Toll‐like receptors, long non‐coding RNA NEAT1, and RIG‐I expression are associated with HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B patients in the active phase

Abstract

BackgroundInnate immunity plays a crucial role in host‐virus interactions and greatly influences viral replication including HBV infection. However, few studies have investigated the possible antiviral immune roles played by TLRs, RIG‐I, and long no‐coding RNA NEAT1 in chronic HBV infection (CHB) patients in clinical samples and their relationships among immune responses. In this study, we sought to investigate the mRNA expression levels of TLR1‐10, RIG‐I, and NEAT1 expression in HBeAg‐positive CHB treatment‐naïve patients with the active phase.MethodsThe expression levels of TLR1‐10, RIG‐I, and NEAT1 of CHB patients with the active phase and healthy controls were measured by qPCR. Serum HBV DNA and routine liver biochemistry including ALT, etc were also measured to evaluate the impaired physiological function of the liver affected by CHB.ResultsThe expression levels of TLR1 and TLR6 in CHB with active phase were remarkably lower than that in healthy controls. The levels of TLR3 in CHB patients with active phase were remarkably higher than that in healthy controls. The total NEAT1 expression was abnormally decreased in CHB patients as compared with healthy controls. The levels of RIG‐I were significantly decreased in CHB patients in the active phase when compared to healthy controls. The expression of TLR6 and RIG‐I was closely correlated with NEAT1 expression. TLR6 level was positively correlated with RIG‐I level.ConclusionChronic HBV infection can alter the innate immune response by downregulating functional expression of TLR1, TLR6, NEAT1.

Genome-wide screening of circadian and non-circadian impact of Neat1 genetic deletion

“…In particular, Neat1 is considered to be critical for the immune response against virus [7] . It is therefore not surprising to find here that Neat1 positively regulates numerous genes closely associated with immune functions, such as Tlr3 which is one of the Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) that are central players in the early host immune response to acute viral infection and have been shown to play a crucial role in defense against microorganisms [70] . Consistent with the positive regulation of Tlr3 by Neat1 we report here, Neat1 has been recently found inversely correlated to the level of Tlr3 in patients with Hepatitis B virus infection [70] .…”

Genome-wide screening of circadian and non-circadian impact of Neat1 genetic deletion

“…It is therefore not surprising to find here that Neat1 positively regulates numerous genes closely associated with immune functions such as Tlr3 which is one of the Toll like receptors (TLRs) that are central players in the early host immune response to acute viral infection and have been shown to play a crucial role in defense against microorganisms (Zeng et al, 2019). Consistent with the positive regulation of Tlr3 by Neat1 we report here, Neat1 has been recently found inversely correlated to the level of Tlr3 in patients with Hepatitis B virus infection (Zeng et al, 2019).…”

Host Innate Immunity Against Hepatitis Viruses and Viral Immune Evasion

“…However, it is confusing that RIG-I plays an opposing role in CHB patients. Subsequently, Zeng et al (2019) revealed that the levels of RIG-I are significantly decreased in CHB patients in the active phase when compared to healthy controls, which is contradictory to the results of Ebrahim et al (2015). This suggested that the expression level of RIG-I might be related to the progression of CHB infection.…”