title: Heroin use promotes HCV infection and dysregulates HCV-related circulating microRNAs.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common among injection drug users (IDUs). There is accumulating evidence that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with HCV infection and disease progression. The present study was undertaken to determine the in vivo impact of heroin use on HCV infection and HCV-related circulating miRNA expression. Using the blood specimens from four groups of the study subjects (HCV-infected individuals, heroin users with/without HCV infection, and healthy volunteers), we found that HCV-infected heroin users had significantly higher viral load than HCV-infected non-heroin users (p = 0.0004). Measurement of HCV-related circulating miRNAs in plasma showed that miRs-122, 141, 29a, 29b, and 29c were significantly increased in the heroin users with HCV infection, whereas miR-351, an HCV inhibitory miRNA, was significantly decreased in heroin users as compared to control subjects. Further investigation identified a negative correlation between the plasma levels of miR-29 family members and severity of HCV infection based on aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI). In addition, heroin use and/or HCV infection also dysregulated a panel of plasma miRNAs. Taken together, these data for the first time revealed in vivo evidence that heroin use and/or HCV infection alter circulating miRNAs, which provides a novel mechanism for the impaired innate anti-HCV immunity among IDUs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jieliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Manqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xi'en
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.forename: Huaqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Dunjin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wen-Zhe
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012367:RNA, Viral; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases