Introduction:
Human immunodeficiency virus (
HIV), which causes
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, still
affects millions of people worldwide. Despite recent advances in the
understanding of
biological mechanisms of
viral replication, there are relevant gaps regarding the
virus-host relationship. Unraveling these complexities may
lead to the development of new
therapeutic strategies and the establishment of new
biomarkers useful for the
diagnosis and
prognosis of
infection and its comorbidities. Therefore, in this study we discuss the main
biological characteristics of
microRNAs and the potential use of these
nucleic acids in their free circulating form as
indicators of
risk or
protection against
HIV infection.
Methods:
A narrative
review of the
literature was carried out in the following databases through
keyword and/or
health descriptor searches i) Google Scholar; ii) CAPES periodicals portal; iii)
United States National Library of Medicine (
PubMed) and iv) Elsevier's
Science Direct
library. The
keywords "
microRNA;
HIV infection;
circulating microRNA;
biomarkers" were used to search the databases as mentioned above.
Results:
Circulating
microRNAs (ci-
miRNA) are closely related to numerous processes in the
HIV infection pathophysiology. They are involved in
viral latency, increased
viremia, hepatic
injury, heart dysfunction,
pulmonary hypertension,
immune response impairment, and participate in
Kaposi's sarcoma pathology. Additionally, these molecules may indicate
protection in
elite controllers, reduce
viral replication and load, and be useful markers of the
infection's eclipse phase.
Conclusion:
Ci-
miRNA levels are altered levels in individuals with
HIV, playing a dual
role in
infection. Advances in
research have shown that ci-
miRNAs could differentiate stages of
HIV infection and
diseases associated with a
viral infection and serve as
biomarkers for antiretroviral
therapy's
effectiveness through changes in their expression. (AU)