title: Coordinated increase of miRNA-155 and miRNA-196b expression correlates with the detection of the antigenomic strand of hepatitis C virus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: A tight relationship has been revealed between cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) and the course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in human hepatoma cells. Although the detection of the antigenomic HCV RNA strand in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has provided evidence for viral replication in PBMCs, no reports have shown how miRNAs are affected upon HCV RNA synthesis in PBMCs. The aim of the present study was to assess if and how the expression levels of miRNA-155 and miRNA-196b in PBMCs are related to HCV replication in PBMCs of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Supporting analyses were performed to evaluate the expression of precursor pri-miR-155 (BIC) and Dicer protein. The genomic and antigenomic HCV RNA strands in PBMCs were detected by strand-specific qRT-PCR. The expression levels of miRNAs, BIC RNA and Dicer protein were assayed on PBMCs by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. miRNA-155 and miRNA-196b were detected in all studied PBMC samples, but their levels varied according to the presence of the antigenomic HCV RNA strand in PBMCs. Increased expression levels of miRNA-155 and miRNA-196b were associated with the presence of the antigenomic HCV RNA strand in PBMCs. In this group of patients higher frequency of BIC RNA and Dicer protein detection was also found. This study demonstrates that HCV RNA replication in PBMCs of CHC patients is connected with the increased and coordinated expression of miRNA-155 and miRNA-196b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. martyna.grek@wp.pl
authors.forename: Martyna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grek
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piekarska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartkowiak
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fendler
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuydowicz
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wroblewski
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paradowski
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sidorkiewicz
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012367:RNA, Viral