Genetic Variation in MicroRNAs and Risk of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in South Indian Population

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, implicated in several activities like initiation, progression and prognosis of various cancers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA genes can lead to alteration in mRNA expression, resulting in diverse functional consequences. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of miR-149C>T and miR-196a2C>T SNPs with susceptibility to development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in South Indian subjects. Materials and
Methods: 100 OSCC patients and 102 healthy controls from the general population were recruited for the study. Genetic analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP) as per a standard protocol.
Results: The genotype frequencies in miR-196a2 polymorphism, of TT, CT and CC in the OSCC patients were 69%,10% and 22% respectively while for control group it was 80%, 15% and 5% respectively. The CC genotype of miR196a2 polymorphism was significantly associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The genotype frequencies in miR-149 polymorphisms of CC, CT and TT in the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients were 72%, 22% and 6% respectively and for control group 88%, 12% and 0% respectively. CT and TT genotypes of miR149 polymorphism were found to be significantly associated with OSCC (p = 0.05 and 0.07).
Conclusions: Our study suggests that miR-196a2C>T and miR-149C>T polymorphisms may play crucial roles in the development of OSCC in South Indian subjects.