OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between miR-124 rs531564 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to cervical cancer in Chinese Han women in Guangdong Province.

METHODSThe genotypes of miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) in 107 cervical cancer patients and 208 healthy female blood donors. The correlation between the polymorphism and the susceptibility to cervical cancer was evaluated using unconditional logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe incidence of HPV infection in the patients (93.1%) was much higher than that in the control subjects (16.8%, P<0.001), suggesting the importance of HPV infection as a critical risk factor for cervical cancer. The G allele of miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism in the cervical cancer patients was much less frequent than that in the controls (8.0% vs 15.1%, P=0.014), suggesting its possible role as a protective allele. Compared with those carrying CC genotype, individuals carrying the CG and GG genotypes showed a significantly reduced risk for cervical cancer (OR=0.47, 95% CI=0.26-0.88, P=0.017), and this protective role of the G allele was more prominent in older women (≥45 years old) (OR=0.28, 95% CI=0.10-0.76, P=0.012).

CONCLUSIONmiR-124 rs531564 polymorphism may play a role in cervical cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han women, and G allele is associated with a reduced risk of cervical cancer.