Expression of microRNA-155 in circulating T cells is an indicator of immune activation levels in HIV-1 infected patients

Abstract

Objectives: MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) regulates activation of T cells. However, its relationship with T-cell immune activation level in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients remains unclear.

Methods: We recruited 103 HIV-1 infected patients with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and 79 cART naïve patients. The miR-155 levels in circulatory T cells were detected by quantitative reverse transcription–PCR. T cell immune activation was detected by the expression of CD38 via flow cytometry.

Results: The levels of miR-155 in the total peripheral blood mononuclear cells, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells from HIV-1 patients were increased (p < 0.01). cART naïve patients exhibited much higher miR-155 levels in CD4 + and CD8+ T cells than patients with cART(p < 0.01). The percentage of CD4 + CD38+ T and CD8 + CD38+ T cells was also increased in cART naïve patients (p < 0.01). MiR-155 level was positively related to immune activation of T cells.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that miR-155 levels in circulating T cells of HIV-1 patients are increased and associated with T cell activation.

Keywords:

• Human immunodeficiency virus
• combination antiretroviral therapy
• microRNA-155
• CD38
• immune activation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Contributions of authors

Zhenghao Zhang (first author)was the principal investigators who designed the research, supervised data and sample collection, conducted the analyses and drafted the manuscript. Yong Wu and Jiangnan Chen recruited volunteers, collected samples. Fangqing Hu and Xuefang Chen supervised the performance of flow cytometry and q-PCR. Wenfang Xu (corresponding author) coordinated the study and revised the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Science &Technology Foundation(2017KY667) in the collection, analysis and in the decision to submit the article for publication.