Association between SNPs in microRNAs and microRNAs-Machinery Genes with Susceptibility of Leprosy in the Amazon Population.

Leprosy is a chronic neurodermatological disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. Recent studies show that SNPs in genes related to miRNAs have been associated with several diseases in different populations. This study aimed to evaluate the association of twenty-five SNPs in genes encoding miRNAs related to biological processes and immune response with susceptibility to leprosy and its polar forms paucibacillary and multibacillary in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 114 leprosy patients and 71 household contacts were included in this study. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan Open Array Genotyping. Ancestry-informative markers were used to estimate individual proportions of case and control groups. The SNP rs2505901 (pre-miR938) was associated with protection against the development of paucibacillary leprosy, while the SNPs rs639174 (DROSHA), rs636832 (AGO1), and rs4143815 (miR570) were associated with protection against the development of multibacillary leprosy. In contrast, the SNPs rs10739971 (pri-let-7a1), rs12904 (miR200C), and rs2168518 (miR4513) are associated with the development of the paucibacillary leprosy. The rs10739971 (pri-let-7a1) polymorphism was associated with the development of leprosy, while rs2910164 (miR146A) and rs10035440 (DROSHA) was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing multibacillary leprosy.

Correlation between Genomic Variants and Worldwide Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) incidence and mortality vary across territories and populations. This can be explained by the genetic factor of this disease. This article aims to correlate the epidemiological data, worldwide incidence, and mortality of PCa with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the susceptibility and severity of this neoplasm in different populations. Eighty-four genetic variants associated with prostate cancer susceptibility were selected from the literature through genome association studies (GWAS). Allele frequencies were obtained from the 1000 Genomes Project, and epidemiological data were obtained from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). The PCa incidence, mortality rates, and allele frequencies of variants were evaluated by Pearson's correlation. Our study demonstrated that 12 SNPs (rs2961144, rs1048169, rs7000448, rs4430796, rs2066827, rs12500426, rs6983267, rs11649743, rs2075110, rs114798100, rs855723, and rs2075109) were correlated with epidemiological data in different ethnic groups. Ten SNPs (rs2961144, rs1048169, rs7000448, rs4430796, rs2066827, rs12500426, rs11649743, rs2075110, rs114798100, and rs2075109) were positively correlated with the mortality rate. Seven SNPs (rs1048169, rs2961144, rs7000448, rs4430796, rs2066827, rs12500426, and rs114798100) were positively correlated with incidence. Positive correlations of incidence and mortality rates were more frequent in the African population. The genetic variants investigated here are likely to predispose to PCa and could play a role in its progression and aggressiveness. This genetic study demonstrated here is promising for implementing personalized strategies to screen for prostate cancer in diverse populations.