Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a human γ-herpesvirus implicated in several human malignancies, including a wide range of lymphomas. Several molecules encoded by EBV in its latent state are believed to be related to EBV-induced lymphomagenesis, among which microRNAs—small RNAs with a posttranscriptional regulating role—are of great importance. The genome of EBV encodes 44 mature microRNAs belonging to two different classes, including BamHI-A rightward transcript (BART) and Bam HI fragment H rightward open reading frame 1 (BHRF1), with different expression levels in different EBV latency types. These microRNAs might contribute to the pathogenetic effects exerted by EBV through targeting self mRNAs and host mRNAs and interfering with several important cellular mechanisms such as immunosurveillance, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. In addition, EBV microRNAs can regulate the surrounding microenvironment of the infected cells through exosomal transportation. Moreover, these small molecules could be potentially used as molecular markers. In this review, we try to present an updated and extensive view of the role of EBV-encoded miRNAs in human lymphomas.

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BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common types of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Epidemiological studies showed that BC is linked to genetic and environmental factors, and inheritance plays a key role in the pathobiology of this disease. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a key differentiation cytokine and is produced by Th2 and activates Th2 development. Hence the current study aimed to assess the possible association between interleukin 4 (IL-4) VNTR polymorphism, and BC susceptibility in a sample of Iranian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: IL-4 VNTR polymorphism was evaluated in 150 women with BC and 150 agematched healthy women by polymerase chain reaction method. RESULT: Among 3 possible alleles for IL-4 gene, we only observed 2 alleles. Current fi ndings indicate that RP2/RP2 genotypes can be regarded as potent protective factors against breast cancer (OR = 0.929 [95%CI, 0.929-0.995]). CONCLUSION: Our result showed that the RP2/RP2 genotype of the IL-4 VNTR polymorphism could be a protective factor for BC susceptibility (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 46).

X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) is a scaffold protein and a key element in DNA base excision repair process. Although, the role of XRCC1 polymorphisms in male infertility has been studied broadly, it is still a matter of debate. Hence, in order to shed light on the problem, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the overall effect of XRCC1 polymorphisms in male infertility risk. Databases, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched until September 15, 2018. Afterwards, the genotypes' distribution, genotyping methods, and ethnicity groups were extracted, and overall analyses were conducted. A total number of fi ve researches on 1,407 subjects and 974 controls were found to meet our criteria in this meta-analysis. The XRCC1 Arg399Gln (rs25487) polymorphism was analyzed. This is the fi rst meta-analysis to investigate the association of XRCC1 polymorphisms (codon 399) and male infertility risk. Our results indicated that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism was not associated with male infertility risk in the total studied populations (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 26). Text in PDF www.elis.sk.