Linda Mouafo Mekue, Céline Nguefeu Nkenfou, Lorena Zentilin, Jules-roger Kuiaté, Mauro Giacca and Alexis Ndjolo
Background: Some factors have been described to impact mother-to-child transmission of HIV. It is known that it is a cŽmbÃ…ÂÂnĂtiŽn of factors that can explain transmission or ƉrŽƚĞctiŽnØ Other factors such as miRNA can be used as a marker for understanding and ƉrĞĚÅÂÂctinÅ the ƉĂƩĞrn of many diseases. The aim of this study was to look at host or viral miRNA that can be used as a marker to predict the transmission or ƉrĞǀĞntiŽn of the HIV-1 from mother-tochild. Methods and Ä®nĚÅÂÂnÃ…ÂÂÆÂÂ× The breast milk and plasma samples of 13 ƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞrÆÂÂÕ 56 nŽnòƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞrÆ and 15 HIV non-infected mothers were collected. The ĚÅÂÂīĞrĞntiĂů expression levels of seven human miRNAs (HsamiR-29a-3p, Hsa-miR-29b, Hsa-miR-28-3p, HsamiR-125a-5p, Hsa-miR-149-3p, Hsa-miR-195-5p, HsamiR-191-5p) and one viral miRNA (HIV-miR-N367) were analyzed by miRNA rĞĂůòtimĞ PCR. Breast milk’s HsamiR-195-5p (p=0.009) and Hsa-miR-191-5p (p=0.003) were upregulated in the nŽnòƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞr mothers. Plasma Hsa-miR-28-3p (p=0.04) was upregulated in nŽnò ƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞr mothers as well. The Hsa-miR-195-5p nĞÅÂÂĂtiǀĞůy correlate with the CD4+ count lower than 300 (r=-0.91, p=0.005) and was Ã…ÂÂĚĞntiĮĞĚ as a miRNA having the ƉŽƚĞntiĂů to ĚÅÂÂÆÂÂtinÃ…ÂÂƵÅÂÂÆÂÂŚ between ƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞr and nŽnò ƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞr mothers. Conclusion: This study has shown for the Ä®rÆÂÂƚ timĞ the Ã…ÂÂmƉůÅÂÂcĂtiŽn of breast milk’s Hsa-miR-195-5p in ƉrŽƚĞctinÅ newborns from acquiring HIV Ã…ÂÂnĨĞctiŽnØ This miRNAs will be further evaluated in a larger ƉŽƉƵůĂtiŽn of ƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞrÆ and nŽnòƚrĂnÆÂÂmÃ…ÂÂƩĞrÆ in order to set a cƵƚŽī for clinical ĞxƉůŽÅÂÂƚĂtiŽnØ ^Ã…ÂÂÃ…ÂÂnÃ…ÂÂÄ®cĂncĞ of the study: Expression of Hsa-miR-195-5p in the breast milk’s could be used as a biomarker to predict the outcome of Mother-to-child transmission of HIV.