Association between miR-196a2 polymorphism and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Egyptian population

• Main Authors: Eman Ahmed Gawish, Gamal Yousef Abu-Raia, Iman Osheba, Aliaa Sabry, Esraa Allam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2020-04-01
• Series: Egyptian Liver Journal
• Subjects: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MiR-196a2; Polymorphism
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43066-020-0019-2

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, small (17–25 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs that are overexpressed in many human cancers including HCC. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of miRNAs play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the role of miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism in the development of HCC. A total of 200 subjects, including 80 HCC patients, 60 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 60 healthy controls were selected. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was taken to determine miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism. Results The genotype distribution of the TC and CC, TC + CC genotypes, and the C allele were significantly higher in HCC patients than control and cirrhotic groups (P = 0.02, P = 0.005, and P = 0.003, respectively). Compared with the wild-type TT genotype, both the variant TC, CC, TC + CC genotypes were associated with an elevated risk of HCC (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.27–6.04), (OR = 4.94, 95% CI = 1.74–14.07), (OR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.55–6.78) respectively. Moreover, the C allele was correlated with an increased risk of HCC (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.40–3.76) compared to the wide-type T allele. Also, there is no significant correlation between the different miR-196a2 genotypes and either the clinico-pathologic features of HCC or its aggressiveness. Conclusion Our results suggest that the miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of HCC in the Egyptian population.