Genetic variation in microRNA-100 (miR-100) rs1834306 T/C associated with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection:...

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have a vital role in Hepatitis B virus (HBV) diagnosis and therapeutics. miR-100 was reported to be associated with various aspects of HBV biology. This study focused on a miR-100 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) (rs1834306 T/C) and its contribution to an individual's susceptibility and prognosis of HBV infection. The effect of SNP on miR-100 expression will be also evaluated. Two hundred subjects: 100 HBV infected patients and 100 age-and-sex-matched healthy individuals served as a control group. SNP detection was performed using polymerase chain reaction technique with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) method and miR-100 expression through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Our result showed a significant up-regulation of miR-100 expression in HBV patients versus the control group (P < .01). A positive correlation was found between viral load and elevation in miR-100 expression (r = 0.508; P < .01). Concerning miR-100 expression in different genotypes/alleles, TC genotype and T allele in coincides with a significantly elevated expression level of miR-100 (P < .001) in HBV patients than in controls. Best of our knowledge, it is the first observational prospective case-control study concerned with miR-100 (rs1834306 T/C) SNP in the Egyptian population. However, the small size of this preliminary work required more prospective investigations to confirm our data.