Optics and Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institution, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Women's Health and HIV Research Group, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Curr Hypertens Rep. 2021 Apr 13;23(4):20. doi: 10.1007/s11906-021-01138-5.
This review investigated the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the synergy of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, preeclampsia (PE), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Maternal health is a great concern when treating pregnant women fighting this triad of diseases, which is highly prevalent in South Africa. MicroRNAs are involved in fine-tuning of physiological processes. Disruptions to the balance of this minute protein can lead to various physiological changes that are sometimes pathological.
MicroRNAs have recently been implicated in PE and have been linked to the anti-angiogenic imbalance evident in PE. Recent in silico studies have identified potential host miRNAs with anti-viral properties against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Studies have demonstrated dysregulated expression of several miRNAs in HIV-1 infection along with the ability of HIV-1 to downregulate anti-viral host microRNAs. This review has highlighted the significant gap in literature on the potential of miRNAs in women with HIV-associated PE in synergy with the novel SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, this review has provided evidence of the critical role that the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of miRNA plays in viral infections and PE, thereby providing a foundation for further research investigating the potential of therapeutic miRNA development with fewer side-effects for pregnant women.
本综述探讨了微小 RNA（miRNA）在严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）感染、先兆子痫（PE）和人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染协同作用中的潜在作用。在治疗患有这三种疾病的孕妇时，母体健康是一个很大的关注点，而南非的这三种疾病发病率很高。miRNA 参与了生理过程的微调。这种微小蛋白质平衡的破坏会导致各种生理变化，有时是病理性的。
miRNA 最近与 PE 有关，并与 PE 中明显的抗血管生成失衡有关。最近的计算机研究已经确定了具有抗 SARS-CoV-2 感染的抗病毒特性的潜在宿主 miRNA。研究表明，在 HIV-1 感染中存在几种 miRNA 的表达失调，同时 HIV-1 能够下调抗病毒宿主 miRNA。本综述强调了 miRNA 在与新型 SARS-CoV-2 感染协同作用的 HIV 相关 PE 妇女中的潜在作用方面的文献中的重大空白。此外，本综述还提供了证据表明，miRNA 的表观遗传调控机制在病毒感染和 PE 中起着关键作用，从而为进一步研究开发治疗性 miRNA 提供了基础，以减少对孕妇的副作用。
