Background: The present research is a case-control study to analyze the influence of pre-miRNA-146a rs2910164 and pre-miRNA-499 rs3746444 polymorphisms as candidate susceptibility factors for both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Polymorphism in miR146 and miR499 using ARMS-PCR was genotyped on 139 autoimmune disease (AD) patients (89 RA and 50 SLE) referred to Educational Hospitals of Khorramabad, Lorestan Province, west of Iran in 2018–2019 and 237 healthy control subjects. Results: A significant increase in the likelihood of carrying the GC vs. GG of pre-miR146-rs2910164 and T vs C allele of pre-miR499- rs3746444 in patients with RA was found. On the contrary, patients with RA were less likely to carry the TC + CC vs TT genotype and the C vs T allele of pre-miR499- rs374644. In females with the GC vs GG and GC+ CC vs GG genotypes, a significant association was found with the increased risk of RA. Interestingly, the genotypic combination of TC of the pre-miR499-rs374644 with GG of pre-miR146-rs2910164 more strongly decreased the risk of RA. In patients with SLE, no notable associations were found between both pre-miRNA-146a rs2910164 and pre-miRNA-499 rs3746444 with risk of disease. Conclusion: Genetic polymorphisms of miR146 rs2910164 is associated with RA susceptibility especially in females. Interestingly, there is a potential in miR499 to reduce the risk with the protective effect of gene-gene interactions on miR146 in RA disease.

Our study suggested that the -579 T allele may increase the relative risk for the progression of clinicopathological characteristic of tumor grade of gastric cancer patients.

Objective: Genetics is a known factor in the susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. In this study, polymorphisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (T876C and G894T) and hypoxiainducible factor 1 (HIF1) (rs10873142 and rs41508050) in coronary artery disease were compared with healthy subjects, and the relationship between these mutations and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 138 patients with obstructive CAD and 115 healthy subjects. Polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), Griess test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to measure serum nitric oxide (NO) and paraoxonase antioxidant. Independent t-test was used to examine the relationship between variables. Results: There was no significant difference between genotype frequency in healthy subjects and patients for eNOS and HIF1 alpha polymorphisms. There was no significant difference between these polymorphisms and age, sex, hypertension and lipidemia. Furthermore, the difference in mean serum levels of NO in different genotypes of the G894T gene was not significant between the patient and control groups. However, the difference in mean serum NO levels in different genotypes of the T786C gene was significant between the patient and control groups such that minimum and maximum serum NO levels were observed in individuals bearing TT and TC genotypes, respectively. The difference in mean serum NO levels was higher in patients than in controls, and was statistically significant. Conclusions: The results suggest that the T876C polymorphism could be associated with low serum NO level and implicated as a risk factor for developing CAD. Furthermore, our findings indicate that genetics may not be involved in susceptibility to CAD; however, further comprehensive studies are required.

Context:Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a chronic malignancy of myeloid linage associated with a significant increase in granulocytes in bone marrow and peripheral blood. CML diagnosis is based on detection of Philadelphia chromosome and “Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog” (ABL)-“breakpoint cluster region protein” fusions (ABL-BCR fusions).Aims:In this study, patients with CML morphology were studied according to ABL-BCR fusions and the relationship between the fusions and peripheral blood cell changes was examined.Materials and Methods:All patients suspected to chronic myeloproliferative disorders in Lorestan Province visiting subspecialist hematology clinics who were confirmed by oncologist were studied over a period of 5 years. After completing basic data questionnaire, blood samples were obtained with informed consent from the patients. Blood cell count and morphology were investigated and RNA was extracted from blood samples. cDNA was synthesized from RNA and ABL-BCR fusions including b3a2 and b2a2 (protein 210 kd or p210), e1a2 (protein 190 kdor p190), and e19a2 (protein 230 kdor p230) were studied by multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. Coexistence of e1a2 and b2a2 (p210/p190) fusions was also studied. The prevalence of mutations and their correlation with the blood parameters were statistically analyzed.Results:Of 58 patients positive for ABL-BCR fusion, 18 (30.5%) had b2a2 fusion, 37 (62.71%) had b3a2 fusion and three (3.08%) had e1a2 fusion. Coexistence of e1a2 and b2a2 (p210/p190) was not observed. There was no significant correlation between ABL-BCR fusions and white blood cell count, platelet count, and hemoglobin concentration.Conclusions:The ABL-BCR fusions in Lorestan Province were similar to other studies in Iran, and b3a2 fusion had the highest prevalence in the studied patients studied.