Abstract
BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRs) control gene expression and the development of the immune system and antiviral responses. MiR-155 is an evolutionarily-conserved molecule consistently induced during viral infections in different cell systems. Notably, there is still an unresolved paradox for the role of miR-155 during viral respiratory infections. Despite being essential for host antiviral TH1 immunity, miR-155 may also contribute to respiratory disease by enhancing allergic TH2 responses and NFkB-mediated inflammation. The central goal of this study was to define how airway miR-155 production is related to TH1, TH2, and pro-inflammatory cytokine responses during naturally occurring viral respiratory infections in young children.MethodsNormalized nasal airway levels of miR-155 and nasal protein levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-4 were quantified in young children (≤2 years) hospitalized with viral respiratory infections and uninfected controls. These data were linked to individual characteristics and respiratory disease parameters.ResultsA total of 151 subjects were included. Increased miR-155 levels were observed in nasal samples from patients with rhinovirus, RSV and all respiratory viruses analyzed. High miR-155 levels were strongly associated with high IFN-γ production, increased airway TH1 cytokine polarization (IFN-γ/IL-4 ratios) and increased pro-inflammatory responses. High airway miR-155 levels were linked to decreased respiratory disease severity in individuals with high airway TH1 antiviral responses.ConclusionsThe airway secretion of miR-155 during viral respiratory infections in young children is associated with enhanced antiviral immunity (TH1 polarization). Further studies are needed to define additional physiological roles of miR-155 in the respiratory tract of human infants and young children during health and disease.
Highlights
MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that control gene expression and critically regulate the development of the immune system and antiviral responses [1,2]
Increased miR-155 levels were observed in nasal samples from patients with rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and all respiratory viruses analyzed
The airway secretion of miR-155 during viral respiratory infections in young children is associated with enhanced antiviral immunity (TH1 polarization)
Summary
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that control gene expression and critically regulate the development of the immune system and antiviral responses [1,2]. One of the most investigated miRNAs in immunology and virology is miR-155 [3,4,5,6] The interest in this molecule was initially motivated by the discovery that miR-155 is the only miRNA substantially induced by the synthetic viral intermediate poly(I:C) or the host antiviral interferon (IFN) response in macrophages [7]. Over the past decade many studies in humans and animal models have confirmed that miR-155 is an evolutionarily-conserved molecule consistently induced during viral infections in different cell systems [7,8,9,10,11,12]. MicroRNAs (miRs) control gene expression and the development of the immune system and antiviral responses. The central goal of this study was to define how airway miR-155 production is related to TH1, TH2, and proinflammatory cytokine responses during naturally occurring viral respiratory infections in young children
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