Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of mir-133a-1 and in pre-mir-152 rs1707 may contribute to the risk of asthma in a Chinese Han population

P.-P. Zhou, Y. Li, Z.-D. Ma, Z.-Y. Li, F.-Y. Chen, Y.-X. Jiang

Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China. jiangyuxin2000@hotmail.com

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• Respiratory Medicine

OBJECTIVE: microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promotor regions of miRNAs or pre-miRNAs are involved in the alteration of miRNA expression levels or their maturation process and can contribute to asthma pathogenesis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 591 asthma cases and 621 controls were recruited for this study to evaluate the genetic effects of the following five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the development of asthma: rs8089787 and rs9948906 in the promoter region of mir-133a-1, pre-mir-499 rs37464444, pre-mir-152 rs1707, pre-mir-155 rs5186. The genotypes were determined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that the CT and CT+TT genotypes in the mir-133a-1 rs8089787 (CT vs. CC, OR = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.315-0.541; CT+TT vs. CC, OR = 0.443, 95% CI: 0.342-0.574, respectively) were significantly associated with a decreased risk for asthma in sample of the Chinese Han population, compared with CC genotype. Similarly, the CT and CT+TT genotypes in the mir-133a-1 rs9948906 (CT vs. CC, OR = 0.398, 95% CI: 0.300-0.528; CT+TT vs. CC, OR = 0.403, 95% CI: 0.306-0.532, respectively) were associated with a decreased risk of asthma. However, the C alleles of both mir-133a-1 rs8089787 (C vs. T, OR = 1.867, 95% CI: 1.486-2.345) and rs9948906 (C vs. T, OR = 2.177, 95% CI: 1.690-2.804) were significantly associated with an increased risk for asthma. The CT genotype frequencies of pre-mir-152 rs1707 (CT vs. TT, OR = 4.730, 95% CI: 2.425-9.223) were significantly associated with an increased risk for asthma in a Chinese Han population (p < 0.001). The C allele frequencies of pre-mir-152 rs1707 (C vs. T, OR = 6.671, 95% CI: 3.146-14.147) was also significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma in a Chinese Han population (p < 0.001). However, the genotype and allele frequencies of rs5186, located in pre-miR-155, did not significantly differ between the cases and the controls; as well as those of rs3746444 in pre-miR-499.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided evidence that polymorphisms of rs8089787 and rs9948906 in the promotor region of mir-133a-1 and pre-mir-152 rs1707 may contribute to the risk of asthma in a Chinese Han population.

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