miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism is associated with coronary artery disease, but not with in-stent coronary restenosis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of miRNA-146a G/C (rs2910164), and miRNA-196a2 C/T (rs11614913) polymorphisms with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or restenosis in patients with coronary stent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The polymorphisms were determined in 218 patients with CAD who underwent coronary artery stenting (66 with restenosis and 152 without restenosis) and 611 healthy controls using 5' exonuclease TaqMan assays.

RESULTS

The distribution of both polymorphisms was similar in patients with and without restenosis. However, when the whole group of patients (with and without restenosis) was compared to healthy controls, under co-dominant, dominant and additive genetic models, the T allele of the miRNA-196a2 C/T (rs11614913) polymorphism was associated with increased risk of CAD (OR = 2.18, P_co-dom = 0.006, OR = 1.86, P_dom = 0.002, and OR = 1.52, P_add = 0.002, respectively). All models were adjusted for age, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension and smoking habit. The "GT" haplotype was associated with increased risk of developing CAD (OR = 1.36, P = 0.046).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggests that the T allele of the miRNA-196a2 C/T (rs11614913) polymorphism is associated with the risk of developing CAD, but no association with restenosis was observed.

Mantle cell lymphoma with involvement of the digestive tract

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its incidence is 0.5/100,000 inhabitants. Gastrointestinal involvement at diagnosis is 15-30%. The aim of our study was to analyze the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of mantle cell lymphoma affecting the digestive tract.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted, based on a case series of patients with mantle cell lymphoma affecting the gastrointestinal tract that were diagnosed over a 10-year period.

RESULTS

Ten patients (11.7%) had gastrointestinal tract involvement. The upper endoscopic findings were polypoid lesions (66%), thickened folds (44%), and nonspecific changes in the mucosa (33%). At colonoscopy, polypoid lesions were viewed in 100% of the patients and ulcerated lesions in 40%.

CONCLUSION

Polypoid lesions are the most common endoscopic characteristics in patients with mantle cell lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy should be carried out on patients with mantle cell lymphoma, even those with nonspecific symptoms, to check their gastrointestinal status. Gastrointestinal involvement has an impact on disease staging.

Functional polymorphisms in pre-miR146a and pre-miR499 are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus but not with rheumatoid arthritis or Graves' disease in Mexican patients

Recently, different microRNA (miRNA) gene polymorphisms have been evaluated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Graves’ disease (GD). In the present study, we examined three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the pre-miR-146a (rs2910164G/C), pre-miR-196a-2 (rs11614913C/T), and pre-miR-499 (rs3746444A/G) genes. Our study population included 900 Mexican patients with RA, SLE, or GD, as well as 486 healthy control individuals with no family history of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan probes and a 5′ exonuclease assay. None of the investigated SNPs were associated with RA or GD susceptibility under any genetic model (co-dominant, recessive, or dominant). Genotype and allele frequencies of the miR-196a-2 rs11614913C/T polymorphism were similar between SLE cases and controls. In contrast, the miR-146a rs2910164G/C and miR-499 rs3746444A/G polymorphisms were associated with SLE susceptibility. These SNPs were not associated with lupus nephritis (LN). Our results suggest that polymorphisms in miR-146a, miR-196a-2, and miR-499 are not associated with RA or GD susceptibility. This is the first report documenting that the miR-146a rs2910164G/C and miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphisms are associated with SLE susceptibility but not with LN.

[Functional implications of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes in multifactorial diseases]

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) represent the most common type of variation in the human genome. The SNPs located in protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes are classified as neutral and functional. The neutral have no effect, while the functional affect different biological processes and continually confer risk for multifactorial diseases. Functional SNPs found in the promoters of protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes (microRNAs: miRNAs) termed regulatory SNP (rSNPs) and miRNAs rSNPs (miR-rSNPs), respectively, affect the gene expression. Functional SNPs located on the structure of the precursor mRNAs (exons and introns), mature mRNA (5´ untranslated region [UTR], coding sequence, and 3´ UTR), and primary, precursor, and mature miRNAs are termed structural RNA SNPs (srSNPs) and miR-srSNPs, respectively. The srSNPs affect the splicing (and alternative splicing), srSNPs affect the splicing (and alternative splicing), the translation, stability, amino acid sequence, structure, and function of proteins and interaction between mRNA/miRNAs. Finally, the miR-srSNPs affect the structure, processing and interaction between miRNAs/mRNAs. Functional characterization of potentially harmful risk alleles of the SNPs located in protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes have contributed to an understanding of their functions in the complex diseases. The objective of this review is update the reader on the functional role of the SNPs located in protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes and their relationship with multifactorial diseases.

Plasma triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol ratio, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risk in young adults

Studies in mature adults suggest that the plasma concentration ratio of triglyceride (TG)/HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) provides a simple way to identify apparently healthy individuals who are insulin resistant (IR) and at increased cardiometabolic risk. This study extends these observations by examining the clinical utility of the TG/HDL-C ratio and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in 2,244 healthy college students (17-24 years old) of Mexican Mestizo ancestry. The TG/HDL-C ratio separating the 25% with the highest value was used to identify IR and increased cardiometabolic risk. Cardiometabolic risk factors were more adverse in men and women whose TG/HDL-C ratios exceeded 3.5 and 2.5, respectively, and approximately one third were identified as being IR. The MetS identified fewer individuals as being IR, but their risk profile was accentuated. In conclusion, both a higher TG/HDL-C ratio and a diagnosis of the MetS identify young IR individuals with an increased cardiometabolic risk profile. The TG/HDL-C ratio identified a somewhat greater number of "high risk" subjects, whereas the MetS found a group whose risk profile was somewhat magnified. These findings suggest that the TG/HDL-C ratio may serve as a simple and clinically useful approach to identify apparently healthy, young individuals who are IR and at increased cardiometabolic risk.