title: Dynamic expression of viral and cellular microRNAs in infectious mononucleosis caused by primary Epstein-Barr virus infection in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first virus identified to encode microRNAs (miRNAs). Both of viral and human cellular miRNAs are important in EBV infection. However, the dynamic expression profile of miRNAs during primary EBV infection was unknown. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic expression profile of viral and cellular miRNAs in infectious mononucleosis (IM) caused by primary EBV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of viral and cellular miRNAs were measured in fifteen pediatric IM patients at three different time-points. Fifteen healthy children who were seropositive for EBV were enrolled in the control group. Relative expression levels of miRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EBV-miR-BHRF1-1, 1-2-3P, miR-BART13-1, 19-3p, 11-3P, 12-1, and 16-1 in IM patients of early phase were significantly higher than in healthy children. Most cellular miRNAs of B cells, such as hsa-miR-155-5p, -34a-5p, -18b-5p, -181a-5p, and -142-5p were up-regulated; while most of cellular miRNAs of CD8 + T cells, such as hsa-miR-223, -29c-3p, -181a, -200a-3p, miR-155-5p, -146a, and -142-5p were down-regulated in IM patients. With disease progression, nearly all of EBV-miRNAs decreased, especially miR-BHRF1, but at a slower rate than EBV DNA loads. Most of the cellular miRNAs of B cells, including hsa-miR-134-5p, -18b-5p, -34a-5p, and -196a-5p increased with time. However, most of the cellular miRNAs of CD8 + T cells, including hsa-let-7a-5p, -142-3p, -142-5p, and -155-5p decreased with time. Additionally, hsa-miR-155-5p of B cells and hsa-miR-18b-5p of CD8+ T cells exhibited a positive correlation with miR-BHRF1-2-5P and miR-BART2-5P (0.96 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, P < 0.05). Finally, hsa-miR-181a-5p of B cells had positive correlation with miR-BART4-3p, 4-5P, 16-1, and 22 (0.97 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study is the first to describe the expression profile of viral and cellular miRNAs in IM caused by primary EBV infection. These results might be the basis of investigating the pathogenic mechanism of EBV-related diseases and bring new insights into their diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. wendy840421@126.com.
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. 85913279@qq.com.
authors.forename: Junhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. xiezhengde@bch.com.cn.
authors.forename: Zhengde
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. liwei.gao@ncich.com.cn.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. wendy840421@sina.com.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children and National Key Discipline of Pediatrics (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. zhhui1226@sina.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China. kunlingshen1717@163.com.
authors.forename: Kunling
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs