SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXPRESSION OF INDIVIDUAL MICRORNA GENES IN THE PATHOGENESIS AND DIAGNOSIS OF NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH HIV INFECTION

Abstract

To date, new forms of ribonucleic acid (RNA), the so-called "microRNA",
have been disclosed. MicroRNAs are a class of short molecules that regulate gene
expression at the post-transcriptional level. These molecules are involved in the regulation
of various aspects of cell biology, such as differentiation, proliferation, and formation
of intercellular contacts, aging, and cell death. Disturbances in the composition and
functional activity of these molecules are also observed in nerve cells. Therefore, the
analysis of the "profile" of microRNA expression is a potential method for diagnosing
neurocognitive disorders. As shown earlier, the proportion of microRNA genes may
represent sensitive markers of cognitive impairments in HIV patients.
Objective. To show the role of microRNA genes in the development of neurocognitive
disturbances as diagnostic and prognostic markers for predicting cognitive disorders in
patients with HIV infection.