Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that control the post-transcriptional gene expression. They play a pivotal role in the regulation of important physiological processes. Variations in miRNA genes coding for mature miRNA sequences have been implicated in several diseases. However, the association of variants in miRNAs genes with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in the Pakistani population is rarely reported. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the association of rs11614913 T/C (MIR196A2), rs2910164 G/C (MIR146A), and rs6505162 C/A (MIR423) in clinicopathological proven T2DM patients and gender-matched healthy controls. The tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain (ARMS-PCR) reaction method was used to determine the genotypes and to establish the association of each variant with T2DM through inherited models. In conclusion, the present study showed that variants rs11614913 T/C and rs2910164 G/C were linked with the risk of T2DM. The data suggested that rs11614913 T/C and rs2910164 G/C could be considered as novel risk factors in the pathogenesis of T2DM in the Pakistani population.