Analysing the HERV-K env, np9, rec and gag expression in cervical tissues

Detection of HSV-1, HSV-2 and VZV Isolated from Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples of Children Suspected to Encephalitis

Background

Encephalitis is an uncommon, serious brain infection that can cause fatality among children. The cause of most encephalitis remained unknown, yet viruses are the most well-known infectious agents that cause encephalitis. This study aimed to determine varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus type 1, 2 (HSV1/2) among individuals who are under 5 years of age in Iran.

Materials and Methods

In this study, 149 cerebrospinal fluid samples of suspected patients of encephalitis were analyzed with some symptoms, such as seizure, fever, nausea loss of consciousness, and dizziness from Mofid Children's Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Then, the molecular evaluation of samples was performed using multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detecting HSV1/2 and VZV.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 1.8 years. Also, 63.4% of children were male and 36.6% were female. Out of 149 tested samples, 11 (7.3%) showed the viral DNA for one of the herpes viruses (7.3%). Nine samples were HSV1 positive (6.0%) and two samples were VZV positive (1.3%). Fever and vomiting were the most frequent symptoms. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) WBC and counts in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-positive samples, and all included samples were 298.8 ± 552.7 cells/μL and 131.1 ± 474.6 cells/μL, respectively.

Conclusions

Although viral encephalitis is considered a threat to children's health, with accurate diagnosis and appropriate antiviral drugs, death and neurological complications in children can be prevented.

Alternative and aberrant splicing of human endogenous retroviruses in cancer. What about head and neck? —A mini review

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are transcribed in many cancer types, including head and neck cancer. Because of accumulating mutations at proviral loci over evolutionary time, HERVs are functionally defective and cannot complete their viral life cycle. Despite that, HERV transcripts, including full-length viral RNAs and viral RNAs spliced as expected at the conventional viral splice sites, can be detected in particular conditions, such as cancer. Interestingly, non-viral–related transcription, including aberrant, non-conventionally spliced RNAs, has been reported as well. The role of HERV transcription in cancer and its contribution to oncogenesis or progression are still debated. Nonetheless, HERVs may constitute a suitable cancer biomarker or a target for therapy. Thus, ongoing research aims both to clarify the basic mechanisms underlying HERV transcription in cancer and to exploit its potential toward clinical application. In this mini-review, we summarize the current knowledge, the most recent findings, and the future perspectives of research on HERV transcription and splicing, with particular focus on head and neck cancer.

Widespread expression of the ancient HERV-K (HML-2) provirus group in normal human tissues

Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcripts are known to be highly expressed in cancers, yet their activity in nondiseased tissue is largely unknown. Using the GTEx RNA-seq dataset from normal tissue sampled at autopsy, we characterized individual expression of the recent HERV-K (HML-2) provirus group across 13,000 different samples of 54 different tissues from 948 individuals. HML-2 transcripts could be identified in every tissue sampled and were elevated in the cerebellum, pituitary, testis, and thyroid. A total of 37 different individual proviruses were expressed in 1 or more tissues, representing all 3 LTR5 subgroups. Nine proviruses were identified as having long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven transcription, 7 of which belonged to the most recent LTR5HS subgroup. Proviruses of different subgroups displayed a bias in tissue expression, which may be associated with differences in transcription factor binding sites in their LTRs. Provirus expression was greater in evolutionarily older proviruses with an earliest shared ancestor of gorilla or older. HML-2 expression was significantly affected by biological sex in 1 tissue, while age and timing of death (Hardy score) had little effect. Proviruses containing intact gag, pro, and env open reading frames (ORFs) were expressed in the dataset, with almost every tissue measured potentially expressing at least 1 intact ORF (gag).

Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) transcripts are known to be highly expressed in cancers, but what is their activity in normal tissue? This study uses unique patterns of HERV-K RNA expression in the large GEx dataset from non-diseased tissue sites to provide new insights into both the coevolution of HERV-K with our primate ancestors and their current role in human biology.

Advances in exosome biomarkers for cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) ranks as the fourth most frequently diagnosed malignancy in females worldwide. Exosomes are a subclass of extracellular vesicles released by nearly all types of cells that act as cargo transport vehicles, carrying proteins, and genetic material (such as miRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and mRNAs) derived from their parent cells may affect receiving cells and thus have emerged as key players in several biological processes, including inflammatory pathways. In this review, we concentrated on the findings of exosome investigations in CC, particularly their components. They direct the actions of CC cells by inducing surface molecules associated with various biological pathways. We summarized the current knowledge of exosomal RNAs and proteins from CC cells and discussed the feasibility of exosomes as potential biomarkers for CC. We suggest that cancer-derived exosomes promote metastasis in CC by supporting EMT, controlling the proliferation, invasion, or migration of cancer cells, as well as influencing immune escape and aiding angiogenesis. Overall, cancer-derived exosomes are critical in the progression of CC, and further studies are necessary to advance our understanding of the clinical value of exosomes in CC.