Elevated expression of miR-146a correlates with high levels of immune cell exhaustion markers and suppresses cellular immune function in chronic HIV-1-infected patients.

ABSTRACT: Functional exhaustion of immune cells is a defining characteristic of HIV-1 chronic infections, exhibiting dysregulation of cellular immune responses and expression of co-inhibitory receptors. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling immune-cell exhaustion retains largely unknown, immune checkpoint blockade strategy has shown inspiring potential to reinvigorate T cell functions in chronic infections. In this study, we investigated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exhaustion markers from 109 chronic HIV-1-infected patients and found they correlated positively with microRNA-146a, which was inversely correlated with CD4+ T cell count. Intriguingly, ex vivo neutralization of miR-146a in PBMCs from chronic HIV-1 infection exhibited an elevated antiviral cytokines production as we

SUBMITTER: Yu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6906421 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature