Association of lncRNA H19 Gene Polymorphisms with the Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, whose diversified occurrence worldwide indicates a connection between genetic variations among individuals and the predisposition to such neoplasms. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 can have both promotive and inhibitory effects on cancer development, revealing a dual role in tumorigenesis. In this study, the link of <i>H19</i> gene polymorphisms to hepatocarcinogenesis was assessed between 359 HCC patients and 1190 cancer-free subjects. We found that heterozygotes for the minor allele of <i>H19</i> rs2839698 (T) and rs3741219 (G) were more inclined to develop HCC (OR, 1.291; 95% CI, 1.003-1.661; <i>p</i> = 0.047, and OR, 1.361; 95% CI, 1.054-1.758; <i>p</i> = 0.018, respectively), whereas homozygotes for the polymorphic allele of rs2107425 (TT) were correlated with a decreased risk of HCC (OR, 0.606; 95% CI, 0.410-0.895; <i>p</i> = 0.012). Moreover, patients who bear at least one variant allele (heterozygote or homozygote) of rs3024270 were less prone to develop late-stage tumors (for stage III/IV; OR, 0.566; 95% CI, 0.342-0.937; <i>p</i> = 0.027). In addition, carriers of a particular haplotype of three <i>H19</i> SNPs tested were more susceptible to HCC. In conclusion, our results indicate an association between <i>H19</i> gene polymorphisms and the incidence and progression of liver cancer.