The chitinases expression is related to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Encephalitis (SIVE) and in HIV encephalitis (HIVE)

•CHIT1, CHI3L1 and CHI3L2 mRNA levels were significantly increased in HIVE/SIVE hippocampus.•Negative correlation was found between CHIA, C1s vs BVL and positive correlation between CHIT1 vs CHI3L2, SLC11A1 and CHI3L2 vs CHID1 and CHID1 vs SLC11A1.•Chitinase are potential biomarkers for microglial activation in HIVE/SIVE.

ObjectivesHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can induce neurocognitive complications classified as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). The chitinase family is associated with innate immunity cells and many infectious diseases.MethodsWe analyzed microarray datasets obtained from NCBI in order to verify the expression of chitinase family genes in hippocampus of uninfected rhesus macaques versus those with histopathologic evidence of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Encephalitis (SIVE). Moreover, we have analysed two human microarray datasets to verify the results obtained in macaques hippocampus affected by SIVE. For these studies, we have also used the open source tools Genome-scale Integrated Analysis of gene Networks in Tissues (GIANT) to identify the chitinase genes network.ResultsCHIT1, CHI3L1 and CHI3L2 levels were significantly increased in SIVE hippocampus as compared to non-infected control specimens. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between CHIA vs. Brain Viral Load (BVL). These data was confirmed partially in human brain section of HAD/HIVE subjects. Also, we showed that HIV-1 was able to modulate the expression of CHIT1, CHI3L1, CHI3L2 and CHID1 in human macrophages.ConclusionsThese results suggest that chitinase gene expression is altered in SIVE and in HAD/HIVE brain sections and call for more studies examining whether this is a protective immunological reaction or a destructive tissue response to encephalitis.