Downregulation of SERINC5 expression in buffy coats of HIV-1-infected patients with detectable or undetectable viral load.

Among the host restriction factors against HIV, SERINC5 has been described in vitro, but the mRNA level of SERINC5 in vivo has been little studied. We compare SERINC5 expression in subjects with HIV-1 (highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) and HAART-naïve) with and without suppression of viral load. A cross-sectional study was performed with 107 individuals distributed as follows: 24 with HAART-naïve and detectable viral load (> 50 copies/mL), 13 with HAART and detectable viral load (> 50 copies/mL), 50 with HAART and undetectable viral load (≤ 50 copies/mL), and 20 without HIV-1. SERINC5 expression in buffy coats was determined using RT-qPCR. The viral load was determined using real-time PCR and the amount of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocytes was measured using flow cytometry. The data were normalized with the Shapiro-Wilk test and the Kruskal-Wallis test was subsequently performed. The relative expression was compared with a T-test and the remaining data with the Mann-Whitney U-test. ANCOVA multiple linear regression analysis was performed between characteristics of patients with SERINC5 expression. The mean and SD of the SERINC5 expression in the three groups with HIV-1 was 0.9 ± 0.2 and without HIV-1 was 1.7 ± 0.14 (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression did not show the participation of CD4 +, CD8 + , viral load, infection time, or treatment time. No differences in the SERINC5 expression were found among the studied groups of patients with HIV-1. When comparing the groups with and without HIV-1 infection, SERINC5 was downregulation in the HIV-1 groups.

Genomic instability in people living with HIV.

The increased life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH) receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) has transformed HIV infection into a chronic disease. However, patients may be at risk of accelerated aging and the accumulation of cellular damage, which may trigger the development of cancer. We evaluated genomic instability in HIV-positive individuals with different viral loads receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) and in HIV ART-naïve individuals. We included 67 participants divided into four groups: group 1 (n = 24) HIV patients receiving reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (tenofovir/ emtricitabine/ efavirenz and abacavir/ lamivudine/ efavirenz), group 2 (n = 22) HIV patients receiving protease inhibitors combined with other antiretroviral drugs (tenofovir/ emtricitabine with ritonavir/ atazanavir or lopinavir/ ritonavir, and darunavir/ ritonavir/ raltegravir), group 3 (n = 13) HIV ART-naïve patients, and group 4 (n = 8) healthy individuals (controls). Nuclear abnormalities in buccal mucosal samples (micronuclei, binucleated cells, nuclear buds, karyorrhexis, karyolysis, and pyknosis) were quantified. Simultaneously, blood samples were taken to quantify CD4+, CD8+, and HIV viral load. There was a significant age difference between HIV ART-naïve patients and receiving ART groups. Infection time was longer in HIV patients with ART than in ART-naïve patients. There were no differences in sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, or number of micronucleated cells between the study groups. We found higher frequencies of binucleated cells and nuclear buds in HIV patients, HIV ART-naïve, and HIV ART patients compared to the control group. We found a positive correlation between nuclear buds and CD4/CD8 ratio in the HIV ART-naïve group. In conclusion, PLWH showed increased genomic instability. The CD4/CD8 ratio affects the numbers of nuclear buds and binucleated cells. These findings are pertinent to mechanisms of damage and possible strategies to mitigate carcinogenesis in PLWH.

MicroRNA-296-5p is differentially expressed in individuals with and without HIV-1 infection.

MicroRNAs are considered as potential biomarkers, agents, or therapeutic targets; few studies have addressed the expression of miRNAs in treatment-naïve patients infected with HIV-1. The aim of this study was to assess plasma relative circulating miRNA expression profiles in treatment-naïve Mexican patients with HIV/AIDS and healthy individuals using a commercial array. A low CD4+ T cell count and high viral load were found in all patients. Decreased relative miRNA-296-5p expression was observed in patients; moreover, this was the only miRNA that showed differences between the two groups. Thus, we measured the absolute expression of miR-296-5p by qPCR, confirming the result with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). There is evidence that miR-296-5p regulates the expression of the PIN1 gene, which encodes the peptidylprolyl Cis/Trans isomerase NIMA-Interacting-1, that is involved in different stages of the biological cycle of HIV-1, this relationship is corroborated by bioinformatics analysis and ELISA assay was used to measure plasma levels of PIN1. The decreased expression of miR-296-5p found in naïve patients with HIV infection suggests a regulatory activity of this miRNA on virus replication, making it a potential therapeutic agent against HIV. Finally, miR-296-5p could be inhibiting the virus transcription by regulating genes different than PIN1.

Plasma microRNA expression levels in HIV-1-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) may serve as therapeutic agents or targets in diseases in which the expression of proteins plays an important role. The aim of the present study was to compare the expression levels of specific miRNAs, as well as their correlation with markers of response to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, in patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection with and without resistance to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: miRNA assays were performed on plasma samples obtained from 20 HIV-1-positive patients. A total of ten patients were divided into two groups: HAART-responsive and HAART-resistant (n=5 per group). Commercial arrays were subsequently used to identify 84 miRNAs. A total of three differentially expressed miRNAs were selected and analyzed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Five other patients were subsequently added to each group for a new relative expression analysis. The absolute expression level of the two miRNAs was obtained and compared using the Student's t test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify patients with antiretroviral therapy (ART) resistance. RESULTS: The array analysis revealed that miR-15b-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-126-3p and miR-150-5p were down-regulated in patients with HAART-resistance comparing with HAART-responsive. The expression levels of miR-16-5p, miR-26a-5p and miR-150-5p were confirmed using qPCR. The area under the ROC curve was 1.0 for the three miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: The lower expression levels of miR-16-5p and miR-26a-5p in patients with HAART-resistance suggested that these may serve as potential biomarkers for the identification of HAART-responsive patients.