miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and the risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese population

Objective: MicroRNAs-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms are thought to play an important role in cancer development. We investigated the association of miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Chinese population. Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study of 560 cases and 780 age-and gender-matched healthy controls, the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: We found that miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism was not associated with CRC risk. However, the subgroup analysis by gender showed significant associations in male subjects (GG vs. CC: Odds ratios [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.04-2.29, P = 0.03; G vs. C: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.01-1.45, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism may play an important role in susceptibility to CRC in Chinese male population.