A Novel lncRNA, AK130181, Contributes to HIV-1 Latency by Regulating Viral Promoter-Driven Gene Expression in Primary CD4+ T Cells.

The functions and mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in latent HIV-1 infection are not yet fully understood and warrant further research. In this study, we identified the newly inhibitory lncRNA AK130181 (also named LOC105747689), which is highly expressed in CD4+ T lymphocytes latently infected with HIV, using bioinformatics. We also found that AK130181 is involved in HIV-1 latency by inhibiting long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven HIV-1 gene transcription in a nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-dependent manner. Furthermore, silencing AK130181 significantly reactivates viral production from HIV-1 latently infected Jurkat T cells and primary CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, we found that inhibition of AK130181 in resting CD4+ T cells from HIV-1-infected individuals treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy significantly increased viral reactivation upon T cell activation in vivo. We provide new insights and a better understanding of lncRNAs that play a role in HIV-1 latency, and suggest that silencing AK130181 expression to activate HIV-1 latently infected cells may be a potential therapeutic target for HIV-infected individuals.

HIV-1-infected cell-derived exosomes promote the growth and progression of cervical cancer.

Background: Women infected with HIV are more likely to have aggressive cervical cancer, and patients with HIV infection are often more severely ill than those without HIV infection. However, the underlying mechanism for the progression of cervical cancer is not yet fully understood and requires further research. Methods: Exosomes were isolated from cell culture supernatants using differential ultracentrifugation. Confirmation of exosome isolation was based upon identification by electron microscopy and NanoSight particle tracking analysis of the purified fraction. The function of exosomes derived from HIV-infected T-cells in cervical cancer was determined by CCK8 and Transwell invasion assays. Results: Exosomal miR-155-5p derived from HIV-infected T-cells promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that HIV-infected T-cells secrete exosomal miR-155-5p that directly targets ARID2 degradation, leading to activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. MiR-155-5p promotes cervical cancer progression by secreting proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-8. Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrate that intercellular crosstalk between HIV-infected T-cells and cervical cancer is mediated by exosomes from HIV-infected T-cells that contribute to the malignant progression of cervical cancer, providing potential targets for the prevention and treatment of HIV-associated cervical cancer.

COL1A2 is a Novel Biomarker to Improve Clinical Prediction in Human Gastric Cancer: Integrating Bioinformatics and Meta-Analysis.

Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in worldwide. It is crucial to target the key genes controlling pathogenesis in the early stage of gastric cancer. This study describes an integrated bioinformatics to identify molecular biomarkers for gastric cancer in patients' cancer tissues. We reports differently expression genes in large gastric cancer cohorts from Gene Expression Ominus (GEO). Our findings revealed that 433 genes were significantly different expressed in human gastric cancer. Differently expression gene profile in gastric cancer was further validated by bioinformatic analyses, co-expression network construction. Based on the co-expression network and top-ranked genes, we identified collagen type I alpha 2 (COL1A2) which encodes the pro-alpha2 chain of type I collagen whose triple helix comprises two alpha1 chains and one alpha2 chain, was the key gene in a 37-gene network that modulates cell motility by interacting with the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, the prognostic role of COL1A2 was determined by use of immunohistochemistry on human gastric cancer tissue. COL1A2 was highly expressed in human gastric cancer as compared with normal gastric tissues. Statistical analysis showed COL1A2 expression level was significantly associated with histological type and lymph node status. However, there were no correlations between COL1A2 expression and age, lymph node numbers, tumor size, or clinical stage. In conclusion, the novel bioinformatics used in this study has led to identification of improving diagnostic biomarkers for human gastric cancer and could benefit further analyses of the key alteration during its progression.

Yokenella regensburgei Septicemia in a Chinese Farmer Immunosuppressed by HIV: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Yokenella regensburgei is a member in the family Enterobacteriaceae and a few cases have been reported in immunocompromised hosts. Herein, we described a case of septicemia in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patient in South West China, which is the first reported case of Y. regensburgei infection in HIV-infected populations. We then reviewed the literature on all the reported cases of Y. regensburgei infection worldwide and presented some common features of them. Our case report and literature review will help increase the knowledge of the bacterium Y. regensburgei and its clinical implications.

Farnesoid X receptor agonist CDCA reduces blood pressure and regulates vascular tone in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which plays an essential role in lipid homeostasis and glucose metabolism. However, whether or not FXR can prevent rise in blood pressure remains unknown. Here, we investigate the possibility of using chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), a natural ligand of FXR, to attenuate elevated blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were treated with CDCA (30 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Compared with vehicle control, CDCA attenuated rise in blood pressure in SHR. In addition, CDCA improved vasorelaxation and diminished the contractile response to endothelin-1 (ET-1) in mesenteric arteries from SHR. CDCA also stimulated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, repressed ET-1 levels, and inhibited NF-κB activities in mesenteric arteries of the SHR. Overall, we showed that CDCA treatment reduces systolic blood pressure, improves vascular relaxation, and inhibits vasoconstriction activity in SHR. The repressed ET-1 level, the raised eNOS expression, and the ameliorated inflammation in mesenteric arteries could be responsible for the vasorelaxant and hypotensive effect of CDCA. These findings support a potential role for FXR as a regulator in vascular activities and in the development of treatment for hypertension.