Objective:To study the possible association between miR-196a2 gene polymorphisms and cervical cancer susceptibility among women in Jiangsu Province. Methods:The subjects included 509 cervical cancer cases and 562 cancer-free controls. We genotyped the functional polymorphism of miR-196a2 (rs11614913)by TaqMan-Probe assay method,and used a sample of 20 cervical cancer tissues to test the expression of mature miR-196a by real-time quantitative reverse transcription. Results:When compared with TT genotype,the variant homozygote CC genotype were associated with increased cervical cancer risk(OR=1.45,95%CI = 1.04~2.09) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma(CSCC) risk(OR=1.49,95%CI = 1.05~2.11); moreover,CC genotype was associated with high miRNA levels in CSCC tissues,whereas TT genotype showed a relatively low expression in comparison to both TC/CC (P=0.040) and CC patients(P=0.030). Conclusion:The natural genetic variation in pre-miR-196a2 may affect the amount of mature miR-196a in vivo,and contribute to the susceptibility to cervical cancer.