Investigation of the Association between a Genetic Variant in MiR-196a-2 Gene and the Risk of Lung Cancer in the Iranian Population

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the expression of their target genes. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs may affect their function and expression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between miR-196a2 rs116614913 polymorphism and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the Iranian population. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed among 103 lung cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. The polymerase chain-reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method and direct sequencing were used for miR-196a2 polymorphism genotyping. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software and t test method. Results: According to the findings of this study, there was no significant association between rs11614913 polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer in codominant model (CT vs. CC: OR = 0.67, TT vs. CC: OR = 0.74, CT + CC vs. CC: OR = 1.133), dominant model (CT+TT vs. CC: OR=0.657) and recessive model (TT vs. CC+CT: OR = 0.88). In addition, there was no relationship between the clinicopathological characteristics of patients and controls. Conclusions: In summary, findings indicated no significant association between miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphisms and lung cancer in the Iranian population. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to verify these findings.