Project description:Elite controllers maintain HIV-1 viral loads below the limit of detection. The mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are poorly understood. As microRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of gene expression and some of them modulate HIV infection, we have studied the miRNA profile in plasma from HIV elite controllers and chronically infected individuals and compared against healthy donors. Several miRNAs correlate with CD4+ T cell count or with the known time of infection. No significant differences were observed between elite controllers and healthy donors; however, 16 miRNAs were different in the plasma of chronic infected versus healthy donors. In addition, levels of hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-miR-33a-5p and hsa-miR-146a-5p were higher in plasma from elite controllers than chronic infected and hsa-miR-29b-3p and hsa-miR-33a-5p overexpression significantly reduced the viral production in MT2 cells. Therefore, levels of circulating miRNAs might be of diagnostic and/or prognostic value for HIV infection. Additionally, hsa-miR-29b-3p and miR-33a-5p may be used in therapeutic strategies. An exploratory cross-sectional study of microRNA levels in EDTA plasma samples. Plasma samples were obtained from 24 subjects and were classified in 3 groups, 9 Elite Controllers (defined as individuals with plasma viral load (PVL) < 50 copies/ml, CD4 count >350/ml), 9 chronic HIV patients (CH) under anti-retroviral treatment and 6 healthy HIV negative donors (HD). This study was approved by the HuM-CM-)sped Foundation Ethics Committee and informed consent was obtained from all subjects.
Project description:Elite controllers maintain HIV-1 viral loads below the limit of detection. The mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are poorly understood. As microRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of gene expression and some of them modulate HIV infection, we have studied the miRNA profile in plasma from HIV elite controllers and chronically infected individuals and compared against healthy donors. Several miRNAs correlate with CD4+ T cell count or with the known time of infection. No significant differences were observed between elite controllers and healthy donors; however, 16 miRNAs were different in the plasma of chronic infected versus healthy donors. In addition, levels of hsa-miR-29b-3p, hsa-miR-33a-5p and hsa-miR-146a-5p were higher in plasma from elite controllers than chronic infected and hsa-miR-29b-3p and hsa-miR-33a-5p overexpression significantly reduced the viral production in MT2 cells. Therefore, levels of circulating miRNAs might be of diagnostic and/or prognostic value for HIV infection. Additionally, hsa-miR-29b-3p and miR-33a-5p may be used in therapeutic strategies.
Project description:HIV-1 elite controllers maintain undetectable levels of viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, but their underlying immunological and virological characteristics may vary. Here, we used a whole-genome transcriptional profiling approach to characterize gene expression signatures of CD4 T cells from an unselected cohort of elite controllers. In the majority of elite controllers, transcriptional profiles were similar to HAART-treated patients, while being different from HIV-1 negative persons. Yet, a smaller proportion of elite controllers showed an opposite gene expression pattern that was indistinguishable from HIV-1 negative persons, but different from HAART-treated individuals. Elite controllers with this gene expression signature had significantly higher CD4 T cell counts, smaller levels of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses and tended to have lower residual HIV-1 viremia as determined by ultra-sensitive single-digit PCR, but did not differ from other elite controllers in terms of HLA class I alleles, age or sex. Thus, these data identify a specific subgroup of elite controllers whose clinical, immunological and gene expression characteristics approximate those of HIV-1 negative persons.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of CD4 T cells from uninfected and HIV-infected individuals (viremic, ART-suppressed and elite controllers [EC]) The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 485,577 CpGs in DNA from peripheral CD4 T cells samples. Samples included: 22 from HIV-uninfected individuals (uninfected group), 42 from HIV-infected individuals (21 from HIV-infected viremic (viremic group) and 21 from the same participants after viral suppression (viral load< 50 copies HIV-1 RNA/plasma) by antiretroviral therapy administrarion (ART group), and 21 from elite controllers (EC group)
Project description:HIV-1 elite controllers maintain undetectable levels of viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, but their underlying immunological and virological characteristics may vary. Here, we used a whole-genome transcriptional profiling approach to characterize gene expression signatures of CD4 T cells from an unselected cohort of elite controllers. In the majority of elite controllers, transcriptional profiles were similar to HAART-treated patients, while being different from HIV-1 negative persons. Yet, a smaller proportion of elite controllers showed an opposite gene expression pattern that was indistinguishable from HIV-1 negative persons, but different from HAART-treated individuals. Elite controllers with this gene expression signature had significantly higher CD4 T cell counts, smaller levels of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell responses and tended to have lower residual HIV-1 viremia as determined by ultra-sensitive single-digit PCR, but did not differ from other elite controllers in terms of HLA class I alleles, age or sex. Thus, these data identify a specific subgroup of elite controllers whose clinical, immunological and gene expression characteristics approximate those of HIV-1 negative persons. PBMC from study persons were stained with monoclonal antibodies against CD3, CD4 and HLA-DR, and subsequently subjected to live sorting at 70 psi using an ARIA cell sorting device (Becton Dickinson) located in a specifically designated biosafety cabinet. Following mRNA extraction form the sorted cells (RNAeasy kit, Qiagen), whole genome transcriptional profiling was performed using WG-DASL microarrays (Illumina) according to standard protocols. We included an unselected cohort of elite controllers (n = 12) and two background populations of HIV-1 negative persons (n = 9) and HIV-1 infected persons effectively treated with HAART (n = 14). Four replicates were included in the study.
Project description:Background: The emerging relationship between microRNAs (miRNA) and viral-control is a topic of interest in the field of HIV. Host-genome might play an important role in the control of viremia. The aim of this study was to assess the specific miRNA profile that could contribute to the control of HIV replication in Elite Controllers. Results: After adequate normalization, expression profile of 286 human miRNAs (hsa-miR) was evaluated in 29 individuals classified in 4 groups: 8 elite controllers (EC; viral load <50 cp/ml without treatment), 8 viremic progressors (VP; VL>5000 cp/ml without treatment), 8 patients under antiretroviral treatment (ART; VL<200cp/ml) and 5 uninfected individuals (HIV-) through TaqMan® Array Human microRNA Cards v3.0. A differential expression pattern consisting of 23 miRNAs overcame significantly different when comparing EC and VP. Profiling analysis segregated the population in two different blocks: while EC and HIV- clustered together in the same block (EC/HIV-_block 1), VP and ART individuals clustered together in a second block (VP/ART_block 2). Two inversely expressed miRNA patterns were determined within those two blocks: a set of 4 miRNAs (hsa-miR-221, -27a, -27b and -29b) was up-expressed in EC/HIV-_block and down-expressed in VP/ART_block while 19 miRNAs were down-expressed in block 1 and up-expressed in block 2. Differential miRNAs were successfully validated through individual RT-qPCR assays. Conclusions: Profile in EC resembled HIV- and differentially clusters with VP and ART. Therefore, differential clustering does not rely on undetectable viremia. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples were from five uninfected controls, eight viremic HIV-1-infected patients, eight HIV-1 elite controllers with undetectable viral load and eight HIV-1antiretroviral treated individuals with undetectable viral load.
Project description:The relationship between host microRNAs (miRNA), viral control and immune response has not been elucidated in the field of HIV yet. The aim of this study was to assess the differential miRNA profile in CD8+ T-cells between HIV-infected individuals who differ in terms of disease progression. A total of 136 RNAs (miRNAs) were analyzed: 68 RNAs from resting CD8+ T-cells and the respective 68 RNAs from stimulated CD8+ T-cells from Elite Controllers (EC, n=15), Viremic Controllers (VC, n=15), Viremic Progressors (VP, n=13), Treated Patients (ART, n=14) and Uninfect Donors (HIV-, n=11).
Project description:We aimed to determine the association between extracellular miRs and HIV infection, and have demonstrated unique expression profile of 29 miRs in HIV+ subjects and 34 miRs in elite controllers as compared to HIV- subjects. Elite HIV+ subjects are those who are HIV+, not on antiretroviral therapy, and with HIV viral load <200 copies/mL.
Project description:CD8+ T cells from HLA-B*2705 HIV+ elite controllers Hi and Lo samples are CD8+ T cells bound by an HLA-B*2705 tetramer specific for the Gag p24 peptide KK10
Project description:Background: The emerging relationship between microRNAs (miRNA) and viral-control is a topic of interest in the field of HIV. Host-genome might play an important role in the control of viremia. The aim of this study was to assess the specific miRNA profile that could contribute to the control of HIV replication in Elite Controllers Results: After adequate normalization, expression profile of 286 human miRNAs (hsa-miR) was evaluated in phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs from 29 individuals classified in 4 groups: 8 elite controllers (EC; viral load <50 cp/ml without treatment), 8 viremic progressors (VP; VL>5000 cp/ml without treatment), 8 patients under antiretroviral treatment (ART; VL<200cp/ml) and 5 uninfected individuals (HIV-) through TaqMan® Array Human microRNA Cards v3.0. A differential expression pattern consisting of 23 miRNAs overcame significantly different when comparing EC and VP. Profiling analysis segregated the population in two different blocks: while EC and HIV- clustered together in the same block (EC/HIV-_block 1), VP and ART individuals clustered together in a second block (VP/ART_block 2). Two inversely expressed miRNA patterns were determined within those two blocks: a set of 4 miRNAs (hsa-miR-221, -27a, -27b and -29b) was up-expressed in EC/HIV-_block and down-expressed in VP/ART_block while 19 miRNAs were down-expressed in block 1 and up-expressed in block 2. Differential miRNAs were successfully validated through individual RT-qPCR assays. Conclusions: Profile in EC resembled HIV- and differentially clusters with VP and ART. Therefore, differential clustering does not rely on undetectable viremia.