FPRP and TSA data further confirmed these results. There was an increased risk of leukemia [G vs. T, GG vs. TT, and GG vs. TT+TG genotypes; P<0.05, OR>1]. The eQTL data showed a potential correlation between the rs2295080 and mTOR expression in whole blood samples. Nevertheless, FPRP and TSA data suggested that more evidence is required to confirm the potential role of rs2295080 in leukemia risk. The pooled analysis of rs2536 (6653 cases and 7025 controls) showed a significant association in the subgroup of "population-based" control source via the allele, heterozygote, dominant, and carrier comparisons (P<0.05, OR>1). In conclusion, the TG genotype of mTOR rs2295080 may be linked to reduced susceptibility to urinary system tumors or specific prostate cancers in Chinese patients. The currently data do not strongly support a role of rs2295080 in leukemia susceptibility. Large sample sizes are needed to confirm the potential role of rs2536 in more types of cancer.

Negative Association Between lncRNA HOTTIP rs3807598 C>G and Hirschsprung Disease

Background

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital disease that arises from defective intestinal neural system. LncRNA HOTTIP is a critical gene in various diseases, including HSCR. No epidemiological studies have explored the correlation between lncRNA HOTTIP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and HSCR risk. We here lead as a pioneer to explore whether SNPs in lncRNA HOTTIP impact the risk of HSCR and HSCR subtypes in an unrelated Chinese population.

Methods

We used the TaqMan method to genotype rs3807598 C>G of the lncRNA HOTTIP gene using 1470 HSCR cases and 1473 healthy controls. Of them, 1441 cases and 1434 controls were successfully genotyped. We adopted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the relationship.

Results

We got an unexpected outcome that lncRNA HOTTIP SNP rs3807598 C>G could not modify the risk of HSCR (CG vs. CC: adjusted OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.74–1.07; GG vs. CC: adjusted OR=1.10, 95% CI=0.89–1.37; GG/CG vs CC: adjusted OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.80–1.13; and GG vs. CC/CG: adjusted OR=1.19, 95% CI=0.99–1.43). What’s more, risk effect of lncRNA HOTTIP rs3807598 C>G is still not obvious in stratification analysis by HSCR subtype.

Conclusion

Our studies did not provide statistical evidence of a correlation between lncRNA HOTTIP SNP rs3807598 C>G and susceptibility of HSCR in the Chinese population that is being studied. Further validation study with a larger sample size covering multi-ethnic groups is warranted.

The Association Between Two Common Polymorphisms and Cancer Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Most studies revealed that microRNAs could play important roles in the development of various types of cancers. However, the findings remain inconsistent and controversial. To get more accurate results about the association of miR-26a-1 rs7372209 and miR-423 rs6505162 polymorphisms with risk of cancer, we conduct this meta-analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We have searched relevant articles from the PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases up to May 3, 2019. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed to assess the relationship between these two genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to cancer. All statistical analyses were performed with Stata 12.0 software.

RESULTS

Thirty-five articles were eligible in this meta-analysis, including 17,746 cases and 21,808 controls. Our results suggested that the miR-26a-1 rs7372209 polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility to overall cancer significantly in homozygote comparison and recessive model (TT versus CC: OR = 1.167, 95% CI: 1.025-1.329, P = 0.020; TT versus CT + CC: OR = 1.162, 95% CI: 1.025-1.318, P = 0.019). For miR-423 rs6505162, this study showed that the relationship between it and overall cancer susceptibility was statistically significant among five genetic models (CA versus CC: OR = 0.884, 95% CI: 0.806-0.969, P = 0.009; AA + CA versus CC: OR = 0.870, 95% CI: 0.789-0.959, P = 0.005; AA versus CA + CC: OR = 0.904, 95% CI: 0.827-0.988, P = 0.026; A versus C: OR = 0.899, 95% CI: 0.834-0.970, P = 0.006) rather than homozygote model.

CONCLUSIONS

Rs7372209 in miR-26a-1 and rs6505162 in miR-423 are associated with overall cancer susceptibility.

Investigation of Leptin G19A polymorphism with bladder cancer risk: A case-control study

Background

A host of studies show Leptin (LEP) G19A polymorphism is correlated with the risk of various cancers, but the connection of this polymorphism with bladder cancer (BC) risk has not been reported.

Materials and methods

This association was in explored in a case‐control study involving 355 BC cases and 435 controls (all Chinese Han). Polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism was conducted to genotype LEP G19A polymorphism. Analyses of allele and genotype distribution were evaluated using chi‐square test. Continuous data were assessed by an independent samples t test or one‐way ANOVA test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined by logistic regression.

Results

LEP G19A polymorphism was significantly associated with a lower risk of BC (AA vs GG: adjusted OR, 0.40, 95% CI, 0.20‐0.83, P = .013; AA + GA vs GG: adjusted OR, 0.70, 95% CI, 0.52‐0.93, P = .015; AA vs GA + GG: adjusted OR, 0.45, 95% CI, 0.22‐0.91, P = .026). In addition, A allele was associated with decreased risk for BC (A vs G: OR, 0.70, 95% CI, 0.55‐0.89, P = .003). Stratified analyses by females, non‐drinkers, and non‐smokers all returned considerable relations. Furthermore, LEP G19A polymorphism was correlated with tumor size, tumor node metastasis, and distant metastasis in BC patients.

Conclusions

LEP G19A polymorphism is associated with a less risk of BC.

The association of miR34b/c and TP53 gene polymorphisms with Wilms tumor risk in Chinese children

Wilms tumor is the most common pediatric malignancy in the kidney. The miR34b/c is a downstream target gene of the transcription factor p53. The important role of TP53 mutations, the methylation of miR34b/c, and the interaction between these two molecules in tumorigenesis have been well documented. Due to the biological connection between p53 and miR34b/c, in the present study, we investigated the association between polymorphisms in these two molecules and Wilms tumor susceptibility through genotyping two important functional polymorphisms (miR34b/c rs4938723 T>C and TP53 rs1042522 C>G) in 183 cases and 603 controls. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from the logistic regression analysis were used to assess the correlation of miR34b/c rs4938723 and TP53 rs1042522 polymorphisms with Wilms tumor risk. Our results indicated that the association of miR34b/c rs4938723 and TP53 rs1042522 polymorphisms with Wilms tumor susceptibility was not statistically significant. Stratified analysis by age, gender, and clinical stage, as well as combined effect analysis were also performed, yet, no significant association was found. In conclusion, our study indicated a lack of association between the two selected polymorphisms and Wilms tumor susceptibility. Our findings need to be verified in studies with larger sample size in the future.

Associations of lncRNA H19 Polymorphisms at MicroRNA Binding Sites with Glioma Susceptibility and Prognosis

Glioma is the most common tumor of the central nervous system; variation in susceptibility and prognosis worldwide suggests that there are molecular and genetic differences among individuals. The H19 gene plays a dual role in carcinogenesis. In this study, associations between H19 polymorphisms and susceptibility as well as prognosis in glioma were evaluated. In total, 605 patients with glioma and 1,300 cancer-free subjects were enrolled in the study. Individuals with the rs3741219 A>G allele were less likely to develop glioma (relative risk [RR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.45–0.63, p < 0.001), whereas rs217727 G>A and rs2839698 G>A genotypes were not associated with glioma risk. The associations between H19 polymorphisms and prognosis were assessed, including overall survival and progression-free survival. Three focused H19 polymorphisms did not show a significant effect on survival. Further analysis based on false-positive report probability validated these significant results. In the haplotype analysis, individuals with the G_rs217727A_rs2839698G_rs3741219 haplotype were less likely to develop glioma (odds ratio [OR] = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.23–0.46, p = 0.02). Overall, carriers of the rs3741219 AG or GG genotype of H19 have a decreased susceptibility to glioma, but polymorphisms in this gene are not related to prognosis.