<i>miR-559</i> polymorphism <i>rs58450758</i> is linked to breast cancer

Abstract

<b>Background</b>: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in gene regulation and the control of cancer-related mechanisms such as apoptosis, invasion and differentiation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the miRNA encoding genes may influence the development of cancer. We hypothesized a link between <i>miR-559</i> SNP <i>rs58450758</i> and breast cancer.<b>Materials & methods</b>: Bioinformatics analyses were performed to predict the miR-559 target genes and the effect of the <i>rs58450758</i> SNP on the stem-loop structure. A total of 129 breast cancer cases and 153 controls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.<b>Results</b>: The recessive genotype (TT) was more common among breast cancer patients (23.3%) than among controls (2%). The non-dominant genotypes (CT+TT) were associated with breast cancer in patients (OR 3.62; 95% CI, 1.95-6.69; p < 0.0001). Bioinformatics analyses suggested that <i>rs58450758</i> changes miR-559 secondary structure and forms new DICER sites in the pre-miRNA.<b>Conclusion</b>: The miR-559 <i>rs58450758</i> variant is linked to breast cancer.