ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Mohd. Imran1,2, , Hayat Ali Alzahrani3, Ranya Mohammed Elmagzoub3, Zia Ur Rehman4,5, Khadiga G. Abd Elaleem6,7, Ahlam S. Mohamed8, Aida A. Elsharief9 and Hayaa M. Alhuthali10
1Center for Health Research, Northern Border University, Arar 73213, Saudi Arabia.
2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia.
3Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia.
4Health Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia.
5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan – 45142, Saudi Arabia.
6Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, AL Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan.
7Preparatory Year, Department of Basic Sciences, Najran University, Saudi Arabia.
8Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia.
9College of Applied Sciences, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan.
10Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
Article Number: 10331 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(2):1154-1173. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.2.20
Received: 21 February 2025 | Accepted: 25 March 2025 | Published online: 21 May 2025
Issue online: June 2025
Abstract

The convergence of HIV-1, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and SARS-CoV-2 infections presents a formidable challenge characterized by heightened immune suppression and persistent viral replication. Understanding the shared molecular mechanisms underlying these co-infections is essential, providing a foundation for future translational research and therapeutic discovery. We analyzed differentially expressed genes from HIV-1/TB co-infection datasets across multiple tissues, including lung, spleen, liver, and whole blood. This was followed by PPI network analysis and single-cell multi-gene expression analysis. Gene set enrichment and pathways enrichment analysis were carried out to reveal the immune regulatory pathways that are altered during HIV-1/TB infection and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Gene expression profiling pointed out critical genes, including CXCR4, TAP1, TSC22D3 and FGR, associated with immune suppression, antigen processing, and viral attachment. TSC22D3 and CXCR4 were found to be crucial immune cell regulators in lung tissue using single-cell analysis. Apart from this, PPI network analysis revealed that TAP1, TAP2, and CXCR4 are essential hub genes, whereas the intersectional analysis with the SARS-CoV-2 gene datasets highlighted 27 genes associated with the immune response and viral persistence. Pathway enrichment analyses noted several processes, such as protein phosphorylation, apoptosis, and immune evasion, pointing out common mechanisms across these infections. Our findings suggest shared molecular signatures in HIV-1/TB and SARS-CoV-2 infections, with central genes offering potential therapeutic relevance. Future work will validate these targets through wet lab experiments to better understand their roles in immune regulation and develop novel therapies to enhance viral clearance in co-infected patients.

Keywords

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, Gene Expression, Gene Ontology, Functional Analysis, Systems Biology

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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.