title: Association between microRNA-196A2 and microRNA-146A polymorphisms and progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with viral hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that have been implicated in mechanisms underlying various types of cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Reports have indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms in miRNA-196A2 and miRNA-146A genes may contribute to the risk of progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection to cirrhosis and HCC. This study aimed to examine the effect of miRNA-196A2 and miRNA-146A polymorphisms on the progression of HBV infection to cirrhosis and/or HCC in HBV patients in the Malaysian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consists of 423 chronic HBV patients without either cirrhosis or HCC and 103 chronic HBV patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis or with cirrhosis and HCC. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of miRNA-196A2 (rs12304647 and rs11614913) and miRNA-146A (rs2910164) were genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genotype distribution in chronic HBV without either cirrhosis or HCC, relative to chronic HBV patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis or with cirrhosis and HCC revealed that rs12304647 has a protective effect from the development of HCC (odds ratio=0.37, 95% confidence interval=0.15-0.89, P=0.027). However, rs11614913 and rs2910164 were not significantly associated with progression of the HBV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, rs12304647 is associated with a reduced risk of progression to HCC in patients with chronic HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: aThe Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology bDepartment of Medicine cDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Behnaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riazalhosseini
authors.forename: Zahurin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Yamunah D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Apalasamy
authors.forename: Hooi Sian
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Eng
authors.forename: Rosmawati
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; C542543:MIRN196 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs