Association between the ELAVL1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and the Genetic Susceptibility to cervical cancer by high resolution melting in a Tunisian population

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus is the major cause of cervical cancer, but only few cases develop into cancer. Nevertheless, HuR (ELAVL1) gene has been implicated in the oncogenesis of certain cancers. The correlation between ELAVL1 gene and the risk of cervical cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of ELAVL1 gene polymorphisms (SNPs) in cervical cancer development in Tunisian women.

METHOD

ELAVL1 gene SNPs: ELAVL1 rs12983784 T > C, ELAVL1 rs14394 T > C, ELAVL1 rs74369359 G > T, ELAVL1 rs35986520 G > A, ELAVL1 rs10402477 C > T, ELAVL1 rs12985234 A > G and ELAVL1 rs2042920 T > G, were genotyped by High resolution melting (HRM). SNPStats software was used to perform linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis.

RESULTS

Comparing the cervical cancer patients with healthy control participants, the SNPs rs12983784 (P = 0.032), rs74369359 (p = < 10^- 3) and rs10402477 (P = 0.001) were associated with an increased cervical cancer risk. Contrary to the SNPs rs14394, rs7469359, rs35986520, rs12985234 and rs2042920 (p˃0.05). The haplotype analysis of the seven SNPs of ELAVL1 gene showed that there is no association between the different haplotypes and a possible risk of cervical cancer disease. Moreover, there was a significant Linkage disequilibrium between rs35986520 and rs2042920 (D'=0.9972) and between rs2042920 and rs10402477 (D'=0.9977).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that genetic variants in the ELAVL1 gene might be associated with susceptibility to cervical cancer in the Tunisian population.

Metabolic effect of orotic acid in calves

Eight calves (males, Black and White crossbred with Holstein-Fresian) were fed milk and milk replacer without (control group) or with potassium orotate (3 mmol./l.) supplementation for 6 weeks after birth. Orotate depressed the biosynthesis of polyamines in mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract (rumen, omasum, abomasum, colon) by decreasing of ornithine decarboxylase activity with a simultaneous compensatory increase of S-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase activity. A lower concentration of spermidine and spermine in the mucosa of the colon was also noted. The above changes were accompanied by increased urinary excretion of ornithine and arginine. Calf adaptation to a high OA intake was associated with an increased activity of the OA metabolizing enzyme complex (orotate phosphoribosyl transferase and orotidine monophosphate decarboxylase) in the liver, while urinary OA losses diminished with age. Increased concentrations of uracil and uridine in the liver and higher urinary excretion of pseudouridine in OA-fed calves was also observed. Stimulation of pyrimidine metabolism by OA depressed purine synthesis, which was reflected by a decrease of urate, hypoxanthine, and xanthine concentration in the liver. Interestingly OA enhanced urate excretion by the kidneys. OA strongly affected lipid metabolism in calves because total cholesterol, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides in blood plasma decreased while triglycerides accumulated in the liver of OA-fed calves. Milk OA in concentrations characteristic of cows with hereditary orotic aciduria exerts an unfavourable effect on the metabolism of polyamines, purines, and lipids in calf tissues.