Down-regulated miR-16-2 in peripheral blood is positively correlated with decreased bilateral insula volume in patients with major depressive disorder

Association of genetic variants in MIR17HG and in the promoter of MIR17HG with susceptibility to cancer in Chinese Han population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The association between microRNA 17-92 cluster host gene (MIR17HG) polymorphisms and the risk of cancer has been evaluated in studies, here, we attempted to elucidate the relationship between 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MIR17HG (rs17735387 G > A, rs7336610 C > T, rs1428 C > A, rs7318578 A > C, rs72640334 C > A, and rs75267932 A > G), 3 SNPs in the promoter of MIR17HG (rs9588884 C > G, rs982873 T > C, and rs1813389 A > G) and susceptibility to cancer in Chinese Han population.

METHODS

Systematic literature research from databases were performed with strict eligibility criteria to include the relevant studies for this meta-analysis. Association between the SNPs of MIR17HG and cancer risk was estimated by pooling the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) in five genetic models (allelic model, dominant model, recessive model, homozygous model, and heterozygous model).

RESULTS

The pooled meta-analysis showed that there was no significant association between rs17735387 G > A, rs7336610 C > T, rs1428 C > A, rs7318578 A > C, rs72640334 C > A, and rs75267932 A > G and cancer risk in Chinese Han population. However, for the SNPs in the promoter of MIR17HG, rs9588884 C > G and rs982873 T > C could decrease cancer risk in most genetic models, but not rs1813389 A > G.

CONCLUSION

This present meta-analysis identified 2 SNPs in the promoter of MIR17HG (rs9588884 C > G and rs982873 T > C) may be protective factors against cancer in Chinese Han population.

Altered Brain Functional Connectivity and Peripheral Transcriptomic Profiles in Major Depressive Disorder With Childhood Maltreatment

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a significant risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate brain functional networks and peripheral transcriptomics in patients with MDD who have a history of CM. Methods: Functional imaging data were collected and network-based statistics were used to identify differences in functional networks among MDD patients with CM (MDD_CM, n = 78), MDD patients without CM (MDD_nCM, n = 61), and healthy controls (HC, n = 126). Additionally, blood transcriptional data were clustered into co-expression modules, and module differential connectivity analysis was utilized to assess variations in gene co-expression network modules among the groups. Results: The results revealed a significant difference in an inferior occipital gyrus-centered functional network among the three groups. Furthermore, eight gene co-expression modules differed among the groups and were enriched in multiple branches related to immune responses or metabolic processes. Notably, a module enriched in type I interferon-related signaling pathways demonstrated a significant correlation with the disrupted network in the MDD_nCM group. Moreover, multiple immune-related gene modules were found to be significantly correlated with sleep disturbances in MDD_CM patients. Conclusions: Dysregulation of an inferior occipital gyrus-centered functional network and immune-related transcriptomic alterations significantly associate with the pathophysiology of MDD_CM.

MicroRNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers and Predictors of Antidepressant Response in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review

Despite the hardships of major depressive disorder (MDD), biomarkers for the diagnosis and pharmacological management of this condition are lacking. MicroRNAs are epigenetic mechanisms that could provide promising MDD biomarkers. Our aim was to summarize the findings and provide validation for the selection and use of specific microRNAs as biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, PsycINFO, Embase, and LILACS databases from March 2022 to November 2023, with clusters of terms based on "microRNA" and "antidepressant". Studies involving human subjects, animal models, and cell cultures were included, whereas those that evaluated herbal medicines, non-pharmacological therapies, or epigenetic mechanisms other than miRNA were excluded. The review revealed differences in the expression of various microRNAs when considering the time of assessment (before or after antidepressant treatment) and the population studied. However, due to the heterogeneity of the microRNAs investigated, the limited size of the samples, and the wide variety of antidepressants used, few conclusions could be made. Despite the observed heterogeneity, the following microRNAs were determined to be important factors in MDD and the antidepressant response: mir-1202, mir-135, mir-124, and mir-16. The findings indicate the potential for the use of microRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD; however, more homogeneous studies are needed.

MiRNA-423 rs6505162 and miRNA-6811 rs2292879 SNP associated with lung cancer in Hainan, China

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to exert significant influence on various physiological processes and diseases, including cancers. The primary objective of this present study was to examine the impact of eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA on the susceptibility to lung cancer (LC) within the Chinese Southern population.

METHODS

The genotypes of these eight polymorphisms were determined in 132 LC patients and 214 cancer-free controls.

RESULTS

In overall analyses, GG genotype of miRNA-6811 rs2292879 polymorphism was significantly correlated with increased risk of LC (GG vs. AA, adjusted OR = 5.10, 95% CI = 1.02-25.43, P=0.047), yet the genotype frequencies of rs2292879 SNP in controls did not met the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P=0.001) in present study. Stratified analyses by smoking revealed that miRNA-423 rs6505162 variants significantly decreased the LC risk in heterozygous (CA vs. CC, adjusted OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03-0.81, P=0.028) and recessive (AA vs. CA + CC, adjusted OR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.03-0.90, P=0.038) genetic models in smoking population. However, miRNA-196A2 rs11614913, miRNA-196A2 rs12304647, miRNA-146A rs2910164, miRNA-16-1 rs1022960, miRNA-608 rs4919510, and miRNA-27a rs895819 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with LC.

CONCLUSION

The findings of our study indicate a potential decrease in LC risk among smokers with the miRNA-423 rs6505162 variants, while an increase in risk is associated with miRNA-6811 rs2292879 polymorphisms in the population of Southern Chinese. However, further well-designed research is necessary to fully understand the precise impact of these two SNPs on the development of LC.