Genetic associations between the miRNA polymorphisms miR-130b (rs373001), miR-200b (rs7549819), and miR-495 (rs2281611) and colorectal cancer susceptibility

miR-559 rs58450758 polymorphism is associated with colorectal cancer risk and prognosis in Chinese Han population

Aim: This research examined the correlation between miR-559 rs58450758 and the clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of CRC.Materials & methods: RT-qPCR was utilized to assess the miR-559 expression levels. Chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between miR-559 and clinical features. The association between rs58450758 different genotypes and CRC risk, as well as clinical pathological parameters, was explored, utilizing logistic regression analysis and chi-square tests. The Cox regression model and Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated overall survival in individuals with CRC.Results: The miR-559 was down-regulated in CRC patients' serum. The expressions of miR-559 were significantly associated with tumor size, differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. The rs58450758 TT genotype and T allele carriers were more prevalent among CRC patients. The rs58450758 polymorphism was notably linked to tumor size, differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in CRC patients. Furthermore, CC genotype carriers exhibited a longer survival period than CT/TT genotypes within the CRC population.Conclusion: The miR-559 rs58450758 polymorphism exhibits promise as a potential biomarker for prognosticating the outcomes of CRC.

Rs12039395 Variant Influences the Expression of hsa-miR-181a-5p and PTEN Toward Colorectal Cancer Risk

BACKGROUND

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA (miRNA) genes could alter miRNA expression levels or processing and, thus, may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether the MIR181A1 genomic sequence possesses SNPs that can affect the expression of hsa-miR-181a-5p and, subsequently, impact its targets and associate with CRC risk.

METHODS

The NCBI dbSNP database was searched for possible SNPs associated with MIR181A1. One SNP with a minor allele frequency > 5%, rs12039395 G > T was identified. In silico analyses determined the effect of the SNP on the secondary structure of the miRNA and predicted the hsa-miR-181a-5p target genes. The SNP was genotyped using allelic discrimination assay, the relative hsa-miR-181a-5p expression level was determined using quantitative real-time PCR, and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect target genes in 192 paraffin-embedded specimens collected from 160 CRC patients and 32 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

The rs6505162 SNP conferred protection against CRC, and the G-allele presence provides may provide accessibility for the transcriptional machinery. Hsa-miR-181a-5p was significantly over-expressed in the CRC group compared to controls and in samples carrying the G-allele compared to those with T-allele. PTEN, identified as the only hsa-miR-181a-5p target implicated in CRC, was significantly diminished in the CRC group compared to controls and showed an inverse relationship with hsa-miR-181a-5p expression level as well as negatively associated with the G-allele presence in CRC.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that rs12039395 G > T may protect against CRC by influencing the expression of hsa-mir-181a-5p and its target gene, PTEN.

Impact of miR-200b and miR-495 variants on the risk of large-artery atherosclerosis stroke

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of microRNAs (miRNAs) may alter miRNA transcription, maturation and target specificity, thus affecting stroke susceptibility. We aimed to investigate whether miR-200b and miR-495 SNPs may be associated with ischemic stroke (IS) risk and further explore underlying mechanisms including related genes and pathways. MiR-200b rs7549819 and miR-495 rs2281611 polymorphisms were genotyped among 712 large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke patients and 1,076 controls in a case-control study. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to explore potential association of miR-200b/495 with IS and to examine the effects of these two SNPs on miR-200b/495. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between these two SNPs and stroke using the public GWAS datasets. In our case-control study, rs7549819 was significantly associated with a decreased risk of LAA stroke (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.58-0.92; p = 0.007), while rs2281611 had no significant association with LAA stroke risk. These results were consistent with the findings in East Asians from the GIGASTROKE study. Combined effects analysis revealed that individuals with 2-4 protective alleles (miR-200bC and miR-495 T) exhibited lower risk of LAA stroke than those with 0-1 variants (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.61-0.96; p = 0.021). Bioinformatic analyses showed that miR-200b and miR-495 were significantly associated with genes and pathways related to IS pathogenesis, and rs7549819 and rs2281611 markedly influenced miRNA expression and structure. MiR-200b rs7549819 polymorphism and the combined genotypes of miR-200b rs7549819 and miR-495 rs2281611 polymorphisms were associated with decreased risk of LAA stroke in Chinese population.

Relationship between miRNAs polymorphisms and peripheral blood leukocyte DNA telomere length in coke oven workers: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting telomere length (TL) in coke oven workers by analyzing the interaction between miRNAs polymorphisms and coke oven emissions (COEs) exposure.

METHODS

A total of 544 coke oven workers and 238 healthy controls were recruited. Peripheral blood was collected from the subjects, genomic DNA was extracted, leukocyte TL was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and fifteen polymorphisms of eight miRNAs were genotyped by flight mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis showed that the peripheral blood DNA TL in the exposure group was shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.001). Generalized linear model found that COEs-exposure [β (95%CI) = -0.427 (-0.556, -0.299), P < 0.001], genotype CC+CT for miR-612 rs1144925 [β (95%CI) = -0.367 (-0.630, -0.104), P = 0.006], and the interaction of miR-181B1 rs12039395 TT genotype and COEs-exposure [β (95% CI) = 0.564 (0.108, 1.020), P = 0.015] were associated with the shortened TL.

CONCLUSION

COEs-exposure and miR-612 rs1144925 TT could promote telomere shortening in coke oven workers. The interaction of miR-181B1 rs12039395 TT genotype and COEs-exposure could protect telomere. This provides clues for further mechanistic studies between miRNA and telomere damage.

Machine learning analysis for the noninvasive prediction of lymphovascular invasion in gastric cancer using PET/CT and enhanced CT-based radiomics and clinical variables

PURPOSE

Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is associated with metastasis and poor survival in patients with gastric cancer, yet the noninvasive diagnosis of LVI is difficult. This study aims to develop predictive models using different machine learning (ML) classifiers based on both enhanced CT and PET/CT images and clinical variables for preoperatively predicting lymphovascular invasion (LVI) status of gastric cancer.

METHODS

A total of 101 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery were retrospectively recruited, and the LVI status was confirmed by pathological analysis. Patients were randomly divided into a training dataset (n = 76) and a validation dataset (n = 25). By 3D manual segmentation, radiomics features were extracted from the PET and venous phase CT images. Image models, clinical models, and combined models were constructed by selected enhanced CT-based and PET-based radiomics features, clinical factors, and a combination of both, respectively. Three ML classifiers including adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and logistic regression (LR) were used for model development. The performance of these predictive models was evaluated with respect to discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness.

RESULTS

Ten radiomics features and eight clinical factors were selected for the development of predictive models. In the validation dataset, the area under curve (AUC) values of clinical models using AdaBoost, LDA, and LR classifiers were 0.742, 0.706, and 0.690, respectively. The image models using AdaBoost, LDA, and LR classifiers achieved an AUC of 0.849, 0.778, and 0.810, respectively. The combined models showed improved performance than the image models and the clinical models, with the AUC values of AdaBoost, LDA, and LR classifier yielding 0.944, 0.929, and 0.921, respectively. The combined models also showed good calibration and clinical usefulness for LVI prediction.

CONCLUSION

ML-based models integrating PET/CT and enhanced CT radiomics features and clinical factors have good discrimination capability, which could serve as a noninvasive, preoperative tool for the prediction of LVI and assist surgical treatment decisions in patients with gastric cancer.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in microRNA Genes and Colorectal Cancer Risk and Prognosis

There is growing interest in single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes of microRNAs (miRNAs), which could be associated with susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) and therefore for prognosis of the disease and/or treatment response. Moreover, these miRNAs-SNPs could serve as new, low-invasive biomarkers for early detection of CRC. In the present article, we performed a thorough review of different SNPs, which were investigated for a correlation with the CRC risk, prognosis, and treatment response. We also analyzed the results from different meta-analyses and the possible reasons for reported contradictory findings, especially when different research groups investigated the same SNP in a gene for a particular miRNA. This illustrates the need for more case-control studies involving participants with different ethnic backgrounds. According to our review, three miRNAs-SNPs-miR-146a rs2910164, miR-27a rs895819 and miR-608 rs4919510-appear as promising prognostic, diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for CRC, respectively.

Study on effects of miR-141-3p in proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of colon cancer cells by inhibiting Bcl2

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between miR-141-3p and B lymphocyte-2 gene (Bcl2) gene and its biological behavior on colon cancer cell line SW480.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of miR-141-3p in colon cancer tissues and adjacent tissues, as well as in colon cancer cell line and normal human colonic epithelial cell line FHC. MTT assay, wound assay, and Transwell demonstrated the effects of miR-141-3p on colon cancer proliferation, migration and invasion. Targetscan7.1 predictive software and dual luciferase reporter assays were used to detect the targeted regulation of miR-141-3p on the apoptosis-related gene Bcl2. MTT assay, wound assay, Transwell and flow cytometry were used to detect the effect of Bcl2 on miR-141-3p on colon cancer proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis.

RESULTS

Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression of miR-141-3p in colon cancer tissues was significantly down-regulated. Colon cancer patients with low expression of miR-141-3p had poorer prognosis. Compared with normal colonic epithelial cells, miR-141-3p expression was significantly down-regulated in colon cancer cell lines, and overexpression of miR-141-3p significantly attenuated the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. Knockdown of miR-141-3p significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. miR-141-3p targets the negative regulation of Bcl2. Knockdown of Bcl2 significantly attenuated the promotion of miR-141-3p inhibitor on proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells and inhibition of apoptosis. Knockdown of Bcl2 significantly enhanced the inhibition effect of miR-141-3p inhibitor on proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, miR-141-3p can inhibit the cancer by regulating Bcl2, and miR-141-3p has the potential to become a potential therapeutic target for colon cancer.

MicroRNAs as important contributors in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most fatal and fourth most frequently diagnosed neoplasm in the world. Numerous non-coding RNAs have been shown to contribute in the development of CRC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are among the mostly assessed non-coding RNAs in CRC. These transcripts influence expression and activity of TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin, MAPK, PI3K/AKT and other CRC-related pathways. In the context of CRC, miRNAs interact with long non-coding RNAs to influence CRC course. Stool and serum levels of miRNAs have been used to distinguish CRC patients from healthy controls, indicating diagnostic roles of these transcripts in CRC. Therapeutic application of miRNAs in CRC has been assessed in animal models, yet has not been verified in clinical settings. In the current review, we have provided a recent update on the role of miRNAs in CRC development as well as diagnostic and prognostic approaches.

Role of miRNA gene variants in the susceptibility and pharmacogenetics of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most significant challenges in the field of cancer pathology. miRNAs are among the genetic factors associated with the disease. Although many studies have reviewed the expression patterns of various miRNAs in CRC, few studies have focused on different variants of miRNA. In the present review, miRNA variants have been categorized into three subgroups, including miRNA variants that predict susceptibility to CRC, miRNA variants that predict the clinical parameters of CRC and finally, miRNA variants that predict the pharmacological aspects of CRC. Moreover, a comprehensive review of potentially functional miRNA-associated SNPs as well as their importance as candidate cancer biomarkers are discussed.

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.