Identification of potential M2 macrophage-associated diagnostic biomarkers in coronary artery disease

RNAseq of INOCA patients identifies innate, invariant, and acquired immune changes: potential autoimmune microvascular dysfunction

Background

Ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is a major clinical entity that involves potentially 20%-30% of patients with chest pain. INOCA is typically attributed either to coronary microvascular disease and/or vasospasm, but is likely distinct from classical coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objectives

To gain insights into the etiology of INOCA and CAD, RNA sequencing of whole blood from patients undergoing both stress testing and elective invasive coronary angiography (ICA) was conducted.

Methods

Stress testing and ICA of 177 patients identified 40 patients (23%) with INOCA compared to 39 controls (stress-, ICA-). ICA+ patients divided into 38 stress- and 60 stress+. RNAseq was performed by Illumina with ribosomal RNA depletion. Transcriptome changes were analyzed by DeSeq2 and curated by manual and automated methods.

Results

Differentially expressed genes for INOCA were associated with elevated levels of transcripts related to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pcDC), and memory B cells, and were associated with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Decreased transcripts were associated with neutrophils, but neutrophil transcripts, per se, were not less abundant in INOCA. CAD transcripts were more related to T cell functions.

Conclusions

Elevated transcripts related to pcDC, MAIT, and memory B cells suggest an autoimmune component to INOCA. Reduced neutrophil transcripts are likely attributed to chronic activation leading to increased translation and degradation. Thus, INOCA could result from stimulation of B cell, pcDC, invariant T cell, and neutrophil activation that compromises cardiac microvascular function.

Immune Evasion in Cancer Is Regulated by Tumor-Asociated Macrophages (TAMs): Targeting TAMs

Recent advancements in cancer treatment have explored a variety of approaches to address the needs of patients. Recently, immunotherapy has evolved as an efficacious treatment for various cancers resistant to conventional therapies. Hence, significant milestones in immunotherapy were achieved clinically in a large subset of cancer patients. Unfortunately, some cancer types do not respond to treatment, and among the responsive cancers, some patients remain unresponsive to treatment. Consequently, there is a critical need to examine the mechanisms of immune resistance and devise strategies to target immune suppressor cells or factors, thereby allowing for tumor sensitivity to immune cytotoxic cells. M2 macrophages, also known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are of interest due to their role in suppressing the immune system and influencing antitumor immune responses through modulating T cell activity and immune checkpoint expression. TAMs are associated with signaling pathways that modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to immune evasion. One approach targets TAMs, focusing on preventing the polarization of M1 macrophages into the protumoral M2 phenotype. Other strategies focus on direct or indirect targeting of M2 macrophages through understanding the interaction of TAMs with immune factors or signaling pathways. Clinically, biomarkers associated with TAMs' immune resistance in cancer patients have been identified, opening avenues for intervention using pharmacological agents or immunotherapeutic approaches. Ultimately, these multifaceted approaches are promising in overcoming immune resistance and improving cancer treatment outcomes.

Integrative bioinformatics analysis identifies APOB as a critical biomarker in coronary in-stent restenosis

Aim: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major contributor to the worldwide prevalence of cardiovascular disease. In-stent restenosis (ISR) is a common complication which can lead to stent implantation failure, necessitating repeated intervention and presenting a significant obstacle for CAD management. Methods: To accurately assess and determine the hub genes associated with ISR, CAD databases from the Gene Expression Omnibus were utilized and weighted gene coexpression network analysis was employed to identify key genes in blood samples. Results: APOB was identified as a risk gene for ISR occurrence. Subsequent correlation analysis of APOB demonstrated a positive association with ISR. Clinical validation further confirmed the predictive value of APOB in ISR detection. Conclusion: We have identified APOB as a critical predictive biomarker for ISR in CAD patients.

Competing Endogenous RNA Regulatory Networks of hsa_circ_0126672 in Pathophysiology of Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a global health concern, and its molecular origin is not fully elucidated. Dysregulation of ncRNAs has been linked to many metabolic and infectious diseases. This study aimed to explore the role of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of CHD and predicted a candidate circRNA that could be targeted for therapeutic approaches to the disease. circRNAs associated with CHD were identified and CHD gene expression profiles were obtained, and analyzed with GEO2R. In addition, differentially expressed miRNA target genes (miR-DEGs) were identified and subjected to functional enrichment analysis. Networks of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA and the miRNA/affected pathways were constructed. Furthermore, a miRNA/mRNA homology study was performed. We identified that hsa_circ_0126672 was strongly associated with the CHD pathology by competing for endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanisms. hsa_circ_0126672 characteristically sponges miR-145-5p, miR-186-5p, miR-548c-3p, miR-7-5p, miR-495-3p, miR-203a-3p, and miR-21. Up-regulation of has_circ_0126672 affected various CHD-related cellular functions, such as atherosclerosis, JAK/STAT, and Apelin signaling pathways. Our results also revealed a perfect and stable interaction for the hybrid of miR-145-5p with NOS1 and RPS6KB1. Finally, miR-145-5p had the highest degree of interaction with the validated small molecules. Henchashsa_circ_0126672 and target miRNAs, notably miR-145-5p, could be good candidates for the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to CHD.