Figure 5. The resistance to apoptosis in HIV-1 infected CD4⁺ T cells endowed by let-7i is dependent on IL-2 expression.

(A) Silencing of IL-2 by IL-2-specific siRNAs was confirmed by FCM analysis on IL-2-producing CD4⁺ T cells. (B) Statistical analysis of (A) was done with data from three independent experiments. Paired, two-tailed student’s t test, **p < 0.01. (C) Human CD4⁺ T cells were transfected with let-7i mimic, siRNA against IL-2 or respective controls (mm-NC, si-NC). Cells were then infected with HIV-1_NL4-3 as described above. Apoptosis of CD4⁺ T cells were measured by Annexin V staining. (D) Statistical analysis of (C) was done with data from three independent experiments. Paired, two-tailed student’s t test: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. (E) Human CD4⁺ T cells were treated as in (C), and CD95 expression was measured by FCM. Statistical analysis was done with data from three independent experiments. Paired, two-tailed student’s t test. NS, non-significant.