A Genetic Variant in miRNA-219-1 Is Associated with Risk of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Chinese Kazakhs

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer (EC), an aggressive digestive tract malignancy, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Besides environmental risk factors, genetic factors might play a key role in the EC carcinogenesis. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association of miR219-1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with EC. METHODS A total of 248 Kazakh esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases and 300 frequency-matched control subjects were recruited for this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from the samples. The miR-219-1 rs107822G > A and rs213210T > C genotypes were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis were used to detect the degree of association on miR-219-1 rs107822 and rs213210. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect miR-219-1 expression with miR-219-1 rs107822 polymorphism. RESULT The SNP rs107822G > A in the miR-219-1 gene decreased the risk of Kazakh ESCC. Furthermore, two miR-219-1 SNPs, namely, rs107822 and rs213210, may tag each other to decrease the risk of Kazakh ESCC. These findings indicated that functional polymorphisms miR-219-1 rs107822G > A might change individual susceptibility to Kazakh ESCC.