Microbiology Research, Development and Innovation, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Edinburgh EH14 4BE, UK.
Department of Hepatology, Division of Health Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK.
Viruses. 2020 Jul 30;12(8):833. doi: 10.3390/v12080833.
Exosomes seem to play an important role in hepatits C virus (HCV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection by shielding their cargo from the host immune responses, with microRNAs being key exosomal components. Little is known about their involvement in a mixed HCV/HEV infection or at the early stages of infection, such as in asymptomatic blood donors (BDs). To obtain preliminary data, we have compared the exosomal microRNA expression profiles in four each of HCV RNA-positive, HEV RNA-positive and negative blood donors and four patients, one of whom was a rare patient with HCV/HEV co-infection. Exosomes were purified from sera by a combination of a precipitation and density gradient centrifugation and exosomal microRNA was analysed using Taqman array cards. Out of 33 deregulated miRNAs, miR-885-5p and miR-365 were upregulated in HCV BDs, miR-627-5p was downregulated in HCV BD and miR-221 was downregulated in HCV patients and BDs. In HEV infection, miR-526b appeared specifically downregulated. Six miRNAs (miR-628-3p, miR-194, miR-151-3p, miR-512-3p, miR-335 and miR-590) indicated a potential involvement in both infections. First time preliminary data on pre- and post-antiviral treatment exosomal microRNA profiles of the HEV/HCV co-infected patient revealed a pool of 77 upregulated and 43 downregulated miRNAs to be further investigated for their potential roles in these viral infections.
外泌体似乎在丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）和戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）感染中发挥重要作用，通过将其货物从宿主免疫反应中屏蔽，微小 RNA 是外泌体的关键组成部分。关于它们在混合 HCV/HEV 感染或感染早期（如无症状献血者（BD））中的参与知之甚少。为了获得初步数据，我们比较了 4 例 HCV RNA 阳性、4 例 HEV RNA 阳性和阴性献血者以及 4 例患者的外泌体 microRNA 表达谱，其中 1 例为罕见的 HCV/HEV 合并感染患者。通过沉淀和密度梯度离心的组合从血清中纯化外泌体，并使用 Taqman 阵列卡分析外泌体 microRNA。在 33 个失调的 microRNA 中，miR-885-5p 和 miR-365 在 HCV BD 中上调，miR-627-5p 在 HCV BD 中下调，miR-221 在 HCV 患者和 BD 中下调。在 HEV 感染中，miR-526b 特异性下调。六种 microRNA（miR-628-3p、miR-194、miR-151-3p、miR-512-3p、miR-335 和 miR-590）表明它们可能参与了这两种感染。首次对 HEV/HCV 合并感染患者抗病毒治疗前后外泌体 microRNA 谱进行了初步研究，发现有 77 个上调和 43 个下调 microRNA 可能在这些病毒感染中发挥作用。
