The Associations of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in miR196a2, miR-499, and miR-608 With Breast Cancer Susceptibility: A STROBE-Compliant Observational Study

Association analysis of miRNA-146a and miRNA-196a polymorphism with breast cancer risk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules, functioning either as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. SNPs in miRNAs might modify the expression of genes associated with miRNAs, enhancing susceptibility to breast cancer. Both miRNA-146a (rs2910164) and miRNA-196a (rs11614913) are identified and significantly associated with breast cancer risk in several ethnicities, but remains unexplored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa population of Pakistan.

METHODS

This study was aimed to check the relation of selected SNPs with breast cancer risk. The research cohort included 100 breast cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. All the participants were subjected for DNA extraction followed by T-ARMS PCR and gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS

The results revealed a strong association between risk allele (G) of miRNA-146a and increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 2.04, P = 0.0006). Similarly, heterozygous and mutant genotypes also indicated high risk and significant association with breast cancer risk (CG; OR = 0.51, 9 P = 0.0001) (GG; OR = 3.76, P = 0.04). However, risk allele (T) of miRNA-196a (rs11614913) failed to exhibit significant association with breast cancer risk (OR = 0.92 P = 0.68). Similarly, the heterozygous and mutant genotype did not show significant association with breast cancer risk (CT; OR = 0.52, P = 0.125 (TT; OR = 0.88, P = 0.84). Furthermore, miRNA-146a (rs2910164) and miRNA-196a (rs11614913) polymorphisms exhibited non-significant associations with family history (P = 0.34, P = 0.77), PR status (P = 0.310, P = 0.397), ER status (P = 0.992, P = 0.981), nodal status (P = 0.86, P = 0.90), and menstrual status (P = 0.97, P = 0.09). Notably, miRNA-196a showed a significant association with the metastasis group (P = 0.010) and cancer stages (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this study highlights the association of miRNA-146a (rs2910164) polymorphism with breast cancer risk but suggested non-significant association of miRNA-196a (rs11614913) with breast cancer risk. However, these findings need to be confirmed through larger data set for more accurate result.

Genetic variations in tumor-suppressor miRNA-encoding genes and their target genes: focus on breast cancer development and possible therapeutic strategies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) negatively affect gene expression by binding to their specific mRNAs resulting in either mRNA destruction or translational repression. The aberrant expression of various miRNAs has been associated with a number of human cancer. Oncogenic or tumor-suppressor miRNAs regulate a variety of pathways involved in the development of breast cancer (BC), including cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, cancer recurrence, and chemoresistance. Variations in miRNA-encoding genes and their target genes lead to dysregulated gene expression resulting in the development and progression of BC. The various therapeutic approaches to treat the disease include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical removal, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted biological therapy. The purpose of the current review is to explore the genetic variations in tumor-suppressor miRNA-encoding genes and their target genes in association with the disease development and prognosis. The therapeutic interventions targeting the variants for better disease outcomes have also been discussed.

Prospective Functions of miRNA Variants May Predict Breast Cancer Among Saudi Females

Background Growing knowledge supports the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulating the initiation and development of breast cancer (BC) and underlying mechanisms. BC is a significant public health in females worldwide, where it remains the leading cause of death among Saudi females. Here, we evaluate the susceptibility of the miRNA genetic variants to the risk of BC in Saudi females. Methods One hundred fifty-four females, including 76 females diagnosed with BC and 78 healthy controls, were analyzed using TaqMan™ (Thermo Fischer Scientific, Waltham, MA) genotyping assays for the miR-196a2 rs11614913 C>T, miR-146a rs2910164 C>G, and miR-499 rs3746444 A>G. We utilized the SNPStats software (https://www.snpstats.net) (Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain) to choose the best interactive inheritance model for the examined miRNAs. Results The examined miRNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showed no clear association with the risk of BC (P > 0.05). As for genotypic distributions, significant associations were found for the rs2910164 SNP in most interactive models of inheritance: 2.50 (95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.2-5.17; P = 0.0135) in the codominant model, 2.34 (95% CI, 1.11-4.8; P = 0.0197) in the dominant model, and 2.40 (95% CI, 1.22-4.73; P = 0.0113) in overdominant model. The rs2910164 C/G heterozygosity showed overexpression in cases compared to controls (73.7% versus 53.9%; chi-squared (χ2) = 6.5; P = 0.0109), but the homozygous rs2910164 G/G showed a significant protective effect (21.1% versus 38.5%; χ2 = 17.4; P = 0.019). The heterozygosity did not affect the risk to the BC in the two miRNAs (rs11614913 C>T and rs3746444 A>G). Conclusion Despite lacking associations with the examined miRNAs, the heterozygous genotype rs2910164 C/G can identify at-risk females. More studies should be replicated using a panel of miRNA genes to discover significant associations with the risk of BC.

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.

SNPs in miRNAs and Target Sequences: Role in Cancer and Diabetes

miRNAs are fascinating molecular players for gene regulation as individual miRNA can control multiple targets and a single target can be regulated by multiple miRNAs. Loss of miRNA regulated gene expression is often reported to be implicated in various human diseases like diabetes and cancer. Recently, geneticists across the world started reporting single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in seed sequences of miRNAs. Similarly, SNPs are also reported in various target sequences of these miRNAs. Both the scenarios lead to dysregulated gene expression which may result in the progression of diseases. In the present paper, we explore SNPs in various miRNAs and their target sequences reported in various human cancers as well as diabetes. Similarly, we also present evidence of these mutations in various other human diseases.

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in miRNA and breast cancer risk: an updated review

Breast cancer (BC), a heterogeneous, aggressive illness with high mortality, is essentially a genomic disease. While the high-penetrance genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 play important roles in tumorigenesis, moderate- and low-penetrance genes are also involved. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA (miRNA) genes have recently been identified as BC risk factors. miRNA genes are currently classified as low-penetrance. SNPs are the most common variations in the human genome. While the role of miRNA SNPs in BC susceptibility has been studied extensively, results have been inconsistent. This review analyzes the results of association studies between miRNA SNPs and BC risk from countries around the world. We conclude that: (a) By continent, the largest proportion of studies to date were conducted in Asia (65.0 %) and the smallest proportion in Africa (1.8 %); (b) Association studies have been completed for 67 different SNPs; (c) 146a, 196a2, 499, 27a, and 423 are the most-studied miRNAs; (d) The SNPs rs2910164 (miRNA-146a), rs11614913 (miRNA-196a2), rs3746444 (miRNA-499) and rs6505162 (miRNA-423) were the most widely associated with increased BC risk; (e) The majority of studies had small samples, which may affect the precision and power of the results; and (f) The effect of an SNP on BC risk depends on the ethnicity of the population. This review also discusses potential explanations for controversial findings.

MiR-608 rs4919510 C > G polymorphism increased the risk of bladder cancer in an Iranian population

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in diverse biological pathways and may act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs potentially can alter miRNA-binding sites on target genes as well as affecting miRNAs expression. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of miR-608 rs4919510 C > G variant on bladder cancer risk. This case-control study conducted on 233 bladder cancer patients and 252 healthy subjects. Genotyping of miR-608 rs4919510 was done using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Our findings showed that CG as well as CG + GG genotypes significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.28–2.94, p = 0.002, and OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.26–2.86, p = 0.002, respectively) compared to CC genotype. The G allele significantly increased the risk of bladder cancer compared to C allele (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.17–2.45, p = 0.005). Our findings proposed that miR-608 polymorphism might be associated with increased risk of bladder cancer in a sample of Iranian population. Further large-scale studies with different ethnicities are needed to verify our findings.

Inhibition of breast cancer stem-like cells by a triterpenoid, ursolic acid, via activation of Wnt antagonist, sFRP4 and suppression of miRNA-499a-5p

Breast cancer, one of the leading causes of death in the world, has been largely considered to be drug resistant because of a small population of drug refractory cells, the cancer stem cells (CSCs). The CSCs are tightly regulated by self-renewal pathways such as the Wnt pathway, which is further regulated by a gamut of microRNAs. In this study, we investigated the effect of ursolic acid (UA), a natural triterpene, on breast CSCs enriched from breast cancer cell lines, MCF7, MDA-MB-231 and T47D and analysed the interplay of the Wnt inhibitor, sFRP4 and an miRNA, miR-499a-5p, in mediating the effect of UA. By using caspase 3/7, ROS, migration, TCF/LEF and CAM assays, overexpressing and inhibiting miR-499a-5p and NanoString PanCancer analysis, we observed that UA had significant anti-CSC ability. There was a link between UA and Wnt/β-catenin pathway wherein, Wnt was suppressed by upregulation of the antagonist, sFRP4. Furthermore, expression of the oncogenic miR-499a-5p was substantially diminished in CSCs after UA treatment. Notably, the axis by which miR-499a-5p acts is via the TCF/LEF machinery of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings indicate for the first time that UA can target breast CSCs via Wnt by suppressing miR-499a-5p and upregulating the Wnt antagonist, sFRP4.

MiR-608 overexpression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive disease that causes scarring of the lungs. The disease is associated with the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern, which was not yet fully recapitulated by an animal model. Therefore, the disease is considered ‘human specific’. miRNA-608 is a primate specific miRNA with many potential targets, such CdC42 and Interlukin-6 (IL-6) that were previously implicated in IPF pathology.

Objective

To test miR-608 expression and its targets in IPF patient samples.

Methods

RNA was extracted from Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections (N = 18). miRNA-608 and Cdc42 and IL-6 levels were analyzed by qPCR. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is another target of miRNA-608. Its’ rs17228616 allele has a single-nucleotide polymorphism causing weakened miR-608 interaction (C2098A). Thus, DNA was extracted from whole blood samples from 56 subjects with fibrosing interstitial lung disease and this region was sequenced for assessment of rs17228616 allele polymorphism.

Results

miR-608 is significantly overexpressed in IPF samples in comparison with controls (p < 0.05). Cdc42 and IL-6 levels were lower in the IPF patient samples compared with control samples (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). The frequency of the rs17228616 minor A-allele was 17/56 (30.4%) with all patients being heterozygous. This result is significant vs. the published Israeli cohort of healthy individuals, which reported 17% prevalence of this allele in healthy control volunteers (p = 0.01, OR = 2.1, CI 95% [1.19–3.9]).

Conclusion

miR-608 is overexpressed in IPF patients. While the exact mechanism remains to be discovered, it could potentially promote fibrotic disease.

The miRNA 196a2 rs11614913 variant has prognostic impact on Turkish patients with multiple myeloma

Objective

Multiple myeloma (MM) arises from malignant plasma cells as a single clone in the bone marrow. Accumulating evidences have reported that there is an association between miR-196a2 (rs11614913) variant and various cancers while there were unverified and inconsistent results in MM. The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of the miR-196a2 variant on clinical findings and susceptibility in MM. Two hundred MM patients (156 patients under transplantation of autologous stem cell) and 200 healthy controls included in this study.

Results

The statistical analysis showed no significant relationship for allele and frequencies of miR-196a2 genotype between patients and controls (p > 0.05). Log-rank test showed that gender has highly significant impact on both OS and PFS (p = 0.027, p = 0.045). In the univariate analysis, TT genotype (p = 0.022), and CT/TT (p = 0.008) had better OS. In the multivariate analysis, CC/CT-TT were associated with positively OS (p = 0.041). Currently, the most valuable prognostic markers in MM that has clinical implication are genetic abnormalities. It can be concluded from the results that miR-1962a variant is effective in prognosis of the MM. It is believed that these findings will help us understand the molecular basis of disease.

Associations of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in miR-146a Gene with Susceptibility to Breast Cancer in the Iranian Female

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short regulatory RNAs, function as negative regulators able to modulate gene expression. Just as other genetic variant, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA genes, may have an impact on their expression and/or maturation and hence leading to different consequences in carcinogenesis. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the frequency of miR-146a G/C (rs2910164) polymorphism and its association with susceptibility to breast cancer in Iranian women.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study using Tetra ARMS polymerase chain reaction (Tetra ARMS PCR) method in 100 Iranian female participants (50 breast cancer patients and 50 controls). Besides, a number of sequenced samples were chosen to confirm the accuracy of genotyping by Tetra ARMA PCR. SPSS software was utilized for all statistical analyses. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were applied to analyze the association between the SNP frequency and breast cancer.

RESULTS

The frequency of genotypes for G/G, G/C, and C/C were 23 (46%), 26 (52%), and 1 (2%) among cases and 15 (30%), 33 (66%), and 2(4%) among controls, respectively. The results generated by the groups did not show any significant correlation between miR-146a G/C (rs2910164) polymorphism and breast cancer, either at genotype or allele levels (P>0.05). F-SNP-based in silico analysis indicated possible modifications in transcriptional regulations induced by miR-146a G/C (rs2910164) variations.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our results indicated no correlation between miR-146a G/C (rs2910164) polymorphism and genetic susceptibility to breast cancer in Iranian female populations. However, these findings need to be further confirmed by analyses of a larger number of cases.

Association between MIR499A rs3746444 polymorphism and breast cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis

Numerous studies have investigated the association of MIR499A rs3746444 polymorphism with breast cancer susceptibility, but the results have been inconsistent. In this work, we performed a meta-analysis to obtain a more reliable estimate of the association between the polymorphism and susceptibility to breast cancer. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP and Wanfang databases up to January 2020. A total of 14 studies involving 6,797 cases and 8,534 controls were included for analysis under five genetic models: homozygous (GG vs. AA), heterozygous (AG vs. AA), dominant (AG + GG vs. AA), recessive (GG vs. AA + AG) and allele (G vs. A). A statistically significant association was observed between the polymorphism and an increased breast cancer susceptibility under all genetic models (homozygous, OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.03-1.71, P = 0.03; heterozygous, OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00-1.16, P = 0.04; dominant, OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02-1.30; P = 0.03; recessive, OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06-1.72, P = 0.01; allele, OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00-1.26, P = 0.04). Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity suggested that significant association was present only among Asians, but not Caucasians. In conclusion, MIR499A rs3746444 polymorphism was significantly associated with breast cancer susceptibility among Asians, suggesting its potential use as a genetic risk marker in this population.

Evidences from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Unveil the Role of MiRNA Polymorphisms in the Predisposition to Female Neoplasms

Breast (BCa) and gynecological (GCa) cancers constitute a group of female neoplasms that has a worldwide significant contribution to cancer morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that polymorphisms influencing miRNA function can provide useful information towards predicting the risk of female neoplasms. Inconsistent findings in the literature should be detected and resolved to facilitate the genetic screening of miRNA polymorphisms, even during childhood or adolescence, and their use as predictors of future malignancies. This study represents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between miRNA polymorphisms and the risk of female neoplasms. Meta-analysis was performed by pooling odds-ratios (ORs) and generalized ORs while using a random-effects model for 15 miRNA polymorphisms. The results suggest that miR-146a rs2910164 is implicated in the susceptibility to GCa. Moreover, miR-196a2 rs11614913-T had a moderate protective effect against female neoplasms, especially GCa, in Asians but not in Caucasians. MiR-27a rs895819-G might pose a protective effect against BCa among Caucasians. MiR-499 rs3746444-C may slightly increase the risk of female neoplasms, especially BCa. MiR-124 rs531564-G may be associated with a lower risk of female neoplasms. The current evidences do not support the association of the remaining polymorphisms and the risk of female neoplasms.

The role of microRNA-608 polymorphism on the susceptibility and survival of cancer: a meta-analysis

The role of rs4919510 polymorphism in microRNA-608 (miR-608) and cancer susceptibility and prognosis remain controversial and debatable. We conducted a meta-analysis of twenty-four eligible publications on the association of rs4919510 polymorphism with cancer risk and/or prognosis. Odds ratios, hazard ratios, and 95% confidence interval were used to investigate the association between this polymorphism and susceptibility, overall survival, and recurrence-free survival of cancer. Overall, eighteen case-control studies and nine cohort studies evaluated the susceptibility and prognostic value of rs4919510 polymorphism in cancer, respectively. Pooled analysis showed that rs4919510 polymorphism was not associated with cancer risk in all five genetic models. When stratifying by different cancer sites, rs4919510 polymorphism was detected to have a significant association with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in homozygous model (P = 0.006) and recessive model (P = 0.001), subgroup analysis also emerged a weakened correlation between rs4919510 polymorphism and an increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in heterozygote model (P = 0.04). Furthermore, the prognosis of rs4919510 variant in cancer patients showed that rs4919510 GG genotype was significant association with poor recurrence-free survival in homozygous models (P = 0.04). The meta-analysis suggested that the microRNA-608 rs4919510 polymorphism maybe associate with a significantly decreased risk for colorectal cancer. Further investigations on larger populations are required to evaluate and confirm this relationship.

MicroRNA-608 Promotes Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Treated With Doxorubicin Through the Inhibition of TFAP4

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules of ∼20–25 nucleotides in length. Single nucleotide polymorphisms are a class of genetic variation in the human genome, which when present in miRNA genes are associated with the risk of developing cancer. This study aimed to identify whether the miRNA (miR)-608 polymorphism rs4919510 influenced the incidence of lung cancer, and to explore the underlying mechanisms of miR-608 in the pathogenesis of the disease. A total of 37 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were selected to determine the expression levels of miR-608; 96 NSCLC patients and 136 cancer-free healthy controls were recruited to determine the incidence of miR-608 rs4919510 in lung cancer patients. Additionally, the impact of miR-608 on the expression of predicted target genes, cell migration, viability, proliferation, and apoptosis was also assessed. We found that the presence of miR-608 rs4919510 did not affect the susceptibility of patients to NSCLC or the maturation of miR-608. miR-608 expression levels were found to be downregulated in NSCLC tissues. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-608 promoted doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in NSCLC cell lines A549 and HCC4006 by inhibiting the expression of transcription factor activating enhancer-binding protein 4 (TFAP4), and high expression levels of TFAP4 were observed in NSCLC tissues. Therefore, our results may provide valuable insights for the chemotherapeutical treatment of NSCLC.

A New Method for Biostatistical miRNA Pattern Recognition with Topological Properties of Visibility Graphs in 3D Space

Visibility is a very important topic in computer graphics and especially in calculations of global illumination. Visibility determination, the process of deciding which surface can be seen from a certain point, has also problematic applications in biomedical engineering. The problem of visibility computation with mathematical tools can be presented as a visibility network. Instead of utilizing a 2D visibility network or graphs whose construction is well known, in this paper, a new method for the construction of 3D visibility graphs will be proposed. Drawing graphs as nodes connected by links in a 3D space is visually compelling but computationally difficult. Thus, the construction of 3D visibility graphs is highly complex and requires professional computers or supercomputers. A new method for optimizing the algorithm visibility network in a 3D space and a new method for quantifying the complexity of a network in DNA pattern recognition in biomedical engineering have been developed. Statistical methods have been used to calculate the topological properties of a visibility graph in pattern recognition. A new n-hyper hybrid method is also used for combining an intelligent neural network system for DNA pattern recognition with the topological properties of visibility networks of a 3D space and for evaluating its prospective use in the prediction of cancer.

Breast Cancer and miR-SNPs: The Importance of miR Germ-Line Genetics

Recent studies in cancer diagnostics have identified microRNAs (miRNAs) as promising cancer biomarkers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA binding sites, seed regions, and coding sequences can help predict breast cancer risk, aggressiveness, response to stimuli, and prognosis. This review also documents significant known miR-SNPs in miRNA biogenesis genes and their effects on gene regulation in breast cancer, taking into account the genetic background and ethnicity of the sampled populations. When applicable, miR-SNPs are evaluated in the context of other patient factors, including mutations, hormonal status, and demographics. Given the power of miR-SNPs to predict patient cancer risk, prognosis, and outcomes, further study of miR-SNPs is warranted to improve efforts towards personalized medicine.

Association of mir-196a-2 rs11614913 and mir-149 rs2292832 Polymorphisms With Risk of Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that functional dysregulations of miRNAs, especially miR-196a-2 and miR-149, in cancers could be attributed to polymorphisms in miRNA sequences. This study was aimed at clarifying the association of mir-196a-2 rs11614913 and mir-149 rs2292832 with cancer risk by performing an updated meta-analysis of genetic association studies. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were searched until 9 April 2018 to identify eligible studies. Studies should meet the following criteria to be included in the meta-analysis: evaluation of genetic association between rs11614913 and/or rs2292832 and susceptibility to cancer; A case-control design; Written in English; Availability of sufficient data for estimating odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Studies that met the following criteria were excluded: review articles, meta-analysis, abstracts or conference papers; duplicate publications; studies on animals or cell-lines; studies without a case-control design; studies that did not report genotype frequencies. Pooled ORs and 95% CIs were estimated using a total of 111 studies (41,673 cases and 49,570 controls) for mir-196a rs11614913 and 44 studies (15,954 cases and 19,594 controls) for mir-149 rs2292832. Stratified analysis according to quality scores, genotyping method, ethnicity, broad cancer category and cancer type was also performed. Results: Mir-196a-2 rs11614913 T allele was associated with decreased cancer risk in overall population. The association was only significant in Asians but not Caucasians. In subgroup analysis, significant associations were found in high quality studies, gynecological cancers, ovarian, breast, and hepatocellular cancer. Mir-149 rs2292832 was not associated with cancer risk in overall population and there were no differences between Asians and Caucasians. However, the T allele was associated with a decrease risk of gastrointestinal tract cancers under the heterozygote model and an increased risk of colorectal cancer under the recessive model. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis suggests that mir-196a-2 rs11614913 may contribute to the risk of cancer especially in Asians. Mir-149 rs2292832 may modulate the risk of gastrointestinal tract cancers especially colorectal cancer. This study had some limitations such as significant heterogeneity in most contrasts, limited number of studies enrolling Africans or Caucasians ancestry and lack of adjustment for covariates and environmental interactions.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphism in hsa-miR-499 and hsa-miR-196a2 with the risk of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one the most common malignant cancers in men. Micro-RNAs are a group of a noncoding small molecule, which plays critical roles in signalling pathways, metabolism, apoptosis and cancer development. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible association between the hsa-miR-499 (rs3746444) and hsa-miR-196a2 (rs11614913) gene polymorphisms with the risk of PCa.

METHODS

The case-control investigation was performed on 300 peripheral blood samples, consisting of 150 patients with PCa and 150 healthy men without a family history of cancers. Genetic variations of hsa-miR-499 and hsa-miR-196a2 genes were assessed using the PCR-RFLP method.

RESULTS

The T/T + TC/CC genotype frequencies showed a significant association between has-mir499 (rs3746444 T>C) gene polymorphism with the risk of PCa (p = 0.027; OR 1.780; 95% CI 1.030-3.113). The genotype frequencies of hsa-miR-196a2 gene did not reveal a statistically significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our findings supported that hsa-miR-499 gene polymorphism significantly increased susceptibility to PCa and may be considered as a potential prognostic biomarker in PCa patients. The findings suggested that no correlation between hsa-miR-196a2 gene polymorphism and PCa susceptibility in an Iranian population.

MicroRNA and Human Bone Health

The small non‐coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are post‐transcription regulators that modulate diverse cellular process in bone cells. Because optimal miRNA targeting is essential for their function, single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within or proximal to the loci of miRNA (miR‐SNPs) or mRNA (PolymiRTS) could potentially disrupt the miRNA‐mRNA interaction, leading to changes in bone metabolism and osteoporosis. Recent human studies of skeletal traits using miRNA profiling, genomewide association studies, and functional studies started to decipher the complex miRNA regulatory network. These studies have indicated that miRNAs may be a promising bone marker. This review focuses on human miRNA studies on bone traits and discusses how genetic variants affect bone metabolic pathways. Major ex vivo investigations using human samples supported with animal and in vitro models have shed light on the mechanistic role of miRNAs. Furthermore, studying the miRNAs’ signatures in secondary osteoporosis and osteoporotic medications such as teriparatide (TPTD) and denosumab (DMab) have provided valuable insight into clinical management of the disease. © 2018 The Authors. JBMR Plus Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Genetic Variants in pre-miR-146a, pre-miR-499, pre-miR-125a, pre-miR-605, and pri-miR-182 Are Associated with Breast Cancer Susceptibility in a South American Population

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most frequent tumors affecting women worldwide. microRNAs (miRNAs) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) likely contribute to BC susceptibility. We evaluated the association of five SNPs with BC risk in non-carriers of the BRCA1/2-mutation from a South American population. The SNPs were genotyped in 440 Chilean BRCA1/2-negative BC cases and 1048 controls. Our data do not support an association between rs2910164:G>C or rs3746444:A>G and BC risk. The rs12975333:G>T is monomorphic in the Chilean population. The pre-miR-605 rs2043556-C allele was associated with a decreased risk of BC, both in patients with a strong family history of BC and in early-onset non-familial BC (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4⁻0.9] p = 0.006 and OR = 0.6 [95% CI 0.5⁻0.9] p = 0.02, respectively). The rs4541843-T allele is associated with increased risk of familial BC. This is the first association study on rs4541843 and BC risk. Previously, we showed that the TOX3-rs3803662:C>T was significantly associated with increased risk of familial BC. Given that TOX3 mRNA is a target of miR-182, and that both the TOX3 rs3803662-T and pri-miR-182 rs4541843-T alleles are associated with increased BC risk, we evaluated their combined effect. Risk of familial BC increased in a dose-dependent manner with the number of risk alleles (p-trend = 0.0005), indicating an additive effect.

miRNA 196a2(rs11614913) & 146a(rs2910164) polymorphisms & breast cancer risk for women in an Iranian population

AIM

The purpose of our study was to analyze association of miRNAs 146aG/C(2910164) and 196a2C/T(11614913) polymorphism with breast cancer (BC) risk for women of Azeri ethnicity in Iran.

MATERIALS & METHODS

In the current case (n = 200)-control (n = 200) study, miRNAs 146aG/C(2910164) and 196a2C/T(11614913) were investigated for allelic and genotypic levels via the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.

RESULTS

The statistical analysis showed a significant relation between CC genotype of rs11614913(196a2) (codominant, odds ratio (OR) = 0.58, p = 0.02236; recessive, OR = 2.92, p = 0.01695; overdominant, OR = 0.44, p = 0.0113) and BC susceptibility. The subgroup analysis of mentioned polymorphism declared the significant correlation (p ≤ 0.05) of the positive abortion, regular menstruation, positive human epidermal receptor-2 and positive estrogen receptor with BC susceptibility in CC genotype.

CONCLUSION

The existence of a C-allele at miRNA 196a2(11614913) elevates women's BC susceptibility in Azeri ethnicity in Iran.

A Meta-Analysis of miR-499 rs3746444 Polymorphism for Cancer Risk of Different Systems: Evidence From 65 Case-Control Studies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, short and non-coding RNAs that may play important roles in the pathogenesis of tumor. The associations between microRNA-499 rs3746444 polymorphism and cancer risk in different systems remain inconclusive. This article is aimed to obtain more exact estimation of these relationships through a meta-analysis based on 52,456 individuals. We retrieved relevant and eligible studies from Pubmed and Embase database up to January 10, 2018. ORs and 95% CIs were used to estimate the associations between miR-499 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility in different systems. All analyses were performed using the Stata 11.0 software. A total of 65 case-control studies were retrieved using explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study included 23,762 cases and 28,694 controls. Overall cancer analysis showed the association between miR-499 polymorphism and susceptibility to cancer was significant. MicroRNA-499 rs3746444 was found to be significantly associated with increased risk of cancer of the respiratory system (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.575, 95% CI = 1.268–1.955, CC vs. TC+TT: OR = 1.527, 95% CI = 1.232–1.892), digestive system (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.153, 95% CI = 1.027–1.295; TC vs. TT: OR = 1.109, 95% CI = 1.046–1.176; CC+TC vs. TT: OR = 1.112, 95% CI = 1.018–1.216; CC vs. TC+TT: OR = 1.137, 95% CI = 1.016–1.272; C vs. T: OR = 1.112, 95% CI = 1.025–1.206), urinary system (TC vs. TT: OR = 1.307, 95% CI = 1.130–1.512; CC+TC vs. TT: OR = 1.259, 95% CI = 1.097–1.446; C vs. T: OR = 1.132, 95% CI = 1.014–1.264), and gynecological system (C vs. T: OR = 1.169, 95% CI = 1.002–1.364). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the result showed that significant association with an increased cancer risk was found in Asian. Subgroup analysis based on type of tumor was also performed, miR-499 rs3746444 is associated with susceptibility of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lack of association between miR-218 rs11134527 A>G and Kawasaki disease susceptibility

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a type of disease that includes the development of a fever that lasts at least 5 days and involves the clinical manifestation of multicellular vasculitis. KD has become one of the most common pediatric cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have reported that miR-218 rs11134527 A>G is associated with susceptibility to various cancer risks. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the relationship between this polymorphism and KD risk. The present study explored the correlation between the miR-218 rs11134527 A>G polymorphism and the risk of KD. We recruited 532 patients with KD and 623 controls to genotype the miR-218 rs11134527 A>G polymorphism with a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Our results illustrated that the miR-218 rs11134527 A>G polymorphism was not associated with KD risk. In an analysis stratified by age, sex, and coronary artery lesions, we found only that the risk of KD was significantly decreased for children older than 5 years (GG vs. AA/AG: adjusted OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.07–0.94, P=0.041). The present study demonstrated that the miR-218 rs1113452 A>G polymorphism may have an age-related relationship with KD susceptibility that has not previously been revealed.

rs11614913 polymorphism in miRNA-196a2 and cancer risk: an updated meta-analysis

Several epidemiological studies have reported that polymorphisms in microRNA-196a2 (miR-196a2) were associated with various cancers. However, the results remained unverified and were inconsistent in different cancers. Therefore, we carried out an updated meta-analysis to elaborate the effects of rs11614913 polymorphism on cancer susceptibility. A total of 84 articles with 35,802 cases and 41,541 controls were included to evaluate the association between the miR-196a2 rs11614913 and cancer risk by pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results showed that miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism is associated with cancer susceptibility, especially in lung cancer (homozygote comparison, OR =0.840, 95% CI =0.734-0.961; recessive model, OR =0.858, 95% CI =0.771-0.955), hepatocellular carcinoma (allelic contrast, OR =0.894, 95% CI =0.800-0.998; homozygote comparison, OR =0.900, 95% CI =0.813-0.997; recessive model, OR =0.800, 95% CI =0.678-0.944), and head and neck cancer (allelic contrast, OR =1.076, 95% CI =1.006-1.152; homozygote comparison, OR =1.214, 95% CI =1.043-1.413). In addition, significant association was found among Asian populations (allele model, OR =0.847, 95% CI =0.899-0.997, P=0.038; homozygote model, OR =0.878, 95% CI =0.788-0.977, P=0.017; recessive model, OR =0.895, 95% CI =0.824-0.972, P=0.008) but not in Caucasians. The updated meta-analysis confirmed the previous results that miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism may serve as a risk factor for patients with cancers.

Association between three functional microRNA polymorphisms (miR-499 rs3746444, miR-196a rs11614913 and miR-146a rs2910164) and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Three functional microRNA polymorphisms (miR-499 rs3746444 A > G, miR-196a rs11614913 C > T and miR-146a rs2910164 G > C) have been reported to be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk. However, the results of the published studies are inconsistent. In order to obtain a more credible result, we conducted this meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association. Thirty-eight eligible studies with 17,417 cases and 18,988 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Our results showed that the rs3746444 was associated with an increased breast cancer risk in the four genetic models (G vs. A: OR = 1.17, P = 0.008; GG vs. AA: OR = 1.41, P < 0.001; AG vs. AA: OR = 1.10, P = 0.036; GG+AG vs. AA: OR = 1.16, P = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significant correlation remained in Asians but not in Caucasians. For rs11614913, obvious decreased breast cancer risk was observed in Caucasian populations (T vs. C: OR = 0.93, P = 0.044). However, we couldn't detect an association between rs2910164 and breast cancer risk. This meta-analysis demonstrates that rs3746444 could increase breast cancer risk in Asians and in general populations, while rs11614913 could decrease the risk of breast cancer in Caucasians. The rs2910164 polymorphism has no association with breast cancer risk. More multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are required to verify our results.

Association of miR-196a2 rs11614913 and miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphisms with cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, which participate in diverse biological processes and may regulate tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes. Rs11614913 in miR-196a2 and rs3746444 in miR-499 are shown to associate with increased/decreased cancer risk. This meta-analysis was performed to systematically assess the overall association.

Materials and Methods

We searched Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases until December 2016 to identify eligible studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of the associations.

Results

We assessed published studies of the association between these microRNA polymorphisms and cancer risk from 56 studies with 21958/26436 cases/controls for miR-196a2 and from 37 studies with 13759/17946 cases/controls for miR-499. The results demonstrated that miR-196a2 rs11614913 was significantly associated with a decreased cancer risk, in particular with a decreased risk for colorectal cancer and gastric cancer, or for Asian population subgroup. In addition, miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphism was observed as a risk factor for cancers, in particular, for breast cancer, or for in the Asian population.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggests that the rs11614913 most likely contributes to decreased susceptibility to cancer, especially in Asians and colorectal cancer and gastric cancer, and that the rs3746444 may increase risk for cancer. Furthermore, more well-designed studies with large sample size are still necessary to further elucidate the association between polymorphisms and different kinds of cancers risk.

Meta-analysis of the association between three microRNA polymorphisms and breast cancer susceptibility

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three microRNAs (miRNAs), rs2910164 in miR-146a, rs11614913 in miR-196a2, and rs3746444 in miR-499, have been associated with breast cancer (BC) susceptibility, but the evidence is conflicting. To obtain a more robust assessment of the association between these miRNA variants and BC risk, we carried out a meta-analysis through systematic literature retrieval from the PubMed and Embase databases. A total of 9 case-control studies on rs2910164, 12 on rs11614913, and 7 on rs3746444 were included. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate associations with BC risk. Overall analysis showed that rs2910164 was not associated with BC susceptibility in any genetic model, whereas rs11614913 was associated with a decreased risk in both the allelic contrast and recessive models, and rs3746444 imparted an increased risk in all genetic models. Stratified analyses showed that rs11614913 may decrease the risk of BC in the heterozygote model in Asians, and in all genetic models, except the heterozygote model, when the sample size is ≥ 500. Subgroup analysis indicated that rs3746444 was associated with increased risk of BC in Asians, but not Caucasians, at all sample sizes. This meta-analysis suggests that rs11614913 in miR-196a2 may decrease the risk of BC, while rs3746444 in miR-499 may increase it, especially in Asians when the sample size is large. We propose that rs11614913(C > T) and rs3746444 (A > G) may be useful biomarkers predictive of BC risk.

A meta-analysis: Is there any association between MiR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism and breast cancer risks?

Object

To combine the data from previously conducted studies about the associations between miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism (C>G) and breast cancer risks.

Methods

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of the related literatures searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) (time: ~ December 2016). Using DerSimonian-Laird random-effects models [Pooling Model: Mantel Haenszel (MH)], odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated in the allele model, homozygote model, heterozygote model, dominant model and recessive model. Heterogeneity was analyzed using Labbr plots and I² statistic. Publication bias was analyzed using contour-enhanced funnel plots.

Results

We included 5 eligible studies with 7948 patients. The ORs and their 95% CIs in the 5 genetic models mentioned above were 1.009 (95% CI: 0.922, 1.104; p = 0.847), 1.098 (95% CI: 0.954, 1.264; p = 0.194), 1.076 (95% CI: 0.956, 1.211; p = 0.227), 1.043 (95% CI: 0.880, 1.236; p = 0.628), 1.007 (95% CI: 0.906, 1.118; p = 0.899), respectively.

Conclusion

In the present meta-analysis, no relationships between miR-608 rs4919510 polymorphism (C>G) and the risk of breast cancer were found. More studies are warranted to further validate the conclusion.

Increased Risk of Thai Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with the MiR196a2 T>C Polymorphism

Objectives:

This study assessed associations of the miR196a2 (rs11614913) T>C polymorphism withsusceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and clinical outcomes.

Materials and Methods:

Blood DNA samples from 104 childhood ALL patients and 180 healthy children were studied for the miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach.

Results:

The frequency of the miR-196a2 (rs11614913) T allele in controls was 0.51 compared with 0.33 in ALL cases. In this study, CC, TC heterozygote and CC/TC genotypes were significantly associated with increase childhood ALL susceptibility compared with the TT wild type (OR =4.321, 95% CI = 2.091-8.930 p=0.000, OR = 2.248, 95% CI =1.103-4.579, p=0.024, OR = 2.921, 95% CI = 1.504-5.673 p=0.001, respectively). However, the miR-196a2 (rs11614913) T>C polymorphism was not associated with demographic data or clinico-pathological data in ALL cases.

Conclusion:

CC, TC and CC+TC genotypes of miR-196a2 (rs11614913) was significantly associated with increased susceptibility in Thai childhood ALL but not with clinical variables.