A functional polymorphism of the microRNA-146a gene is associated with susceptibility to drug-resistant epilepsy and seizures frequency.

Abstract

Epilepsy is the third most common chronic brain disorder and is characterized by an enduring predisposition for seizures. Recently, a growing body of evidence has suggested that microRNA-146a (miR-146a) is upregulated in the brains of epilepsy patients and of mouse models; furthermore, miR-146a may be involved in the development and progression of seizures through the regulation of inflammation and immune responses. In this report, we performed a case-control study to analyze the relationship between the two potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the miR-146a gene (rs2910464 and rs57095329) and the risk of epilepsy in a Chinese population comprising 249 cases and 249 healthy controls.