MicroRNA Profile in CD8+ T-Lymphocytes from HIV-Infected Individuals: Relationship with Antiviral Immune Response and Disease Progression

Advancements in Personalized CAR-T Therapy: Comprehensive Overview of Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Hematological Malignancies

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a novel anticancer therapy using autologous or allogeneic T-cells. To date, six CAR-T therapies for specific B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM) have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Significant barriers to the effectiveness of CAR-T therapy include cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity in the case of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (Allo-SCT) graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), antigen escape, modest antitumor activity, restricted trafficking, limited persistence, the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and senescence and exhaustion of CAR-Ts. Furthermore, cancer drug resistance remains a major problem in clinical practice. CAR-T therapy, in combination with checkpoint blockades and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) or other drugs, appears to be an appealing anticancer strategy. Many of these agents have shown impressive results, combining efficacy with tolerability. Biomarkers like extracellular vesicles (EVs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor (ctDNA) and miRNAs may play an important role in toxicity, relapse assessment, and efficacy prediction, and can be implicated in clinical applications of CAR-T therapy and in establishing safe and efficacious personalized medicine. However, further research is required to fully comprehend the particular side effects of immunomodulation, to ascertain the best order and combination of this medication with conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapies, and to find reliable predictive biomarkers.

The Synthetic Opioid Fentanyl Increases HIV Replication and Chemokine Co-Receptor Expression in Lymphocyte Cell Lines

BACKGROUND

In the United States, the illicit use of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl has led to a serious public health crisis. Synthetic opioids are known to enhance viral replication and to suppress immunologic responses, but their effects on HIV pathogenesis remain unclear. Thus, we examined the impact of fentanyl on HIV-susceptible and HIV-infected cell types.

METHODS

TZM-bl and HIV-infected lymphocyte cells were incubated with fentanyl at varying concentrations. Expression levels of the CXCR4 and CCR5 chemokine receptors and HIV p24 antigen were quantified with ELISA. HIV proviral DNA was quantified using SYBR RT-PCR. Cell viability was detected with the MTT assay. RNAseq was performed to characterize cellular gene regulation in the presence of fentanyl.

RESULTS

Fentanyl enhanced expression of both chemokine receptor levels in a dose-dependent manner in HIV-susceptible and infected cell lines. Similarly, fentanyl induced viral expression in HIV-exposed TZM-bl cells and in HIV-infected lymphocyte cell lines. Multiple genes associated with apoptosis, antiviral/interferon response, chemokine signaling, and NFκB signaling were differentially regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

Synthetic opioid fentanyl impacts HIV replication and chemokine co-receptor expression. Increased virus levels suggest that opioid use may increase the likelihood of transmission and accelerate disease progression.

Selective miRNA inhibition in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes enhances HIV-1 specific cytotoxic responses

miRNAs dictate relevant virus-host interactions, offering new avenues for interventions to achieve an HIV remission. We aimed to enhance HIV-specific cytotoxic responses-a hallmark of natural HIV control- by miRNA modulation in T cells. We recruited 12 participants six elite controllers and six patients with chronic HIV infection on long-term antiretroviral therapy ("progressors"). Elite controllers exhibited stronger HIV-specific cytotoxic responses than the progressors, and their CD8+T cells showed a miRNA (hsa-miR-10a-5p) significantly downregulated. When we transfected ex vivo CD8+ T cells from progressors with a synthetic miR-10a-5p inhibitor, miR-10a-5p levels decreased in 4 out of 6 progressors, correlating with an increase in HIV-specific cytotoxic responses. The effects of miR-10a-5p inhibition on HIV-specific CTL responses were modest, short-lived, and occurred before day seven after modulation. IL-4 and TNF-α levels strongly correlated with HIV-specific cytotoxic capacity. Thus, inhibition of miR-10a-5p enhanced HIV-specific CD8+ T cell capacity in progressors. Our pilot study proves the concept that miRNA modulation is a feasible strategy to combat HIV persistence by enhancing specific cytotoxic immune responses, which will inform new approaches for achieving an antiretroviral therapy-free HIV remission.

Omic Technologies in HIV: Searching Transcriptional Signatures Involved in Long-Term Non-Progressor and HIV Controller Phenotypes

This article reviews the main discoveries achieved by transcriptomic approaches on HIV controller (HIC) and long-term non-progressor (LTNP) individuals, who are able to suppress HIV replication and maintain high CD4+ T cell levels, respectively, in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Different studies using high throughput techniques have elucidated multifactorial causes implied in natural control of HIV infection. Genes related to IFN response, calcium metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, among others, are commonly differentially expressed in LTNP/HIC individuals. Additionally, pathways related with activation, survival, proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation, can be deregulated in these individuals. Likewise, recent transcriptomic studies include high-throughput sequencing in specific immune cell subpopulations, finding additional gene expression patterns associated to viral control and/or non-progression in immune cell subsets. Herein, we provide an overview of the main differentially expressed genes and biological routes commonly observed on immune cells involved in HIV infection from HIC and LTNP individuals, analyzing also different technical aspects that could affect the data analysis and the future perspectives and gaps to be addressed in this field.

Establishment of a miRNA profile in paediatric HIV-1 patients and its potential as a biomarker for effectiveness of the combined antiretroviral therapy

miRNAs have been extensively studied in pathological conditions, including viral infections, such as those provoked by HIV-1. Several cellular and circulating miRNAs are altered during HIV-1 infection, with either beneficial effects on host defenses or enhanced virus infectivity. Blood samples were collected in sterile EDTA tubes and plasma was separated and stored, as were PBMCs. RNA was isolated and reverse-transcribed. Finally, the miRNA gene expression profile was assessed using TaqMan Array Human microRNA Card A v2.0. A comprehensive statistical analysis was performed on the results obtained. This is the first study on miRNAs in HIV-1 paediatric patients, and a miRNA profile differentiating patients starting combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) at different times after HIV-1 diagnosis was established. Thirty-four miRNAs were observed to have different expression levels between the control group and the cART group. The data indicates the need to start cART as soon as possible after the establishment of HIV-1 infection to assure the best outcome possible. Finally, the selected 34 miRNAs may be used as biomarkers for prognosis and assessing therapy effectiveness. However, more research must be conducted to establish adequate quantitative correlations.

MiRNA expression profiling in HIV pathogenesis, disease progression and response to treatment: a systematic review

Aim: A systematic review was conducted to identify the association of miRNA expression with HIV pathogenesis, progression and treatment. Methods: A search of articles was conducted in MEDLINE^®, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Global Health. Results: 35 articles were included. Due to the heterogeneity of HIV phenotypes, a harmonization based on key progression parameters was proposed. The hsa-miR-29 family, hsa-miR-146b-5p and hsa-miR-150-5p, are the most frequently differentially expressed in HIV. Direct comparison of studies was not possible due to heterogeneity in biological samples and miRNA analysis techniques. Conclusion: This is the first attempt to systematically identify miRNA's different expression in well-defined patient phenotypes and could represent a helpful way to increase general knowledge in this field.

Evaluation of the expression pattern of 4 microRNAs and their correlation with cellular/viral factors in PBMCs of Long Term non-progressors and HIV infected naïve Individuals

BACKGROUND

Long-term non-progressors (LTNPs) are small subsets of HIV-infected subjects that can control HIV-1 replication for several years without receiving ART. The exact mechanism of HIV-1 suppression has not yet been completely elucidated. Although the modulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in HIV-1 replication has been reported, their importance in LTNPs is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the expression pattern of miR-27b, -29, -150, and -221, as well as their relationship with CD4+ T-cell count, HIV-1 viral load, and nef gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of untreated viremic patients and in LTNPs.

METHODS

MiRNAs expression levels were evaluated with real-time PCR assay using RNA isolated from PBMCs of LTNPs, HIV-1 infected naive patients, and healthy people. Moreover, CD4 T-cell count, HIV viral load, and nef gene expression were assessed.

RESULTS

The expression level of all miRNAs significantly decreased in the HIV-1 patient group compared to the control group, while the expression pattern of miRNAs in the LNTPs group was similar to that in the healthy subject group. In addition, there were significant correlations between some miRNA expression with viral load, CD4+ T-cell count, and nef gene expression.

CONCLUSION

The significant similarity and difference of the miRNA expression pattern between LNTPs and healthy individuals as well as between elite controllers and HIV-infected patients, respectively, showed that these miRNAs could be used as diagnostic biomarkers. Further, positive and negative correlations between miRNAs expression and viral/cellular factors could justify the role of these miRNAs in HIV-1 disease monitoring.

Association of Transcriptomic Signatures of Inflammatory Response with Viral Control after Dendritic Cell-Based Therapeutic Vaccination in HIV-1 Infected Individuals

Systems vaccinology has seldomly been used in therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine research. Our aim was to identify early gene ‘signatures’ that predicted virus load control after analytical therapy interruption (ATI) in participants of a dendritic cell-based HIV-1 vaccine trial (DCV2). mRNA and miRNA were extracted from frozen post-vaccination PBMC samples; gene expression was determined by microarray method. In gene set enrichment analysis, responders showed an up-regulation of 14 gene sets (TNF-alpha/NFkB pathway, inflammatory response, the complement system, Il6 and Il2 JAK-STAT signaling, among others) and a down-regulation of 7 gene sets (such as E2F targets or interferon alpha response). The expression of genes regulated by three (miR-223-3p, miR-1183 and miR-8063) of the 9 differentially expressed miRNAs was significantly down-regulated in responders. The deregulation of certain gene sets related to inflammatory processes seems fundamental for viral control, and certain miRNAs may be important in fine-tuning these processes.

Long non-coding RNA FOXD2-AS1 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells via regulating the expression of miR-4492

The aim of the present study was to determine the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) forkhead box D2 antisense 1 (FOXD2-AS1) in the development of ovarian cancer, investigate the underlying mechanisms and provide a potential diagnostic biomarker for ovarian cancer. A total of 39 ovarian cancer patients were included, and the ovarian cancer tissues and paracancer tissues were obtained. The ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and OVCAR3 and the human ovarian normal epithelial cell line IOSE80 were cultured. The expression of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 and miR-4492 was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Small interfering RNA targeting FOXD2-AS1 (si-FOXD2-AS1), microRNA (miR)-4492 mimics, miR-4492 inhibitor and their corresponding controls were transfected into cells. The proliferation was detected with a Cell-Couting-Kit-8 assay, and migration and invasion were determined using Transwell assays. The mutual binding site of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 and miR-4492 was predicted with the miRDB database and verified by a luciferase reporter assay. Finally, a rescue assay was performed. The results suggested that lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. si-FOXD2-AS1 was able to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 was confirmed to directly target miR-4492. The expression of lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 and miR-4492 exhibited a negative correlation. In a rescue experiment, miR-4492 inhibitor abrogated the effect of siFOXD2-AS1 in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cell lines. In conclusion, lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 promotes the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells via regulating the expression of miR-4492. It may be a novel potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

The Impact of microRNA Regulation on Immune Recovery in HIV-1-Infected Patients Treated during Acute Infection: A Pilot Study

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs involved in a large range of cellular activities and can be used as biomarkers and indicators for diagnosis. We investigated the alterations in miRNA profiles in immune reconstituted vs. nonimmune reconstituted HIV-1-infected individuals to assess the association between miRNAs and the occurrence of immunological nonresponses, with the aim of searching for miRNA-based biomarkers for these HIV-1-infected individuals. Thirteen immunological responders (IRs) and 12 immunological nonresponders (INRs) were recruited, and RNA was collected from the plasma samples of the 25 HIV-1-infected individuals at both baseline and after 24 months of maintaining virological suppression (VS). Next-generation sequencing was used to detect miRNAs and evaluate the expression differences in miRNAs between IR and INR patients and between baseline and after 24 months of maintaining VS. Samples from 13 IRs and 11 INRs were successfully sequenced. The horizontal comparison of differentially expressed miRNAs between the groups and the longitudinal comparison of differentially expressed miRNAs between baseline and after 24 months of maintaining VS showed that a large proportion of miRNAs in INRs are downregulated compared to the levels in IRs. We also found that the miRNA let-7d-5p was downregulated in 9 INRs but only in 2 IRs by more than 2-fold. The difference was significant. In summary, these results demonstrate for the first time that a large proportion of miRNAs are downregulated in INRs compared with IRs, and the miRNA let-7d-5p is a potential biomarker for INRs.

MicroRNAs and exosomes: key players in HIV pathogenesis

OBJECTIVES

HIV infection is well known to cause impairment of the human immune system, and until recently was a leading cause of death. It has been shown that T lymphocytes are the main targets of HIV. The virus inactivates T lymphocytes by interfering with a wide range of cellular and molecular targets, leading to suppression of the immune system. The objective of this review is to investigate to what extent microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in HIV pathogenesis.

METHODS

The scientific literature (Pubmed and Google scholar) for the period 1988-2019 was searched.

RESULTS

Mounting evidence has revealed that miRNAs are involved in viral replication and immune response, whether by direct targeting of viral transcripts or through indirect modulation of virus-related host pathways. In addition, exosomes have been found to act as nanoscale carriers involved in HIV pathogenesis. These nanovehicles target their cargos (i.e. DNA, RNA, viral proteins and miRNAs) leading to alteration of the behaviour of recipient cells.

CONCLUSIONS

miRNAs and exosomes are important players in HIV pathogenesis. Additionally, there are potential diagnostic applications of miRNAs as biomarkers in HIV infection.

Differential expression of miR-4492 and IL-10 is involved in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common types of respiratory disease and affects a large proportion of the population worldwide. The clinical differences between CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) facilitate studies on the development of polyps. In the present study, next-generation sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in CRSwNP vs. CRSsNP tissues and subsequently validated the expression of selected genes using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. In total, 6 miRNAs were identified to be downregulated in the CRSwNP samples compared with those in the CRSsNP samples. The predicted targets of these miRNAs were determined to be enriched in a number of signaling pathways, including the ErbB, Ras, cyclic adenosine monophosphate and Janus kinase (Jak)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways. The expression of miR-4492 and that if its targets predicted by a bioinformatics analysis, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-10, was validated in 96 clinical specimens. miR-4492 was downregulated and IL-10 was upregulated in CRSwNP vs. CRSsNP tissues, and an inverse correlation between miR-4492 and IL-10 was determined in CRS tissues; however no difference was identified in the expression of TNF-α between the different groups. The present results indicate that the miR-4492/IL-10 interaction in the Jak/STAT signaling pathway may be one of the key mechanisms in CRSwNP.

Genetic and clinical predictors of CD4 lymphocyte recovery during suppressive antiretroviral therapy: Whole exome sequencing and antiretroviral therapy response phenotypes

Increase of peripheral blood CD4 lymphocyte counts is a key goal of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART); most, but not all, recipients respond adequately and promptly. A small number of studies have examined specific genetic factors associated with the extent of CD4 recovery. We report a genome-wide examination of factors that predict CD4 recovery in HIV-infected women. We identified women in in a cohort study who were on cART with viral load below 400 copies, and drew racially and ethnically matched samples of those with good CD4 response over 2 years or poor response. We analyzed the exomes of those women employing next generation sequencing for genes associated with CD4 recovery after controlling for non-genetic factors identified through forward stepwise selection as important. We studied 48 women with good CD4 recovery and 42 with poor CD4 recovery during virologically-suppressive cART. Stepwise logistic regression selected only age as a statistically significant (p<0.05) non-genetic predictor of response type (each additional year of age reduced the odds of good recovery by 11% (OR = 0.89, CI = 0.84–0.96, p = 0.0009). After adjustment for age and genomic estimates of race and ethnicity, 41 genes harbored variations associated with CD4 recovery group (p≤0.001); 5 of these have been previously reported to be associated with HIV infection, 4 genes would likely influence CD4 homeostasis, and 13 genes either had known functions or were members of product families that had functions for which interactions with HIV or effects on lymphocyte homeostasis were biologically plausible. Greater age was the strongest acquired factor that predicted poor CD4 cell recovery. Sequence variations spanning 41 genes were independently predictive of CD4 recovery. Many of these genes have functions that impact the cell cycle, apoptosis, lymphocyte migration, or have known interactions with HIV. These findings may help inform new hypotheses related to responses to HIV therapy and CD4 lymphocyte homeostasis.

Impact of Alcohol on HIV Disease Pathogenesis, Comorbidities and Aging: Integrating Preclinical and Clinical Findings

Short Summary

: Effective combined antiretroviral therapy regimens have extended survival of persons living with HIV (PLWH). Heavy alcohol consumption is common in PLWH. This overview integrates evidence from clinical and preclinical research to identify salient alcohol-related mechanisms and comorbidities contributing to disease pathogenesis and accelerated aging and senescence in PLWH.

Polymorphism rs1385129 Within Glut1 Gene SLC2A1 Is Linked to Poor CD4+ T Cell Recovery in Antiretroviral-Treated HIV+ Individuals

Untreated HIV infection is associated with progressive CD4+ T cell depletion, which is generally recovered with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, a significant proportion of cART-treated individuals have poor CD4+ T cell reconstitution. We investigated associations between HIV disease progression and CD4+ T cell glucose transporter-1 (Glut1) expression. We also investigated the association between these variables and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the Glut1 regulatory gene AKT (rs1130214, rs2494732, rs1130233, and rs3730358) and in the Glut1-expressing gene SLC2A1 (rs1385129 and rs841853) and antisense RNA 1 region SLC2A1-AS1 (rs710218). High CD4+Glut1+ T cell percentage is associated with rapid CD4+ T cell decline in HIV-positive treatment-naïve individuals and poor T cell recovery in HIV-positive individuals on cART. Evidence suggests that poor CD4+ T cell recovery in treated HIV-positive individuals is linked to the homozygous genotype (GG) associated with SLC2A1 SNP rs1385129 when compared to those with a recessive allele (GA/AA) (odds ratio = 4.67; P = 0.04). Furthermore, poor response to therapy is less likely among Australian participants when compared against American participants (odds ratio: 0.12; P = 0.01) despite there being no difference in prevalence of a specific genotype for any of the SNPs analyzed between nationalities. Finally, CD4+Glut1+ T cell percentage is elevated among those with a homozygous dominant genotype for SNPs rs1385129 (GG) and rs710218 (AA) when compared to those with a recessive allele (GA/AA and AT/TT respectively) (P < 0.04). The heterozygous genotype associated with AKT SNP 1130214 (GT) had a higher CD4+Glut1+ T cell percentage when compared to the dominant homozygous genotype (GG) (P = 0.0068). The frequency of circulating CD4+Glut1+ T cells and the rs1385129 SLC2A1 SNP may predict the rate of HIV disease progression and CD4+ T cell recovery in untreated and treated infection, respectively.

Clinical significance of costimulatory molecules CD40/CD40L and CD134/CD134L in coronary heart disease: A case-control study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential role of CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD134/CD134 ligand (CD134L) in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) via the performance of a case-control study.The research objects were 234 cases of CHD patients and 120 cases of well-matched normal controls. Following the separation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry were applied for the detection of mRNA levels and expression levels of CD40/CD40L and CD134/CD134L; meanwhile, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and Fas protein mRNA levels were detected using qRT-PCR.There was no statistical difference in the comparison of baseline characteristics between groups, indicating comparability between groups. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis indicated that CD40/CD40L and CD134/CD134L mRNA and protein expression levels were all increased in the CHD group than those in the control group. Flow cytometry further confirmed the similar tendency. Meanwhile, ICAM-1 and Fas protein mRNA levels were elevated in the CHD group and positively correlated with the above parameters. Furthermore, CD40/CD40L expression rates were negatively correlated with gender and different types of CHD. Meanwhile, CD134/CD134L expressions were also higher in male patients, in patients with family history, previous history of hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular diseases.CD40/CD40L and CD134/CD134L are increased and may have potential correlation with clinical pathological features of patients with CHD. Further in-depth exploration of costimulatory molecules for CHD guidance as well as intrinsic mechanisms are needed combined with in vivo and in vitro experiments.

MicroRNA-210, MicroRNA-331, and MicroRNA-7 Are Differentially Regulated in Treated HIV-1-Infected Individuals and Are Associated With Markers of Systemic Inflammation

OBJECTIVE

Inflammation may contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in HIV-1 infection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of inflammation. In treated HIV-1-infected individuals, we aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs with known roles in inflammation and CVD risk and to investigate associations between these and systemic inflammation.

METHODS

In a screening cohort including 14 HIV-1-infected individuals and 9 uninfected controls, microarray profiling was performed using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Differentially regulated miRNAs previously related to inflammation and CVD were validated using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in 26 HIV-1-infected individuals and 20 uninfected controls. Validated miRNAs were measured in PBMCs, CD4 and CD8 T cells. Interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G, lipids, and fasting glucose were measured, and associations with validated miRNAs were assessed with multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

Upregulation of miR-210, miR-7, and miR-331 was found in PBMCs from HIV-1-infected individuals when compared with those from uninfected controls (P < 0.005). In contrast, miR-210 and miR-331 were downregulated in CD8 T cells. In multivariate analysis, miR-210 in CD8 T cells was negatively associated with LPS (P = 0.023) and triglycerides (P = 0.003) but positively associated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P = 0.004). MiR-7 in PBMC was positively associated with interleukin-6 (P = 0.025) and fasting glucose (P = 0.005), whereas miR-331 was negatively associated with LPS (P = 0.006). In PBMCs from HIV-1-infected individuals with low cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G, miR-7, miR-29a, miR-221, and miR-222 were downregulated.

CONCLUSION

In 2 independent cohorts, miR-210, miR-7, and miR-331 were differentially regulated in treated HIV-1-infected individuals and associated with markers of systemic inflammation.

Visualizing the life of mRNA in T cells

T cells release ample amounts of cytokines during infection. This property is critical to prevent pathogen spreading and persistence. Nevertheless, whereas rapid and ample cytokine production supports the clearance of pathogens, the production must be restricted in time and location to prevent detrimental effects of chronic inflammation and immunopathology. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes determine the levels of cytokine production. How these regulatory mechanisms are interconnected, and how they regulate the magnitude of protein production in primary T cells is to date not well studied. Here, we highlight recent advances in the field that boost our understanding of the regulatory processes of cytokine production of T cells, with a focus on transcription, mRNA stability, localization and translation.

Utility of Systematic Isolation of immune cell subsets from HIV-infected individuals for miRNA profiling

INTRODUCTION

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are frequently used for genomic analyses, but several factors can affect the yield and integrity of nucleic acids, including the methods of cell collection and isolation. The goal of this work was to analyze the utility of systematic isolation of different immune cell subsets by immunomagnetic separation and the RNA integrity after isolated cells from samples of HIV-infected patients.

METHODS

PBMC from Healthy Controls (HC, n=15), Elite Controllers (EC, n=15), Viremic Controllers (VC, n=15), Viremic Progressors (VP, n=15) and HIV-infected patients on therapy (ART, n=15) were isolated by Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation. Subsets were separated with monoclonal antibodies (CD56, CD14, CD4, and CD8) conjugated to microbeads. We evaluated the yield and purity of each subset isolated from PBMCs under resting and activated conditions; LPS, anti-CD3/CD28 and anti-CD16 were used to activate monocytes, PBMC, T cells and NK cells, respectively. The quality of extracted RNA was tested by 2100 Bioanalyzer.

RESULTS

In resting conditions, the average yield of CD14⁺ (monocytes) was decreased (p=0.021) in HIV+ patients compared with healthy controls. CD56⁺ (Natural Killer-NKs; p=0.03) and CD8⁺ (Cytotoxic T lymphocytes-CTL p=0.001) cells were increased in HIV+ patients after 72h of activation. The purity assay detected significant differences in CD14⁺ (p≤0.001) and CD8⁺ (p=0.034) subpopulations when comparing PBMC isolated either from healthy controls or HIV+ patients. The number of activated cells in HIV+ presented differences in CD8 subset (p=0.003). Finally, similar quantities of high quality RNA were extracted from immune cells subsets obtained by our method. Specifically, we show that Bioanalyzer electrophenograms reveal optimal RIN values in HIV positive and negative patients in resting condition (EC:8;HC:6.5;VC:8.80;VP:8;HAART:7.5) and activated condition (EC:9;HC:6.7;VC:8.2;VP:7.2;HAART:8.6).

CONCLUSION

This method allowed us to obtain a sufficient quantity of different isolated immune cell subsets from HIV-infected individuals at different disease stages. Moreover, the assessed qualities of nucleic acids allow us to perform subsequent molecular studies, such as microRNA profiling.