Analysis of long noncoding RNA and mRNA profiling in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of human immunized with rabies virus vaccine by RNA sequencing

Background

The rabies virus (RABV) continues to be the deadly cause of rabies and to be a hazard to international health. The specific epigenetic modifications in the host response to RABV vaccination have not been fully elucidated. While long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to play crucial roles in viral infection control, their specific expression profiles in humans vaccinated against RABV have not been clearly defined.

Methods

This study investigated the lncRNAs and mRNAs expression profiles in four volunteers vaccinated with the RABV vaccine using high-throughput RNA sequencing.

Results

We have discovered 33 lncRNAs and 427 mRNAs that exhibited differential expression after RABV vaccination. The functional annotation, utilizing gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, revealed that these lncRNAs are involved in signaling pathways that enhance host immune response to RABV vaccination.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that these lncRNAs, via influencing host immune response, could be explored as potential therapeutic targets in treatments against RABV infection. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to report the transcriptome landscape of lncRNAs in human immunized with RABV vaccine.