Research Article A Genetic Variant in miRNA-219-1 Is Associated with Risk of

which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Esophageal cancer (EC), an aggressive digestive tract malignancy, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Besides environmental risk factors, genetic factors might play a key role in the EC carcinogenesis. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association of miR219-1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with EC. Methods. A total of 248 Kazakh esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases and 300 frequency-matched control subjects were recruited for this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from the samples. The miR-219-1 rs107822G> A and rs213210T> C genotypes were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analysis were used to detect the degree of association on miR-219-1 rs107822 and rs213210. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect miR-219-1 expression with miR-219-1 rs107822 polymorphism. Result. The SNP rs107822G> A in the miR-219-1 gene decreased the risk of Kazakh ESCC. Furthermore, two miR-219-1 SNPs, namely, rs107822 and rs213210, may tag each other to decrease the risk of Kazakh ESCC. These findings indicated that functional polymorphisms miR-219-1 rs107822G> A might change individual susceptibility to Kazakh ESCC. 1