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Cai G, Hua Z, Zhang L, Chen Y, Li X, Ma K, Xia Z, Li Z. Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals tumoral microenvironment heterogenicity and hypervascularization in human carotid body tumor. J Cell Physiol 2024; 239:e31175. [PMID: 38214142 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Carotid body tumor (CBT) is a rare neck tumor located at the adventitia of the common carotid artery bifurcation. The prominent pathological features of CBT are high vascularization and abnormal proliferation. However, single-cell transcriptome analysis of the microenvironment composition and molecular complexity in CBT has yet to be performed. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis on human CBT to define the cells that contribute to hypervascularization and chronic hyperplasia. Unbiased clustering analysis of transcriptional profiles identified 16 distinct cell populations including endothelial cells (ECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), neuron cells, macrophage cells, neutrophil cells, and T cells. Within the ECs population, we defined subsets with angiogenic capacity plus clear signs of later endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to normal ECs. Two populations of macrophages were detectable in CBT, macrophage1 showed enrichment in hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and as well as an early EPCs cell-like population expressing CD14 and vascular endothelial growth factor. In addition to HIF-1-related transcriptional protein expression, macrophages1 also display a neovasculogenesis-promoting phenotype. SMCs included three populations showing platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta and vimentin expression, indicative of a cancer-associated fibroblast phenotype. Finally, we identified three types of neuronal cells, including chief cells and sustentacular cells, and elucidated their distinct roles in the pathogenesis of CBT and abnormal proliferation of tumors. Overall, our study provided the first comprehensive characterization of the transcriptional landscape of CBT at scRNA-seq profiles, providing novel insights into the mechanisms underlying its formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaopo Cai
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhaohui Hua
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Linfeng Zhang
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yutian Chen
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ke Ma
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zongping Xia
- Clinical Systems Biology Laboratories, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Endovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Fan Q, Yan R, Li Y, Lu L, Liu J, Li S, Fu T, Xue Y, Liu J, Li Z. Exploring Immune Cell Diversity in the Lacrimal Glands of Healthy Mice: A Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Atlas. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1208. [PMID: 38279208 PMCID: PMC10816500 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The lacrimal gland is responsible for maintaining the health of the ocular surface through the production of tears. However, our understanding of the immune system within the lacrimal gland is currently limited. Therefore, in this study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify and analyze immune cells and molecules present in the lacrimal glands of normal mice. A total of 34,891 cells were obtained from the lacrimal glands of mice and classified into 18 distinct cell clusters using Seurat clustering. Within these cell populations, 26 different immune cell subpopulations were identified, including T cells, innate lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cells, and B cells. Network analysis revealed complex cell-cell interactions between these immune cells, with particularly significant interactions observed among T cells, macrophages, plasma cells, and dendritic cells. Interestingly, T cells were found to be the main source of ligands for the Thy1 signaling pathway, while M2 macrophages were identified as the primary target of this pathway. Moreover, some of these immune cells were validated using immunohistological techniques. Collectively, these findings highlight the abundance and interactions of immune cells and provide valuable insights into the complexity of the lacrimal gland immune system and its relevance to associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwei Fan
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Q.F.); (J.L.)
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
| | - Ruyu Yan
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yan Li
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Liyuan Lu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jiangman Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Q.F.); (J.L.)
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
| | - Senmao Li
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ting Fu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yunxia Xue
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jun Liu
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zhijie Li
- International Ocular Surface Research Center, Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Ophthalmology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (R.Y.); (Y.L.); (L.L.); (S.L.); (T.F.); (Y.X.); (J.L.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
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Sun X, Lu Y, Wu J, Wen Q, Li Z, Tang Y, Shi Y, He T, Liu L, Huang W, Weng C, Wu Q, Xiao Q, Yuan H, Xu Q, Cai J. Meta-Analysis of Single-Cell RNA-Seq Data Reveals the Mechanism of Formation and Heterogeneity of Tertiary Lymphoid Organ in Vascular Disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2023; 43:1867-1886. [PMID: 37589134 PMCID: PMC10521807 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.123.318762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) are ectopic lymphoid organs developed in nonlymphoid tissues with chronic inflammation, but little is known about their existence in different types of vascular diseases and the mechanism that mediated their development. METHODS To take advantage of single-cell RNA sequencing techniques, we integrated 28 single-cell RNA sequencing data sets containing 5 vascular disease models (atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, intimal hyperplasia, isograft, and allograft) to explore TLOs existence and environment supporting its growth systematically. We also searched Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science from inception to January 2022 for published histological images of vascular remodeling for histological evidence to support TLO genesis. RESULTS Accumulation and infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells have been observed in various remodeling vessels. Interestingly, the proportion of such immune cells incrementally increases from atherosclerosis to intimal hyperplasia, abdominal aortic aneurysm, isograft, and allograft. Importantly, we uncovered that TLO structure cells, such as follicular helper T cells and germinal center B cells, present in all remodeled vessels. Among myeloid cells and lymphocytes, inflammatory macrophages, and T helper 17 cells are the major lymphoid tissue inducer cells which were found to be positively associated with the numbers of TLO structural cells in remodeled vessels. Vascular stromal cells also actively participate in vascular TLO genesis by communicating with myeloid cells and lymphocytes via CCLs (C-C motif chemokine ligands), CXCL (C-X-C motif ligand), lymphotoxin, BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) chemotactic, FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor-2), and IGF (insulin growth factor) proliferation mechanisms, particularly for lymphoid tissue inducer cell aggregation. Additionally, the interaction between stromal cells and immune cells modulates extracellular matrix remodeling. Among TLO structure cells, follicular helper T, and germinal center B cells have strong interactions via TCR (T-cell receptor), CD40 (cluster of differentiation 40), and CXCL signaling, to promote the development and maturation of the germinal center in TLO. Consistently, by reviewing the histological images from the literature, TLO genesis was found in those vascular remodeling models. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis showed the existence of TLOs across 5 models of vascular diseases. The mechanisms that support TLOs formation in different models are heterogeneous. This study could be a valuable resource for understanding and discovering new therapeutic targets for various forms of vascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Sun
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yao Lu
- The Center of Clinical Pharmacology (Y.L., H.Y.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Junru Wu
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qing Wen
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhengxin Li
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yunmin Shi
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tian He
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lun Liu
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chunyan Weng
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qing Wu
- The Third Xiangya Hospital and High-Performance Computing Center (Q. Wu), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qingzhong Xiao
- Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom (Q. Xiao, Q. Xu)
| | - Hong Yuan
- The Center of Clinical Pharmacology (Y.L., H.Y.), Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qingbo Xu
- Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom (Q. Xiao, Q. Xu)
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China (Q. Xu)
| | - Jingjing Cai
- Department of Cardiology (X.S., J.W., Q. Wen, Z.L., Y.T., Y.S., T.H., L.L., W.H., C.W., J.C.), Central South University, Changsha, China
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Zheng K, Yang W, Wang S, Sun M, Jin Z, Zhang W, Ren H, Li C. Identification of immune infiltration-related biomarkers in carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14153. [PMID: 37644056 PMCID: PMC10465496 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic lipid-driven inflammatory response of the innate and adaptive immune systems, and it is responsible for several cardiovascular ischemic events. The present study aimed to determine immune infiltration-related biomarkers in carotid atherosclerotic plaques (CAPs). Gene expression profiles of CAPs were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CAPs and control groups were screened by the "limma" package in R software. Immune cell infiltration between the CAPs and control groups was evaluated by the single sample gene set enrichment analysis. Key infiltrating immune cells in the CAPs group were screened by the Wilcoxon test and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify immune cell-related genes. Hub genes were identified by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the gene's ability to differentiate between the CAPs and control groups. Finally, we constructed a miRNA-gene-transcription factor network of hub genes by using the ENCODE database. Eleven different types of immune infiltration-related cells were identified between the CAPs and control groups. A total of 1,586 differentially expressed immunity-related genes were obtained through intersection between DEGs and immune-related genes. Twenty hub genes were screened through the PPI network. Eventually, 7 genes (BTK, LYN, PTPN11, CD163, CD4, ITGAL, and ITGB7) were identified as the hub genes of CAPs, and these genes may serve as the estimable drug targets for patients with CAPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zheng
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengxing Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingsheng Sun
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenyi Jin
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wangde Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hualiang Ren
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Chunmin Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Wen J, Ling R, Chen R, Zhang S, Dai Y, Zhang T, Guo F, Wang Q, Wang G, Jiang Y. Diversity of arterial cell and phenotypic heterogeneity induced by high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:971091. [PMID: 36910156 PMCID: PMC9997679 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.971091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid metabolism disorder is the basis of atherosclerotic lesions, in which cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main factor involved with the atherosclerotic development. A high-fat and high-cholesterol diet can lead to this disorder in the human body, thus accelerating the process of disease. The development of single-cell RNA sequencing in recent years has opened the possibility to unbiasedly map cellular heterogeneity with high throughput and high resolution; alterations mediated by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet at the single-cell transcriptomic level can be explored with this mean afterward. We assessed the aortic arch of 16-week old Apoe-/- mice of two control groups (12 weeks of chow diet) and two HFD groups (12 weeks of high fat, high cholesterol diet) to process single-cell suspension and use single-cell RNA sequencing to anatomize the transcripts of 5,416 cells from the control group and 2,739 from the HFD group. Through unsupervised clustering, 14 cell types were divided and defined. Among these cells, the cellular heterogeneity exhibited in endothelial cells and immune cells is the most prominent. Subsequent screening delineated ten endothelial cell subsets with various function based on gene expression profiling. The distribution of endothelial cells and immune cells differs significantly between the control group versus the HFD one. The existence of pathways that inhibit atherosclerosis was found in both dysfunctional endothelial cells and foam cells. Our data provide a comprehensive transcriptional landscape of aortic arch cells and unravel the cellular heterogeneity brought by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. All these findings open new perspectives at the transcriptomic level to studying the pathology of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yizhou Jiang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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Ge P, Li H, Ya X, Xu Y, Ma L, He Q, Wang R, Liu Z, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Wang W, Zhang D, Zhao J. Single-cell atlas reveals different immune environments between stable and vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1085468. [PMID: 36741406 PMCID: PMC9889979 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1085468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Regardless of the degree of stenosis, vulnerable plaque is an important cause of ischemic stroke and thrombotic complications. The changes of the immune microenvironment within plaques seem to be an important factor affecting the characteristics of the plaque. However, the differences of immune microenvironment between stable and vulnerable plaques were remained unknown. Methods In this study, RNA-sequencing was performed on superficial temporal arteries from 5 traumatic patients and plaques from 3 atherosclerotic patients to preliminary identify the key immune response processes in plaques. Mass cytometry (CyTOF) technology was used to explore differences in immune composition between 9 vulnerable plaques and 12 stable plaques. Finally, immunofluorescence technique was used to validate our findings in the previous analysis. Results Our results showed that more CD86+CD68+ M1 pro-inflammatory macrophages were found in vulnerable plaques, while CD4+T memory cells were mainly found in stable plaques. In addition, a CD11c+ subset of CD4+T cells with higher IFN-r secretion was found within the vulnerable plaque. In two subsets of B cells, CD19+CD20-B cells in vulnerable plaques secreted more TNF-a and IL-6, while CD19-CD20+B cells expressed more PD-1 molecules. Conclusion In conclusion, our study suggested that M1-like macrophages are the major cell subset affecting plaque stability, while functional B cells may also contribute to plaque stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peicong Ge
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Ya
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yiqiao Xu
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Long Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Qiheng He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Zechen Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Wenjing Wang, ; Dong Zhang, ; Jizong Zhao,
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Wenjing Wang, ; Dong Zhang, ; Jizong Zhao,
| | - Jizong Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Wenjing Wang, ; Dong Zhang, ; Jizong Zhao,
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Dong R, Li J, Jiang G, Han N, Zhang Y, Shi X. Novel immune cell infiltration-related biomarkers in atherosclerosis diagnosis. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15341. [PMID: 37151293 PMCID: PMC10158768 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immune cell infiltration (ICI) has a close relationship with the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). Therefore, the current study was aimed to explore the role of genes related to ICI and to investigate potential mechanisms in AS. Methods Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was applied to explore immune infiltration in AS and controls. Genes related to immune infitration were mined by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The function of those genes were analyzed by enrichment analyses of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO). The interactions among those genes were visualized in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, followed by identification of hub genes through Cytoscape software. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plot was generated to assess the performance of hub genes in AS diagnosis. The expressions of hub genes were measured by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) in human leukemia monocyticcell line (THP-1) derived foam cells and macrophages, which mimic AS and control, respectively. Results We observed that the proportions of 27 immune cells were significantly elevated in AS. Subsequent integrative analyses of differential expression and WGCNA identified 99 immune cell-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AS and control. Those DEGs were associated with tryptophan metabolism and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related functions. Moreover, by constructing the PPI network, we found 11 hub immune cell-related genes in AS. The expression pattern and receiver ROC analyses in two independent datasets showed that calsequestrin 2 (CASQ2), nexilin F-Actin binding protein (NEXN), matrix metallopeptidase 12 (MMP12), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), phospholamban (PLN), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), ryanodine receptor 2 (RYR2), chitinase 3 like 1 (CHI3L1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), actin alpha cardiac muscle 1 (ACTC1) had good performance in distinguishing AS from control samples. Furthermore, those biomarkers were shown to be correlated with angiogenesis and immune checkpoints. In addition, we found 239 miRNAs and 47 transcription factor s (TFs), which may target those biomarkers and regulate their expressions. Finally, we found that RT-qPCR results were consistent with sequencing results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Dong
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Jikuan Li
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Guangwei Jiang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ning Han
- Department of Neurointervention, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yaochao Zhang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei, China
| | - Xiaoming Shi
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
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Xu XD, Chen JX, Zhu L, Xu ST, Jiang J, Ren K. The emerging role of pyroptosis-related inflammasome pathway in atherosclerosis. Mol Med 2022; 28:160. [PMID: 36544112 PMCID: PMC9773468 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-022-00594-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic sterile inflammatory disorder, is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The dysfunction and unnatural death of plaque cells, including vascular endothelial cells (VEC), macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), are crucial factors in the progression of AS. Pyroptosis was described as a form of cell death at least two decades ago. It is featured by plasma membrane swelling and rupture, cell lysis, and consequent robust release of cytosolic contents and pro-inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-18, and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Pyroptosis of plaque cells is commonly observed in the initiation and development of AS, and the levels of pyroptosis-related proteins are positively correlated with plaque instability, indicating the crucial contribution of pyroptosis to atherogenesis. Furthermore, studies have also identified some candidate anti-atherogenic agents targeting plaque cell pyroptosis. Herein, we summarize the research progress in understating (1) the discovery and definition of pyroptosis; (2) the characterization and molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis; (3) the regulatory mechanisms of pyroptosis in VEC, macrophage, and VSMC, as well as their potential role in AS progression, aimed at providing therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dan Xu
- grid.412679.f0000 0004 1771 3402Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022 Anhui People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia-Xian Chen
- grid.443397.e0000 0004 0368 7493Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100 Hainan People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhu
- grid.252251.30000 0004 1757 8247College of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012 Anhui People’s Republic of China
| | - Shu-Ting Xu
- grid.411971.b0000 0000 9558 1426Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044 Liaoning People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Jiang
- grid.443397.e0000 0004 0368 7493Department of Organ Transplantation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100 Hainan People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun Ren
- grid.252251.30000 0004 1757 8247College of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012 Anhui People’s Republic of China ,grid.443397.e0000 0004 0368 7493Institute of Clinical Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100 Hainan People’s Republic of China
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