“…17,22 A review of the literature and miRSNPs databases such as miRdSNP (http://mirdsnp.ccr.buffalo.edu/), MirSNP (http://bioinfo.bjmu.edu.cn/mirsnp/), and Polymirts (http://compbio.uthsc.edu/miRSNP/) databases showed that rs3135500(G>A) and rs3135499(A>C) polymorphisms, located in the 3ˊUTR of NOD2, are in the miRNA binding site or the vicinity of some miRNAs such as miR-192, miR-158, miR-215, miR-98, and miR-573 for rs3135500 and miR-194, miR-3179, miR-3202, miR-4747, and miR-5196 for rs3135499; these polymorphisms could influence on miRNA-mRNA interaction and finally dysregulate gene expression. 15,23 In the current study, for the first time, we evaluated the probable correlations between these two miRNA binding site polymorphisms in the NOD2 gene with the RA risk in the Iranian population. Also, we evaluated the interaction among these polymorphisms and some demographic and laboratory characteristics to find their influence on RA susceptibility and disease activity.…”