Association of rs8670 Polymorphism in the MSX1 Gene With Non-Syndromic Cleft Lip With or Without Cleft Palate in Malay Population.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association between variants present in the MSX1 gene and the risk of developing non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL±P) among individuals of Malay ethnicity in Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This case-control study involved 89 patients with NSCL±P and 100 healthy control subjects. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on both exon 1 and exon 2 of the MSX1 gene using four pairs of primers. The amplification products were then subjected to denaturing high-pressure liquid chromatography for initial screening, and the presence of a heteroduplex peak was validated using direct sequencing analysis to detect the single-nucleotide polymorphism.

RESULTS

Five previously known variations (, ., , . and ) were detected within the MSX1 gene in both NSCL±P patients and controls.A significant association was found between the variant and NSCL±P ( = 0.017; OR: 0.368; 95% CI: 0.152 - 0.893), with this particular single-nucleotide polymorphism present in 20% (20) among controls and 7.9% (7) of the NSCL±P cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed a lower incidence of the  polymorphism among NSCL±P cases compared to control in this Malay population. However, since this variant is located in the 3'UTR, it could potentially impact the stability of  mRNA.