Association of long noncoding RNA H19 rs2839698 C/T with hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma risk.

The intricate pathogenesis of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been fully elucidated. H19 is one of the earliest imprinted long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with liver pathobiology. This study investigated the association of H19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2839698 C/T and rs217727 C/T with HBV and HBV-related HCC and their correlation with H19 expression level. A total of 230 subjects were enrolled in this study including 100 HBV-infected patients, 30 HBV-related HCC patients, and 100 apparently healthy controls. TaqMan genotyping human assays were utilized to assess allelic discrimination for H19 SNPs. H19 expression was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our findings showed that H19 rs2839698 was linked to a higher incidence of HBV infection and HBV-related HCC. Individuals who bear the CT genotype of rs2839698 were more susceptible to HBV infection (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.714-5.457; p < 0.001). Those harboring the TT genotype were more prone to develop HCC (OR = 2.625; 95% CI 1.037-6.64; p = 0.038). Our data revealed that rs2839698 could function as a promising predictor of HCC risk. Furthermore, H19 was significantly downregulated in HBV (p < 0.01) and HCC (p < 0.01) patients versus the control group. Significant upregulation of H19 in HCC patients with cirrhosis (p < 0.001) was detected. Altogether, this is considered the first prospective case-control study to address the implication of the genetic variations of H19 SNPs in HBV and HBV-related HCC in Egyptian patients.

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

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.