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Updated: Jul 18, 2025
Isolation, Transfection, and Culture of Primary Human Monocytes
Published on: December 16, 2019
MicroRNA hsa-miR-320a-3p and Its Targeted mRNA FKBP5 Were Differentially Expressed in Patients with HIV/TB
Anlong Li1, Jiajia Bao1,2, Sijia Gao1
1Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Abstract:
Among the PLWH (people living with HIV) population, the risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) is increasing. Active TB also accelerates the deterioration of PLWH's immune function and is one of the leading causes of death in the PLWH population. So far, accurate diagnosis of active TB in the PLWH population remains challenging. Through data analysis of HIV/TB co-infection in the GEO database, the differentially expressed genes as well as their related microRNA (miRNA) were acquired and were further verified through clinical blood samples. Dual-luciferase assay was used to verify the mechanism of miRNA on mRNA. The enrichment of immune cells in database patient samples was analyzed by bioinformatics and finally verified by blood routine data. Our study found that FKBP5 (FK506 binding protein 5) was highly expressed in the HIV/TB co-infection group; hsa-miR-320a-3p was highly expressed in the HIV infection group but decreased in the HIV/TB co-infection group. Dual-luciferase assay results showed that hsa-miR-320a-3p mimics significantly reduced the relative luciferase activity of the WT-FKBP5 group; however, this phenomenon was not observed in the MUT-FKBP5 group. At the same time, as a key molecule of the immune-related pathway, FKBP5 is highly correlated with the amount of neutrophils, which provides a new suggestion for the treatment of the HIV/TB co-infection population. Our study found that hsa-miR-320a-3p can decrease FKBP5 expression, suggesting a potential regulatory role for FKBP5. The involvement of FKBP5 and its related molecule hsa-miR-320a-3p in HIV/TB co-infection proposes them as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of active TB in the PLWH population.
Insights
Diagnosing active tuberculosis (TB) in people living with HIV (PLWH) is challenging. This study identifies FKBP5 and hsa-miR-320a-3p as potential biomarkers for active TB in PLWH, offering new diagnostic and therapeutic insights.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Active tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant threat to people living with HIV (PLWH), accelerating immune deterioration and increasing mortality.
- Accurate diagnosis of active TB in PLWH remains a critical clinical challenge.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying HIV/TB co-infection is essential for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify differentially expressed genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with HIV/TB co-infection.
- To elucidate the regulatory relationship between identified miRNAs and their target genes.
- To explore the potential of these molecules as biomarkers for active TB diagnosis in PLWH.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of gene expression data from HIV/TB co-infected individuals.
- Validation of gene and miRNA expression using clinical blood samples.
- Dual-luciferase assays to confirm miRNA-mRNA interactions.
- Analysis of immune cell enrichment and correlation with clinical parameters.
Main Results:
- FKBP5 (FK506 binding protein 5) was found to be highly expressed in the HIV/TB co-infection group.
- hsa-miR-320a-3p expression decreased in the HIV/TB co-infection group compared to the HIV-only group.
- hsa-miR-320a-3p was confirmed to directly regulate FKBP5 expression.
- FKBP5 expression showed a strong correlation with neutrophil counts.
Conclusions:
- hsa-miR-320a-3p plays a regulatory role in decreasing FKBP5 expression.
- FKBP5 and hsa-miR-320a-3p are implicated in the pathogenesis of HIV/TB co-infection.
- These molecules represent promising potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of active TB in the PLWH population.
