The evaluation of the expression pattern of the LncRNAs (AP006621.9, RP3-323A16.1, and HOXC-AS3), and their target genes (MTOR, TNF-α and TRAF6) in PBMC of long-term non-progressors and HIV-1 infected naive individuals

Abstract

A selected group of individuals with HIV, known as Elite Controllers (ECs), are able to regulate the replication of the virus in their bodies without needing antiviral drugs. LncRNAs, a type of RNA, are essential components of the chain responsible for controlling transcription in the case of HIV. Researchers suggest that components such as mTOR, TNF-α, and TRAF6 are also actively involved in keeping the HIV infection under control. In this study, a bioinformatic approach was used to determine which long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could bind to mTOR, TNF-α, and TRAF6. The expression levels of these three lncRNAs and their designated targets were then observed in 14 ECs, 45 HIV-positive patients, and 45 healthy control subjects. The results indicated that the expression of TNF-α and TRAF6 were notably greater in the ECs group than in the HIV-positive group (P < 0.0001). Moreover, lnc-HOXC-AS3 was strongly overexpressed in the ECs group when compared to the HIV-positive group (P < 0.0001). By contrast, no important variations were seen in the levels of RP3-323A16.1, and AP006621.9 between the two study groups. Investigations of the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve determined that lnc-HOXC-AS3, TNF-α and TRAF6 had an AUC of 0.92, 0.91, and 0.86 respectively, suggesting that they could be used as feasible biomarkers for separating ECs from HIV-1 positive samples. A significant negative correlation was found between HOXC-AS3 with mTOR and between AP006621.9 with TNF-α and TRAF6 in the HIV-positive group. The expression patterns of the chosen factors, paired with the evidence gained from the ROC curve, suggests that these factors could play an important part in controlling HIV infection, and may be used to detect ECs from HIV positive samples.