Analysis of miRNA profiles in CD4+ T-lymphocytes following exposure to HIV-1

ABSTRACT: Assessment of the extent to which the altered profiles of miRNA expression influence viral replication and latency, as well as the efficiency of host defenses, may be useful for understanding the basis of the HIV-1-related alterations in cellular physiology and immunologic control. To this end, three patient groups were enrolled. One group consisted of subjects who were classified as élite control long-term non-progressors (éLTNP). A second study group was HIV-1-positive subjects, who were antiretroviral therapy naive. A third group was multiply exposed to HIV-1, but uninfected (MEU). This study allowed us to investigate the existence of a CD4+T- lymphocytes miRNAs signature able to discriminate among different stages of HIV-1 infection, and to evaluate whether the exposure to HIV-1 antigen is sufficient to change the miRNA profile. MicroRNAs inhibit HIV-1 expression by either modulating host innate immunity or by directly interfering with viral mRNAs. We evaluated the expression of 377 miRNAs in CD4+ T cells from HIV-1 élite LTNP (éLTNP), naive and multiply exposed uninfected individuals (MEU) and we observed that the éLTNP patients clustered with naive, whereas all MEU subjects grouped together. The discriminatory power of miRNAs showed that 21 miRNAs significantly differentiated éLTNP from MEU and 23 miRNAs distinguished naive from MEU, while only 1 (miR-155) discriminated éLTNP from naive. We proposed that miRNA expression may discriminate between HIV-1 infected and exposed but negative individuals. Analysis of miRNAs expression after exposure of healthy CD4+T cells to gp120 in vitro confirmed our hypothesis that a miRNA profile could be the result not only of a productive infection, but also of the exposure to HIV-1 products that leave a signature in immune cells. The comparison of normalized Dicer and Drosha expression in ex vivo and in vitro conditions revealed that these enzymes did not affect the change of miRNA profiles, supporting the existence of a Dicer-independent biogenesis pathway.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE33514 | GEO | 2011/11/08

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA148815

REPOSITORIES: GEO