Evaluation of prodynorphin gene polymorphisms and their association with heroin addiction in a sample of the southeast Iranian population.

Genetic factors are supposed to account for about 30-50% of the predisposition to cocaine and heroin addiction. This study aims at investigating the effect of rs2281285, rs2235749, rs910080 and 68bp VNTR polymorphisms of prodynorphin (PDYN) gene on heroin dependence risk in a sample of the southeast Iranian population. This case-control study was done on 216 heroin dependence subjects and 219 healthy subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood cells using salting out method. Genotyping of PDYN polymorphisms were performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or PCR-RFLP method. The findings showed that PDYN rs910080 T>C variant significantly increased the risk of heroin dependence (OR=7.91, 95%CI=3.36-18.61, P<0.0001, CC vs TT; OR=7.53, 95%CI=3.30-17.16, P<0.0001, CC vs TT+TC; OR=1.75, 95%CI=1.33-2.32, p<0.0001, C vs T). The rs2235749 C>T, rs2281285 A>G and 68bp VNTR variants of PDYN gene were not associated with heroin dependence. Altogether, our results provide an association between rs910080 polymorphism of PDYN gene and risk of heroin dependence in a sample of the southeast Iranian population.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphism in miR-499, miR-196a2, miR-146a and miR-149 and prostate cancer risk in a sample of Iranian population.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and are involved in numerous physiological processes. Accumulating evidence suggests that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human miRNA genes may affect miRNA biogenesis pathway and influence the susceptibility to several diseases such as cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of miR-499 rs3746444, miR-196a2 rs11614913, miR-149 rs2292832, and miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphisms on prostate cancer (PCa) risk in a sample of Iranian population. This case-control study was done on 169 patients with pathologically confirmed PCa and 182 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The genotyping assays were done using T-ARMS-PCR or PCR-RFLP methods. The findings indicated that CC genotype of miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphism increased the risk of PCa (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.12-2.79, P = 0.019) compared to TT genotype. No statistically significant association was found between miR-196a2 rs11614913, miR-149 rs2292832, and miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphisms and PCa risk. In summary, the findings indicated that miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphism increased the risk of PCa in an Iranian population. Further studies with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities are necessary to verify the findings of the present study.