Assessment of Mitochondrial DNA Damage Among HIV-Positive Teenagers in South West Nigeria
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2022-12
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Lead City University
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is one of the most lethal infectious diseases in the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it has significantly impacted health outcomes and life expectancy. This study focused on how HIV and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) affects adolescent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Previous research has shown that HIV indirectly reduces the quantities of mitochondrial DNA in cells through apoptosis during infection and treatment, and may induce genomic instability. This study aims to determine and compare mtDNA copy numbers and deletion levels among HIV-positive adolescents compared to HIV-negative adolescents. This study also aims to determine the level of genomic instability in HIV-positive adolescents. This pilot study utilized established real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocols to determine the mtDNA copy numbers and damage, measuring the mtDNA ND1 and ND4 genes and the human nuclear B2M gene. The research population comprised 30 adolescents living with HIV on HAART and 30 HIV-negative adolescents recruited from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Researchers HAART clinic and University College Hospital Ibadan, respectively. We found a higher mitochondrial copy number in HIV-positive adolescents (mean=87.87±1.62) than in HIV-negative adolescents (mean =53.18±30.52; p-value=<0.05). These higher mitochondrial DNA copy numbers in positive HIV adolescents could be due to the early start-up of antiretroviral therapy and the body repair mechanisms working more to replace affected mtDNA. Also, mtDNA deletion level was lower among HIV-positive adolescents (mean=25.84±3.96) compared to the HIV-negative adolescents (mean =35.26±9.55; p-value=<0.05). Further studies should elucidate why mtDNA copy number is higher among HIV-positive adolescents receiving HAART and its impact on genome stability.
Keywords: Adolescents, Human immune deficiency virus (HIV), Mitochondrial DNA, Antiretroviral therapy
Word Count: 254
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Kate Turabian