Association Between HOTAIR Genetic Variants and Risk of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is a long non-coding RNA with important roles in regulation of autophagy, neurite growth and morphogenesis. Polymorphisms within this gene have been associated with some neuropsychiatric conditions. In the current case-control study, we investigated associations between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and four single nucleotide polymorphism within this gene, namely rs12826786, rs4759314, rs1899663 and rs920778. There was significant difference in genotype distribution of rs920778 between OCD patients and normal controls (P value = 0.01). rs920778 was associated with risk of OCD in co-dominant model (TT versus CC) in both un-adjusted and adjusted by sex analyses (OR (95 % CI) = 0.66 (0.49–0.88), P value = 0.005 and OR (95 % CI) = 0.63 (0.44–0.91), P value = 0.014, respectively). This SNP was associated with OCD in dominant model (TT+TC versus CC) only in un-adjusted analysis (OR (95 % CI) = 0.52 (0.31–0.88), P value = 0.015). Finally, this SNP was associated with OCD in over-dominant model (CC+TT versus TC) in both un-adjusted and adjusted by sex analyses (OR (95 % CI) = 2.38 (1.33–4.25), P value = 0.003 and OR (95 % CI) = 2.78 (1.31–5.89), P value = 0.008, respectively). The current study shows possible impact of rs920778 on risk of OCD in Iranian population.