Genetic Variation in MiRNA Processing Machinery Genes and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer in the Iranian Population.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to elucidate the potential correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA machinery genes and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in an Iranian cohort.

METHODS

We conducted a robust case-control study involving 507 participants, which included 213 patients diagnosed with CRC and 294 healthy controls at Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases in Tehran Province, Iran in 2018. The study focused on genotyping four specific SNPs, (rs14035), (rs197412), (rs2740348), and (rs3742330), using advanced ARMS-PCR and Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR techniques.

RESULTS

Notably, our investigation revealed the significant inverse association between the C/C genotype of rs197412 in the gene and CRC risk (OR=0.54, 95% CI=0.33-0.87; =0.0087). In stark contrast, the T/T genotype of rs14035 in the gene was strongly associated with a heightened risk of developing CRC (OR=4.44, 95% CI=2.60-7.57, <0.0001). Furthermore, we found that the G/G genotype of rs2740348 in posed an increased risk for CRC (OR=2.9, 95% CI=1.44-5.85, =0.0041) and it has a major effect on CRC risk in our population. The alleles and genotypes of rs3742330 in , however, did not exhibit a significant correlation with CRC.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides compelling evidence that SNPs within miRNA processing genes significantly contribute to susceptibility to CRC among the Iranian population. Our research not only contributes to the growing body of miRNA-related genetic studies but also opens avenues for population-specific risk assessment and personalized medicine approaches in cancer therapy.