Genetic variants of HOTAIR (rs920778) and miR-3117 (rs7512692) influencesusceptibility to colorectal cancer in a Mexican population

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most prevalent type of gastrointestinal cancer. Genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors have been implicated in the development of CRC. Non-coding RNAs such as HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) and miR-3117 have been associated with cell proliferation, progression, invasion, and metastasis, as well as poor survival in several cancer types. This study examines the potential association between the HOTAIR (rs920778 T>C) and miR-3117 (rs7512692 C>T and rs4655646 G>A) variants and the clinicopathological features of CRC in Mexican patients. The study included genomic DNA of peripheral blood samples from 557 individuals (296 CRC patients and 261 controls). The variants were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The association was calculated using the odds ratio (OR) test. P-values were adjusted using the Bonferroni test (0.016). Individuals carrying the T/C and C/C genotypes for the HOTAIR rs920778 variant exhibited a higher susceptibility to CRC (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.15-2.58, P=0.009 and OR=2.78, 95% CI: 1.74-4.45, P=0.001, respectively). Male patients older than 50 years and carrying the C/C genotype demonstrated an increased susceptibility to developing CRC (OR=2.77, 95% CI: 1.63-4.70, P=0.001). Additionally, C/C genotype carriers exhibited an association with the advanced TNM stage. Furthermore, for the rs7512692 variant of the miR-3117 gene, patients carrying the C/T genotype exhibited increased susceptibility to developing CRC (OR=1.92, 95% CI: 1.35-2.74, P=0.001). Male patients over 50 years of age and carrying the C/T genotype demonstrated increased susceptibility for early TNM stages and tumor location in the colon. The results obtained suggest that the HOTAIR rs920778 and miR-3117 rs7512692 variants play a significant role in colorectal cancer risk.