Modulatory effect of Human immunodeficiency virus on serum miR-21, miR-125b and p53 gene: Any prognostic implication?

Abstract

Identifying individuals at a high risk of developing cervical cancer remains a major challenge, especially among individuals living with the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study evaluated the levels of normally downregulated oncomirs (miR-21, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-182, and miR-200c) and normally upregulated tumor suppressors (miR-let-7b, miR-125b, miR-143, miR-145, and p53 expression) associated with cervical cancer in the serum of women living with and without HIV. This case-control study was carried out between May (2017) and April (2019). It included 173 women without abnormal Pap smears and negative for Human papillomavirus and Epstein Barr virus; confirmed HIV seropositive women (HIV+ = 103) and HIV seronegative women (HIV- n= 70). Relative expressions of miRNAs and the p53 gene in serum were determined using reverse transcriptase PCR and gel electrophoresis. T-test and Pearson correlation analyses were carried out on the generated data. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05, and 0.01. Significantly higher levels of miR-21 and lower levels of miR-125b and p53 gene were observed among HIV+ women compared with their HIV- counterparts at p= 0.028, 0.050, and 0.049, respectively. Among HIV+ women, significant direct correlations were observed between miR21 and other oncomirs, including miR-145 (p< 0.05) while a significant inverse correlation was observed between miR-21 and miR-let-7b level (p= 0.013). This study suggests that a high circulating level of miR-21 and a low circulating level of miR-125b could be used as biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk of developing cervical cancer, especially among HAART-naive women who are living with HIV.