title: Evaluation of genetic variants in miRNAs in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aberrant expression and structural alteration of miRNAs are considered to participate in cancer development. It has been suggested that common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs are associated with susceptibility to several human diseases including colorectal cancer (CRC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study at 157 CRC patients and 299 healthy controls of Greek origin was undertaken in order to investigate the association between the genotype and allelic frequencies of three common SNPs (rs2910164, rs11614913 and rs3746444) in pre-miRNAs, miR-146a, miR-196a2 and miR-499.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk for CRC was significantly higher at the carriers of miR-146a rs2910164 CC genotype and C allele (p=0.02 and p< 0.001, respectively). None of the other performed analysis showed any statistically significant results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the rs2910164 polymorphism in pre-miRNA, miR-146a may be associated with the risk of CRC.
authors.affiliation: First Surgical Department, Tzaneion Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dikaiakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Science, Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gazouli
authors.affiliation: First Surgical Department, Tzaneion Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Hippocration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zografos
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Hippocration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Colorectal cancer; SNPs; miRNA; single nucleotide polymorphisms