Polymorphisms in the CISH gene are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population

Cish knockout mice exhibit similar outcomes to malaria infection despite altered hematopoietic responses

The Cytokine-inducible Src homology 2 domain-containing (CISH) protein is a negative feedback regulator induced by cytokines that play key roles in immunity and erythropoiesis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human CISH gene have been associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria disease. To directly assess how CISH might influence outcomes in the BALB/c model of malaria anemia, CISH knockout (Cish-/-) mice on this background were infected with Plasmodium berghei and their hematopoietic responses, cytokine production and ability to succumb to severe malaria disease evaluated. Despite basal erythrocytic disruption, upon P. berghei infection, the Cish -/- mice were better able to maintain peripheral blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels and a steady-state pattern of erythroid differentiation compared to wild-type (Cish+/+) mice. Ablation of CISH, however, did not influence the outcome of acute malaria infections in either the BALB/c model or the alternative C57BL/6 model of experimental cerebral malaria, with the kinetics of infection, parasite load, weight loss and cytokine responses being similar between Cish+/+ and Cish-/- mice, and both genotypes succumbed to experimental cerebral malaria within a comparable timeframe.

Genetic Predisposition to the Mortality in Septic Shock Patients: From GWAS to the Identification of a Regulatory Variant Modulating the Activity of a CISH Enhancer

The high mortality rate in septic shock patients is likely due to environmental and genetic factors, which influence the host response to infection. Two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on 832 septic shock patients were performed. We used integrative bioinformatic approaches to annotate and prioritize the sepsis-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). An association of 139 SNPs with death based on a false discovery rate of 5% was detected. The most significant SNPs were within the CISH gene involved in cytokine regulation. Among the 139 SNPs associated with death and the 1311 SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium with them, we investigated 1439 SNPs within non-coding regions to identify regulatory variants. The highest integrative weighted score (IW-score) was obtained for rs143356980, indicating that this SNP is a robust regulatory candidate. The rs143356980 region is located in a non-coding region close to the CISH gene. A CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of this region and specific luciferase assays in K562 cells showed that rs143356980 modulates the enhancer activity in K562 cells. These analyses allowed us to identify several genes associated with death in patients with septic shock. They suggest that genetic variations in key genes, such as CISH, perturb relevant pathways, increasing the risk of death in sepsis patients.

Risk Factors and Genetic Biomarkers of Multiple Primary Cancers in Esophageal Cancer Patients

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a deadly cancer that frequently develops multiple primary cancers (MPCs). However, the risk biomarkers of MPC in EC have hardly been investigated. We retrospectively enrolled 920 subjects with primary EC and analyzed the possible risk factors as well as MPC single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from blood DNA. A total of 184 subjects (20.0%) were confirmed to have MPC, 59 (32.8%) had synchronous MPC, and 128 (69.6%) had head and neck cancer. Elderly EC patients have an increased risk of having gastrointestinal cancer (Odds ratio, OR[95% CI]=6.70 [1.49-30.19], p=0.013) and a reduced risk of developing HNC (OR[95% CI]=0.44 [0.24-0.81], p=0.008). MPC risk was also associated with betel nut chewing (OR[95% CI]=1.63, 1.14-2.32], p=0.008), the A allele of ALDH2:rs671 (p=0.074 and 0.030 for GA and AA, respectively), the CC genotype in CISH:rs2239751 (OR[95% CI]=1.99 [1.2-3.32], p=0.008), and the G allele of ERCC5:rs17655 (p=0.001 and 0.090 for GC and CC, respectively). ADH1B:rs1229984 also correlated with MPC risk (p=0.117). Patients carrying four risk SNPs had a 40-fold risk of MPC (OR[95% CI]=40.25 [6.77-239.50], p<0.001) and a 12.57-fold risk of developing second primary cancer after EC (OR[95% CI]=12.57 [1.14-138.8], p=0.039) compared to those without any risk SNPs. In conclusion, hereditary variations in ALDH2, CISH, ERCC5, and ADH1B have great potential in predicting the incidence of MPC in EC patients. An extensive cancer screening program during clinical follow-up would be beneficial for patients with high MPC susceptibility.

Association of heme oxygenase-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Chinese Han population

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, which is associated with oxidative stress and the induction of host antioxidants to counteract this response. The heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) single nucleotide polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with many critical diseases. Our purpose was to investigate the association of HO‐1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with the susceptibility to tuberculosis in Chinese Han population.

Methods

A case‐control study was performed on Chinese Han population, and a group of 638 TB patients was compared to 610 healthy controls. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including rs2071746, rs5995098, and rs8140669 were genotyped using the MassARRAY platform. The genotype frequency was compared between TB patients and healthy controls. The association between the three genetic models of the three SNPs and TB risk was further investigated.

Results

The results showed that, in the case of additive model, there was significant difference of the genotype frequencies of SNP rs8140669 between the TB patients and control groups (P = .038). In the case of dominant model, the genotype frequencies of SNP rs8140669 may have difference between the two cohorts (P = .051), while the allele frequency and genotype distribution for other two SNPs showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > .05).

Conclusion

HO‐1 polymorphism was associated with TB susceptibility in Chinese Han population.

Polymorphisms in the STAT4 gene and tuberculosis susceptibility in a Chinese Han population

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) gene encodes a transcription factor that transmits signals induced by several cytokines which play critical roles in the development of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. We performed an association study between STAT4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and tuberculosis (TB). 624 TB cases and 598 healthy controls were studied to compare allele/genotype frequencies of 4 SNPs in STAT4. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression. Genotyping was performed with the Sequenom MassARRAY SNP genotyping platform. Out of 4 SNPs tested in the study, rs4853542 allele A showed a 25% decreased risk of TB compared with allele G (P = 0.013, OR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.60-0.94). However, it did not show significant differences under any genetic model after Bonferroni correction. No association was found for the other 3 SNPs with TB. In subgroup analyses, the protective effects of rs485342 allele A were stronger among younger subjects <25 years (P = 0.002, OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.31-0.76). Allele A of the rs4853542 polymorphism in STAT4 is not associated with TB susceptibility, but we demonstrated that rs4853542A allele decreased risk of TB in younger adults after Bonferroni correction.

Polymorphisms of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis among Han Taiwanese

BACKGROUND

Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS), particularly SOCS-3, allow discrimination of patients with active tuberculosis (TB) from healthy subjects in a gender- and age-dependent manner. However, no information is available on whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SOCS-3 gene occur in patients with TB. This study was designed to investigate SOCS-3 SNPs in association with susceptibility to TB in the Taiwanese population.

METHODS

Four SNPs in the SOCS-3 gene located at rs8064821, rs4969168, rs2280148, and rs35037722 were studied by the TaqMan SNP Genotyping assay in 200 healthy and 210 TB patients enrolled in 2015-2018.

RESULTS

Significant differences were not detected in genotype frequencies or odds ratios (ORs) between healthy and TB patients for any of the four polymorphisms. The lack of significant differences was also found when the patients were stratified by sex. However, males exhibited GG homozygous at rs35037722 in association with susceptibility to TB after the OR analysis was adjusted for age. For rs8064821, AA and AC genotypes were associated with TB susceptibility in patients ≤ 65 years old compared to CC genotype, whereas older subjects had no such association.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that particular SOCS-3 SNPs are dependent on gender or age to influence TB susceptibility in the Han Taiwanese.

Genetic contribution of suppressor of cytokine signalling polymorphisms to the susceptibility to infection after traumatic injury

Suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) proteins are crucial negative regulators in many signalling pathways and are implicated in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to uncover possible associations of common polymorphisms within SOCS genes with infectious outcomes after traumatic injury. A total of 1087 trauma patients (Chongqing cohort 806 and Yunnan cohort 281) were recruited and followed-up for the development of infectious outcomes, such as sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Twelve selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened by pyrosequencing to determine their genotypes and associations with infectious complications. Among the 12 selected SNPs, only the cytokine-inducible Src homology (SH2) domain protein (CISH) promoter rs414171 polymorphism was found consistently to be associated statistically with the incidence of sepsis and MOD score in the two cohorts, despite analysing the SNPs independently or in combination. Further, patients with a T allele had significantly lower CISH expression and lower production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, but higher production of interleukin (IL)-10. Luciferase assay confirmed that the A→T variant in the rs414171 polymorphism inhibited the transcriptional activities of the CISH gene significantly. The CISH rs414171 polymorphism is associated significantly with susceptibility to sepsis and MODS in traumatic patients, which might prove to be a novel biomarker for indicating risk of infectious outcomes in critically injured patients.

CISH promoter polymorphism effects on T cell cytokine receptor signaling and type 1 diabetes susceptibility

Background

Impaired regulatory T cell immunity plays a central role in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) signaling is essential for regulatory T cells (T_REG), and cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS) regulates IL-2R signaling as a feedback inhibitor. Previous studies identified association of CISH promoter region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Methods

Here we analyzed allele frequencies of three CISH SNPs (i.e., rs809451, rs414171, rs2239751) in a study of T1D patients (n = 260, onset age < 5 years, duration > 10 years). Minor allele frequencies were compared to a control cohort of the 1000 Genomes Project. Assigned haplotypes were determined for effects on T1D manifestation and severity. Finally, the CISH haplotype influence on cytokine signaling and function was explored in T cells from healthy donors.

Results

We detected similar minor allele frequencies between T1D patients and the control cohort. T1D onset age, residual serum C-peptide level, and insulin requirement were comparable between different haplotypes. Only minor differences between the haplotypes were found for in vitro cytokine (i.e., IL-2, IL-7)-induced CIS mRNA expression. STAT5 phosphorylation was induced by IL-2 or IL-7, but no differences were found between the haplotypes. T_REG purified from healthy donors with the two most common haplotypes showed similar capacity to inhibit heterologous effector T cells.

Conclusions

This study provides no evidence for an association of CISH promoter SNPs with susceptibility to T1D or severity of disease. In contrast to previous studies, no influence of different haplotypes on CIS mRNA expression or T cell-mediated functions was found.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40348-018-0080-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

CISH controls bacterial burden early after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice

CISH gene has been associated with increased susceptibility to human tuberculosis. We found that cish^-/- mice had higher M. tuberculosis load in spleens and lungs up to 2.5 weeks after infection but not later compared to controls. Cish mRNA levels were increased in lungs at early and late time points after M. tuberculosis infection. In relation, the titers of inos and tnf mRNA in lungs were reduced early after infection of cish^-/- mice. The transfer of cish^-/- and control T cells conferred rag1^-/- mice similar protection to infection with M. tuberculosis. Macrophages showed increased cish mRNA levels after M. tuberculosis infection in vitro. However, mycobacterial uptake and growth in cish^-/- and control macrophages was similar. Thus, we here show that CISH mediates control of M. tuberculosis in mice early after infection via regulation of innate immune mechanisms.

The Role of Host Genetics (and Genomics) in Tuberculosis

Familial risk of tuberculosis (TB) has been recognized for centuries. Largely through studies of mono- and dizygotic twin concordance rates, studies of families with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease, and candidate gene studies performed in the 20th century, it was recognized that susceptibility to TB disease has a substantial host genetic component. Limitations in candidate gene studies and early linkage studies made the robust identification of specific loci associated with disease challenging, and few loci have been convincingly associated across multiple populations. Genome-wide and transcriptome-wide association studies, based on microarray (commonly known as genechip) technologies, conducted in the past decade have helped shed some light on pathogenesis but only a handful of new pathways have been identified. This apparent paradox, of high heritability but few replicable associations, has spurred a new wave of collaborative global studies. This review aims to comprehensively review the heritability of TB, critically review the host genetic and transcriptomic correlates of disease, and highlight current studies and future prospects in the study of host genomics in TB. An implicit goal of elucidating host genetic correlates of susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection or TB disease is to identify pathophysiological features amenable to translation to new preventive, diagnostic, or therapeutic interventions. The translation of genomic insights into new clinical tools is therefore also discussed.

Association of genetic polymorphisms of CISH with the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in Zahedan, Southeast Iran

BACKGROUND

In the current study we aimed to find out the impact of cytokine-inducible Src homology 2 domain protein (CISH) gene polymorphisms on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample of Iranian population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Polymorphisms of CISH rs2239751, rs414171, and rs6768300 were determined in 200 PTB patients and 200 healthy subjects using T-ARMS-PCR or PCR-RFLP method.

RESULTS

The results showed that rs414171 A>T genotypes significantly decreased the risk of PTB (OR=0.16, 95% CI=0.10-0.27, p<0.0001, AT vs AA; OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.14-0.68, p<0.0001, TT vs AA; OR=0.19, 95% CI=0.12-0.29, p<0.0001, AT+TT vs AA; OR=0.29, 95%CI=0.20-0.42, p<0.0001, T vs A). For rs6768300, the findings indicated that this variant decreased the risk of PTB (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.33-0.82, p=0.005, CG vs GG; OR=0.57, 95% CI=0.38-0.87, p=0.012, C vs G). No significant association was observed between CISH rs2239751 polymorphism and risk/protection of PTB.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicated that CISH rs414171 and rs6768300 variants might be associated with protection from PTB.