pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a case-control study in a Chinese population.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. miR-34 induces changes of its downstream genes, and plays a key role in altering the apoptotic cycle and pathways of downstream cells, and finally influences the development of cancer. We assessed the relationship of the pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in a Chinese population. During the period of January 2014 and December 2015, a total of 164 HCC patients and 305 healthy controls were recruited from the Inner Mongolia People's Hospital. Genotyping of the pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 was determined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Using χ2 test, we observed that HCC patients were likely to have a habit of alcohol consumption (χ2 = 10.24, P = 0.001) and infect with HBV or HCV (χ2 = 128.17, P < 0.001). In co-dominant model, the CC genotype of pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 had a significant higher risk of HCC as compared with the TT genotype, and the corresponding adjusted OR (95% CI) was 4.14 (1.91-9.75). In dominant model, we observed that the TC+CC genotype were associated with an increased risk of HCC in comparison to the TT genotype (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.17-2.55). In recessive model, the CC genotype was correlated with an elevated risk of HCC when compared with the TT+TC genotype (OR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.62-8.54). The pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism was associated with a higher risk of HCC in the Chinese population examined. Further large-scale and multi-center studies are required to confirm these results.