MicroRNA-196a2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs11614913 in Egyptian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs are recently identified class of small single stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a typical defect in apoptosis resulting in accumulation of mature resting B cells within the peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymphoid organs. One of the relevant microRNAs to CLL is microRNA-196a2, as its potential targets of action include genes involved in apoptosis regulation. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in microRNA-196a2 rs11614913 C/T has been implicated as possible biomarker associated with multiple kinds of cancers. While multiple recent studies showed that genetic polymorphisms play an influential role in CLL susceptibility, the role of microRNA-196a2 SNP rs11614913in CLL remains elusive. Patients and methods: The present study was conducted on 40 newly diagnosed Egyptian CLL patients and 40 control subjects. Genotyping of microRNA-196a2 SNP rs11614913 was performed by real-time PCR. Results: The CC genotype was found in 55% of CLL patients versus 12.5% of the controls.On the other handthe TT and TC genotypes were significantly predominant in the control group compared to CLL patients with frequencies of 25% and 62.5% versus 10% and 35% respectively (p<0.001). The C allele carriers were found to have 3.38 fold increased risk for development of CLL (OR=3.38, CI=1.75–6.56) while the T allele seems to be protective against CLL (OR=0.29, CI=0.15–0.57). Conclusion: We could conclude that the CC genotype and the C allele of miR-1962a SNP rs3217927are implicated in the risk of CLL development in Egyptian patients while the T allele has a protective effect. However, additional well-designed large studies are required for the validation of these associations