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An Updated Meta-Analysis of the Associations Between MicroRNA Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Rheumatoid

Mi Zhou1, Bo Jiang2, Mao Xiong2

  • 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Frontiers in Physiology
|December 1, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This meta-analysis found no link between miR-146a rs2910164 G > C polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk. However, the miR-499 rs3746444 T > C polymorphism was associated with increased RA susceptibility in Caucasians.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease causing joint inflammation, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion, leading to significant disability.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including RA.
  • Genetic variations, or polymorphisms, within miRNA genes or their binding sites can potentially influence disease susceptibility and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct an updated meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the association between specific microRNA (miRNA) polymorphisms and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  • To investigate the roles of miR-146a rs2910164 G > C and miR-499 rs3746444 T > C polymorphisms in RA susceptibility.
  • To explore potential ethnic differences in the association between these miRNA polymorphisms and RA risk.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive electronic literature search was performed in PubMed and Embase databases up to December 8, 2017.
  • Included studies were case-control designs investigating the association between miRNA polymorphisms and RA risk.
  • Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers, with meta-analysis performed using Stata 14.0 software.

Main Results:

  • Thirteen case-control studies involving 2660 RA cases and 4098 controls were included in the meta-analysis.
  • The miR-146a rs2910164 G > C polymorphism showed no significant association with RA susceptibility.
  • The miR-499 rs3746444 T > C polymorphism was significantly associated with increased RA risk, particularly in the Caucasian population (e.g., C vs. T: OR = 1.64, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • The miR-146a rs2910164 G > C polymorphism is unlikely to be a significant genetic factor contributing to rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility.
  • The miR-499 rs3746444 T > C polymorphism, specifically the C allele, appears to be a risk factor for RA development in Caucasian individuals.
  • Further research may be warranted to elucidate the functional mechanisms underlying the association between miR-499 polymorphisms and RA pathogenesis in specific ethnic groups.
Keywords:
meta-analysismicroRNArheumatoid arthritissingle nucleotide polymorphismsystematic review

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