A polymorphism at the microRNA binding site in the 3′ untranslated region of C14orf101 is associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma overall survival

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can bind to the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of messenger RNAs, where they interfere with translation and thereby regulate cell differentiation, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. Genetic polymorphisms in the 3′ UTRs targeted by miRNAs alter the strength of miRNA binding in a manner that affects the behavior of individual miRNAs. In this study, four miRNA binding-site single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the 3′ UTR of RYR3 (rs1044129), C14orf101 (rs4901706), KIAA0423 (rs1053667), and GOLGA7 (rs11337) were genotyped in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients to assess their relationships with cancer risk and overall survival. rs4901706, located in the 3′ UTR of C14orf101, was shown to be independently related to overall survival in NHL patients by multivariate analysis (relative risk, 1.770; 95% CI, 1.046–2.996; P = 0.033). The prognostic value of this SNP on tumor overall survival was supported in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with a P value of 0.095 and validated in T-cell lymphoma patients with a P value of 0.037.