Genetic variants in microRNAs and breast cancer risk in African American and European American women.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an integral part of the post-transcriptional machinery of gene expression and have been implicated in the carcinogenic cascade. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs and risk of breast cancer have been evaluated in populations of European or Asian ancestry, but not among women of African ancestry. Here we examined 145 SNPs in six miRNA processing genes and in 78 miRNAs which target genes known to be important in breast cancer among 906 African American (AA) and 653 European American (EA) cases and controls enrolled in the Women's Circle of Health Study. Allele frequencies of most SNPs (87 %) differed significantly by race. We found a number of SNPs in miRNAs and processing genes in association with breast cancer overall or stratified by estrogen receptor (

SUBMITTER: Yao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3856568 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature