title: A functional polymorphism of the microRNA-146a gene is associated with susceptibility to drug-resistant epilepsy and seizures frequency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epilepsy is the third most common chronic brain disorder and is characterized by an enduring predisposition for seizures. Recently, a growing body of evidence has suggested that microRNA-146a (miR-146a) is upregulated in the brains of epilepsy patients and of mouse models; furthermore, miR-146a may be involved in the development and progression of seizures through the regulation of inflammation and immune responses. In this report, we performed a case-control study to analyze the relationship between the two potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the miR-146a gene (rs2910464 and rs57095329) and the risk of epilepsy in a Chinese population comprising 249 cases and 249 healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study comprised 249 epilepsy patients and 249 healthy controls in two regions of China. The DNA was genotyped using the ABI PRISM SNapShot method. The statistical analysis was estimated using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicated a significant association between the rs57095329 SNP of the miR-146a gene and the risk of drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) (genotypes, p = 0.0258 and alleles, p = 0.0108). Moreover, the rs57095329 A allele was found to be associated with a reduced risk of seizures frequency in DRE patients (all p < 0.001). However, the rs2910164 variant was not associated with epilepsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that the rs57095329 polymorphism in the promoter region of miR-146a is involved in the genetic susceptibility to DRE and the seizures frequency.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China; Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China; Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhien
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Haihong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Yujie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, PR China.
authors.forename: Lifen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Beichu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Renji College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wandong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Wanwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Guoda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China. Electronic address: binzhao0759@163.com.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, PR China. Electronic address: likeshen1971@126.com.
authors.forename: Keshen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D000069279:Drug Resistant Epilepsy / Q000235:genetics*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012640:Seizures / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Drug-resistant epilepsy; MicroRNA-146a; Polymorphism; Seizures frequency