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Han LW, Jamalian S, Hsu JC, Sheng XR, Yang X, Yang X, Monemi S, Hassan S, Yadav R, Tuckwell K, Kunder R, Pan L, Glickstein S. A Phase 1a Study to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of RO7303509, an Anti-TGFβ3 Antibody, in Healthy Volunteers. Rheumatol Ther 2024; 11:755-771. [PMID: 38662148 PMCID: PMC11111615 DOI: 10.1007/s40744-024-00670-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) cytokines (TGFβ1, TGFβ2, and TGFβ3) play critical roles in tissue fibrosis. However, treatment with systemic pan-TGFβ inhibitors have demonstrated unacceptable toxicities. In this study, we evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of RO7303509, a high-affinity, TGFβ3-specific, humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, in healthy adult volunteers (HVs). METHODS This phase 1a, randomized, double-blind trial included six cohorts for evaluation, with each cohort receiving single doses of placebo or RO7303509, administered intravenously (IV; 50 mg, 150 mg, 240 mg) or subcutaneously (SC; 240 mg, 675 mg, 1200 mg). The frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) and RO7303509 serum concentrations were monitored throughout the study. We also measured serum periostin and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) by immunoassay and developed a population pharmacokinetics model to characterize RO7303509 serum concentrations. RESULTS The study enrolled 49 HVs, with a median age of 39 (range 18-73) years. Ten (27.8%) RO7303509-treated subjects reported 24 AEs, and six (30.8%) placebo-treated subjects reported six AEs. The most frequent AEs related to the study drug were injection site reactions and infusion-related reactions. Maximum serum concentrations (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-inf) values for RO7303509 appeared to increase dose-proportionally across all doses tested. Serum concentrations across cohorts were best characterized by a two-compartment model plus a depot compartment with first-order SC absorption kinetics. No subjects tested positive for anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) at baseline; one subject (2.8%; 50 mg IV) tested positive for ADAs at a single time point (day 15). No clear pharmacodynamic effects were observed for periostin or COMP upon TGFβ3 inhibition. CONCLUSION RO7303509 was well tolerated at single SC doses up to 1200 mg in HVs with favorable pharmacokinetic data that appeared to increase dose-proportionally. TGFβ3-specific inhibition may be suitable for development as a chronic antifibrotic therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN13175485.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyrialle W Han
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Samira Jamalian
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Joy C Hsu
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - X Rebecca Sheng
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sharareh Monemi
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Sharmeen Hassan
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rajbharan Yadav
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Katie Tuckwell
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rebecca Kunder
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Lin Pan
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Sara Glickstein
- Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
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Yu KQ, Li CF, Ye L, Song Y, Wang YH, Lin YR, Liao ST, Mei ZC, Lv L. Long Non-Coding RNA ANRIL Regulates Inflammatory Factor Expression in Ulcerative Colitis Via the miR-191-5p/SATB1 Axis. Inflammation 2024; 47:513-529. [PMID: 37985573 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-023-01925-z] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, manifests with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and mucopurulent feces. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ANRIL exhibits significantly reduced expression in UC, yet its specific mechanism is unknown. This study revealed that ANRIL is involved in the progression of UC by inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-α via miR-191-5P/SATB1 axis. We found that in patients with UC, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly overexpressed in inflamed colon sites, whereas ANRIL was significantly under-expressed and associated with disease severity. The downregulation of ANRIL resulted in the increased expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-treated FHCs. ANRIL directly targeted miR-191-5p, thereby inhibiting its expression and augmenting SATB1 expression. Moreover, overexpression of miR-191-5p abolished ANRIL-mediated inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-α production. Dual luciferase reporter assays revealed the specific binding of miR-191-5p to ANRIL and SATB1. Furthermore, the downregulation of ANRIL promoted DSS-induced colitis in mice. Together, we provide evidence that ANRIL plays a critical role in regulating IL-6 and TNF-α expression in UC by modulating the miR-191-5p/SATB1 axis. Our study provides novel insights into progression and molecular therapeutic strategies in UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Qi Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Chuan-Fei Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Lu Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Ya Song
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Yan-Hui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Yu-Ru Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Sheng-Tao Liao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China.
| | - Zhe-Chuan Mei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China.
| | - Lin Lv
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 74 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400010, China.
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Pan H, Lu X, Ye D, Feng Y, Wan J, Ye J. The molecular mechanism of thrombospondin family members in cardiovascular diseases. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1337586. [PMID: 38516004 PMCID: PMC10954798 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1337586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases have been identified as vital factors in global morbidity and mortality in recent years. The available evidence suggests that various cytokines and pathological proteins participate in these complicated and changeable diseases. The thrombospondin (TSP) family is a series of conserved, multidomain calcium-binding glycoproteins that cause cell-matrix and cell-cell effects via interactions with other extracellular matrix components and cell surface receptors. The TSP family has five members that can be divided into two groups (Group A and Group B) based on their different structures. TSP-1, TSP-2, and TSP-4 are the most studied proteins. Among recent studies and findings, we investigated the functions of several family members, especially TSP-5. We review the basic concepts of TSPs and summarize the relevant molecular mechanisms and cell interactions in the cardiovascular system. Targeting TSPs in CVD and other diseases has a remarkable therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Pan
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiyi Lu
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Di Ye
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongqi Feng
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, China
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Dudek P, Talar-Wojnarowska R. Current Approach to Risk Factors and Biomarkers of Intestinal Fibrosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:305. [PMID: 38399592 PMCID: PMC10889938 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60020305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease (CD), characterized by a chronic inflammatory process and progressive intestinal tissue damage, leads to the unrestrained proliferation of mesenchymal cells and the development of bowel strictures. Complications induced by fibrosis are related to high rates of morbidity and mortality and lead to a substantial number of hospitalizations and surgical procedures, generating high healthcare costs. The development of easily obtained, reliable fibrogenesis biomarkers is essential to provide an important complementary tool to existing diagnostic and prognostic methods in IBD management, guiding decisions on the intensification of pharmacotherapy, proceeding to surgical methods of treatment and monitoring the efficacy of anti-fibrotic therapy in the future. The most promising potential markers of fibrosis include cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA), and fibronectin isoform- extra domain A (ED-A), as well as antibodies against granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF Ab), cathelicidin (LL-37), or circulatory miRNAs: miR-19a-3p and miR-19b-3p. This review summarizes the role of genetic predisposition, and risk factors and serological markers potentially contributing to the pathophysiology of fibrotic strictures in the course of IBD.
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Graf SD, Keber CU, Hattesohl A, Teply-Szymanski J, Hattesohl S, Guder M, Gercke N, Di Fazio P, Slater EP, Jesinghaus M, Denkert C, Bartsch DK, Lehman B. Mesenteric fibrosis in patients with small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors is associated with enrichment of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive fibrosis and COMP-expressing stromal cells. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13364. [PMID: 38246597 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine tumors of the small intestine (SI-NETs) often develop lymph node metastasis (LNM)-induced mesenteric fibrosis (MF). MF can cause intestinal obstruction as well as ischemia and render surgical resection technically challenging. The underlying pathomechanisms of MF are still not well understood. We examined mesenteric LNM and the surrounding stroma compartment from 24 SI-NET patients, including 11 with in situ presentation of strong MF (MF+) and 13 without MF (MF-). Differential gene expression was assessed with the HTG EdgeSeq Oncology Biomarker Panel comparing MF+ with MF- within LNM and paired stromal samples, respectively. Most interesting differentially expressed genes were validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in combination with validation of associated protein levels utilizing immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of MF+ and MF- formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) patient samples. Overall, 14 genes measured with a 2549-gene expression panel were differentially expressed in MF+ patients compared to MF-. Of those, nine were differentially expressed genes in LNM and five genes in the stromal tissue (>2-fold change, p < .05). The top hits included increased COMP and COL11A1 expression in the stroma of MF+ patients compared to MF-, as well as decreased HMGA2, COL6A6, and SLC22A3 expression in LNM of MF+ patients compared to LNM of MF- patients. RT-qPCR confirmed high levels of COMP and COL11A1 in stroma samples of MF+ compared to MF- patients. IHC staining confirmed the enrichment of α-smooth muscle actin-positive fibrosis in MF+ compared to MF- patients with corresponding increase of COMP-expressing stromal cells in MF+. Since COMP is associated with the known driver for fibrosis development transforming growth factor beta and with a cancer-associated fibroblasts enriched environment, it seems to be a promising new target for MF research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian D Graf
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Corinna U Keber
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Akira Hattesohl
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia Teply-Szymanski
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sophia Hattesohl
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc Guder
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Norman Gercke
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Pietro Di Fazio
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Emily P Slater
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Jesinghaus
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Denkert
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Detlef K Bartsch
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bettina Lehman
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Yadav R, Sukumaran S, Lutman J, Mitra MS, Halpern W, Sun T, Setiadi AF, Neighbors M, Sheng XR, Yip V, Shen BQ, Liu C, Han L, Ovacik AM, Wu Y, Glickstein S, Kunder R, Arron JR, Pan L, Kamath AV, Stefanich EG. Utilizing PK and PD Biomarkers to Guide the First-in-Human Starting Dose Selection of MTBT1466A: A Novel Humanized Monoclonal Anti-TGFβ3 Antibody for the Treatment of Fibrotic Diseases. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2910-2920. [PMID: 37429356 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
MTBT1466A is a high-affinity TGFβ3-specific humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody with reduced Fc effector function, currently under investigation in clinical trials as a potential anti-fibrotic therapy. Here, we characterized the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of MTBT1466A in mice and monkeys and predicted the PK/PD of MTBT1466A in humans to guide the selection of the first-in-human (FIH) starting dose. MTBT1466A demonstrated a typical IgG1-like biphasic PK profile in monkeys, and the predicted human clearance of 2.69 mL/day/kg and t1/2 of 20.4 days are consistent with those expected for a human IgG1 antibody. In a mouse model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, changes in expression of TGFβ3-related genes, serpine1, fibronectin-1, and collagen 1A1 were used as PD biomarkers to determine the minimum pharmacologically active dose of 1 mg/kg. Unlike in the fibrosis mouse model, evidence of target engagement in healthy monkeys was only observed at higher doses. Using a PKPD-guided approach, the recommended FIH dose of 50 mg, IV, provided exposures that were shown to be safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers. MTBT1466A PK in healthy volunteers was predicted reasonably well using a PK model with allometric scaling of PK parameters from monkey data. Taken together, this work provides insights into the PK/PD behavior of MTBT1466A in preclinical species, and supports the translatability of the preclinical data into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajbharan Yadav
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Siddharth Sukumaran
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeff Lutman
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mayur S Mitra
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Halpern
- Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tianhe Sun
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - X Rebecca Sheng
- Translational Medicine, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Victor Yip
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ben-Quan Shen
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lyrialle Han
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ayse Meric Ovacik
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yan Wu
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara Glickstein
- Early Clinical Development, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Kunder
- Early Clinical Development, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph R Arron
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lin Pan
- Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amrita V Kamath
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric G Stefanich
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Fabian O, Bajer L, Drastich P, Harant K, Sticova E, Daskova N, Modos I, Tichanek F, Cahova M. A Current State of Proteomics in Adult and Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Search and Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119386. [PMID: 37298338 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are systemic immune-mediated conditions with predilection for the gastrointestinal tract and include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite the advances in the fields of basic and applied research, the etiopathogenesis remains largely unknown. As a result, only one third of the patients achieve endoscopic remission. A substantial portion of the patients also develop severe clinical complications or neoplasia. The need for novel biomarkers that can enhance diagnostic accuracy, more precisely reflect disease activity, and predict a complicated disease course, thus, remains high. Genomic and transcriptomic studies contributed substantially to our understanding of the immunopathological pathways involved in disease initiation and progression. However, eventual genomic alterations do not necessarily translate into the final clinical picture. Proteomics may represent a missing link between the genome, transcriptome, and phenotypical presentation of the disease. Based on the analysis of a large spectrum of proteins in tissues, it seems to be a promising method for the identification of new biomarkers. This systematic search and review summarize the current state of proteomics in human IBD. It comments on the utility of proteomics in research, describes the basic proteomic techniques, and provides an up-to-date overview of available studies in both adult and pediatric IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Fabian
- Clinical and Transplant Pathology Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Thomayer Hospital, 140 59 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Bajer
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Drastich
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Harant
- Proteomics Core Facility, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Sticova
- Clinical and Transplant Pathology Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, Royal Vinohrady Teaching Hospital, Srobarova 1150/50, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Daskova
- Experimental Medicine Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Istvan Modos
- Department of Informatics, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Tichanek
- Department of Informatics, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Cahova
- Experimental Medicine Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 140 21 Prague, Czech Republic
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Muntyanu A, Le M, Ridha Z, O’Brien E, Litvinov IV, Lefrançois P, Netchiporouk E. Novel role of long non-coding RNAs in autoimmune cutaneous disease. J Cell Commun Signal 2022; 16:487-504. [PMID: 34346026 PMCID: PMC9733767 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-021-00639-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) are a heterogeneous group of chronic multisystem inflammatory disorders that are thought to have a complex pathophysiology, which is not yet fully understood. Recently, the role of non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), has been of particular interest in the pathogenesis of SARDs. We aimed to summarize the potential roles of lncRNA in SARDs affecting the skin including, systemic sclerosis (SSc), dermatomyositis (DM) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). We conducted a narrative review summarizing original articles published until July 19, 2021, regarding lncRNA associated with SSc, DM, and CLE. Several lncRNAs were hypothesized to play an important role in disease pathogenesis of SSc, DM and CLE. In SSc, Negative Regulator of IFN Response (NRIR) was thought to modulate Interferon (IFN) response in monocytes, anti-sense gene to X-inactivation specific transcript (TSIX) to regulate increased collagen stability, HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) to increase numbers of myofibroblasts, OTUD6B-Anti-Sense RNA 1 to decrease fibroblast apoptosis, ncRNA00201 to regulate pathways in SSc pathogenesis and carcinogenesis, H19X potentiating TGF-β-driven extracellular matrix production, and finally PSMB8-AS1 potentiates IFN response. In DM, linc-DGCR6-1 expression was hypothesized to target the USP18 protein, a type 1 IFN-inducible protein that is considered a key regulator of IFN signaling. Additionally, AL136018.1 is suggested to regulate the expression Cathepsin G, which increases the permeability of vascular endothelial cells and the chemotaxis of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood and muscle tissue in DM. Lastly, lnc-MIPOL1-6 and lnc-DDX47-3 in discoid CLE were thought to be associated with the expression of chemokines, which are significant in Th1 mediated disease. In this review, we summarize the key lncRNAs that may drive pathogenesis of these connective tissue diseases and could potentially serve as therapeutic targets in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Muntyanu
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Michelle Le
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Zainab Ridha
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Laval, Québec, QC Canada
| | - Elizabeth O’Brien
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Ivan V. Litvinov
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Philippe Lefrançois
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
| | - Elena Netchiporouk
- Division Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada
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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein, Diseases, and Therapeutic Opportunities. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169253. [PMID: 36012514 PMCID: PMC9408827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein that is critical for collagen assembly and ECM stability. Mutations of COMP cause endoplasmic reticulum stress and chondrocyte apoptosis, resulting in rare skeleton diseases. The bouquet-like structure of COMP allows it to act as a bridging molecule that regulates cellular phenotype and function. COMP is able to interact with many other ECM components and binds directly to a variety of cellular receptors and growth factors. The roles of COMP in other skeleton diseases, such as osteoarthritis, have been implied. As a well-established biochemical marker, COMP indicates cartilage turnover associated with destruction. Recent exciting achievements indicate its involvement in other diseases, such as malignancy, cardiovascular diseases, and tissue fibrosis. Here, we review the basic concepts of COMP and summarize its novel functions in the regulation of signaling events. These findings renew our understanding that COMP has a notable function in cell behavior and disease progression as a signaling regulator. Interestingly, COMP shows distinct functions in different diseases. Targeting COMP in malignancy may withdraw its beneficial effects on the vascular system and induce or aggravate cardiovascular diseases. COMP supplementation is a promising treatment for OA and aortic aneurysms while it may induce tissue fibrosis or cancer metastasis.
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Taglietti V, Kefi K, Bronisz-Budzyńska I, Mirciloglu B, Rodrigues M, Cardone N, Coulpier F, Periou B, Gentil C, Goddard M, Authier FJ, Pietri-Rouxel F, Malfatti E, Lafuste P, Tiret L, Relaix F. Duchenne muscular dystrophy trajectory in R-DMDdel52 preclinical rat model identifies COMP as biomarker of fibrosis. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:60. [PMID: 35468843 PMCID: PMC9036715 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01355-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal muscle-wasting disorder caused by mutations in the Dystrophin gene and for which there is currently no cure. To bridge the gap between preclinical and therapeutic evaluation studies, we have generated a rat model for DMD that carries an exon 52 deletion (R-DMDdel52) causing a complete lack of dystrophin protein. Here we show that R-DMDdel52 animals recapitulated human DMD pathophysiological trajectory more faithfully than the mdx mouse model. We report that R-DMDdel52 rats displayed progressive and severe skeletal muscle loss associated with fibrotic deposition, fat infiltration and fibre type switch. Early fibrosis was also apparent in the cardiac muscle. These histological modifications led to severe muscle, respiratory and cardiac functional impairments leading to premature death around 1 year. Moreover, DMD muscle exhibited systemic inflammation with a mixed M1/M2 phenotype. A comparative single cell RNAseq analysis of the diaphragm muscle was performed, revealing cellular populations alteration and molecular modifications in all muscle cell types. We show that DMD fibroadipogenic progenitors produced elevated levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, a glycoprotein responsible for modulating homeostasis of extracellular matrix, and whose increased concentration correlated with muscle fibrosis both in R-DMDdel52 rats and human patients. Fibrosis is a component of tissue remodelling impacting the whole musculature of DMD patients, at the tissue level but most importantly at the functional level. We therefore propose that this specific biomarker can optimize the prognostic monitoring of functional improvement of patients included in clinical trials.
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11
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Biomarkers in systemic sclerosis: mechanistic insights into pathogenesis and treatment. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2021; 33:480-485. [PMID: 34420004 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is heterogenous on molecular, cellular, tissue, and clinical levels. Although many biomarkers have been described in clinical studies, few have been rigorously mapped to specific molecular pathways, tissue pathologies, and clinical manifestations. A focused assessment of peripheral blood levels of C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand-18 (CCL18) and periostin illustrates how biomarkers can link molecular mediators to clinical outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS CCL18 is produced by pulmonary macrophages in response to type 2 cytokines and IL6. Elevated serum CCL18 is associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) in SSc patients and is prognostic for ILD progression. It is pharmacologically modulated by IL6 inhibition, and associated with stabilization of lung function decline but not with improvements in skin fibrosis. Periostin is produced by dermal fibroblasts in SSc in response to type 2 cytokines and transforming growth factor-beta. Elevated serum periostin is associated with cutaneous disease in SSc patients but not ILD. Other cell- and tissue-specific biomarkers detectable in peripheral blood and informative with respect to SSc pathogenesis include KL-6 and SP-D in lung epithelium, osteopontin in lung macrophages, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in dermal fibroblasts. SUMMARY Blood biomarkers related to specific molecular mediators, cell types, and tissues of origin can help to link therapeutic targets to treatable traits in SSc.
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12
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Huang S, Fu D, Wan Z, Li M, Li H, Chong T. Effects of a gamma-secretase inhibitor of notch signalling on transforming growth factor β1-induced urethral fibrosis. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:8796-8808. [PMID: 34363303 PMCID: PMC8435429 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Urethral stricture (US) is a common disorder of the lower urinary tract in men caused by fibrosis. The recurrence rate of US is high; however, there are no effective therapies to prevent or treat urethral fibrosis. The pathogenesis of urethral fibrosis involves myofibroblast activation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. The molecular mechanisms underlying this pathological activation are not completely understood. It has been demonstrated that Notch signalling contributes to the development of fibrosis and inflammation. However, whether this contributes to urethral fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, activation of Notch signalling was observed in patients with US. Additionally, it was noted that activation of Notch signalling promoted ECM production and myofibroblast activation in human urethral scar fibroblasts (HUSFs) treated with transforming growth factor (TGF) β1. However, the Notch inhibitor N‐[N‐(3,5‐difluorophenacetyl)‐L‐alanyl]‐S‐phenylglycine t‐butyl ester (DAPT) suppressed activation of Notch signalling as well as proliferation and migration of the TGFβ1‐treated HUSFs. Additionally, DAPT ameliorated TGFβ1‐induced urethral fibrosis in Sprague Dawley rats by suppressing ECM production, myofibroblast activation and the TGFβ signalling pathway. These findings demonstrate that Notch signalling may be a promising and potential target in the prevention or treatment of urethral fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanlong Huang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Delai Fu
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ziyan Wan
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hecheng Li
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tie Chong
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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13
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Hinchcliff M. Lenabasum for Skin Disease in Patients With Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020; 72:1237-1240. [PMID: 32368869 DOI: 10.1002/art.41302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Monique Hinchcliff
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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14
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Hata J, Tanji R, Onagi A, Honda-Takinami R, Matsuoka K, Hoshi S, Sato Y, Akaihata H, Haga N, Kojima Y. Morphological change and characteristics of myofibroblasts during the growth process of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Int J Urol 2020; 27:676-683. [PMID: 32476199 DOI: 10.1111/iju.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To clarify the morphological change and characteristics of myofibroblast during the growth process of benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS This study examined the characteristics of myofibroblasts during the growth process of the prostate in the stromal component-dominant benign prostatic hyperplasia rat model. Transforming growth factor-β1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 expression were evaluated by western blotting (n = 6). We used double immunohistochemical staining to evaluate the number of myofibroblasts positive for α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin in benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues. Expression and histological analyses of the benign prostatic hyperplasia were also carried out in rats at 2, 3 and 8 weeks after urogenital sinus implantation (n = 6). To evaluate the fine morphological characteristics of myofibroblasts in human benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues, electron microscopy analysis was additionally carried out. RESULTS There was a significant upregulation of the transforming growth factor-β1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 expression in benign prostatic hyperplasia (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the number of myofibroblasts in benign prostatic hyperplasia (P < 0.05) compared with normal prostate, with these abundantly located in the stromal area. The transforming growth factor-β1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 expression and number of myofibroblasts showed a time-dependent increase (P < 0.05), with growth factor expressions preceding the myofibroblast increase. Electron microscopy confirmed that the myofibroblast progenitor cells, which possess abundant stress fibers, were predominantly located around fibrous areas in human benign prostatic hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS Differentiation into myofibroblasts induced by transforming growth factor-β1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 actively occurs during the growth process of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Myofibroblast progenitor cells seem to be associated with prostatic fibrosis in human benign prostatic hyperplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya Hata
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Ryo Tanji
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Akifumi Onagi
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Ruriko Honda-Takinami
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kanako Matsuoka
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiji Hoshi
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yuichi Sato
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hidenori Akaihata
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Haga
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kojima
- Department of Urology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
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15
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Correia C, Mawe S, Lofgren S, Marangoni RG, Lee J, Saber R, Aren K, Cheng M, Teaw S, Hoffmann A, Goldberg I, Cowper SE, Khatri P, Hinchcliff M, Mahoney JM. High-throughput quantitative histology in systemic sclerosis skin disease using computer vision. Arthritis Res Ther 2020; 22:48. [PMID: 32171325 PMCID: PMC7071594 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-020-2127-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skin fibrosis is the clinical hallmark of systemic sclerosis (SSc), where collagen deposition and remodeling of the dermis occur over time. The most widely used outcome measure in SSc clinical trials is the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), which is a semi-quantitative assessment of skin stiffness at seventeen body sites. However, the mRSS is confounded by obesity, edema, and high inter-rater variability. In order to develop a new histopathological outcome measure for SSc, we applied a computer vision technology called a deep neural network (DNN) to stained sections of SSc skin. We tested the hypotheses that DNN analysis could reliably assess mRSS and discriminate SSc from normal skin. METHODS We analyzed biopsies from two independent (primary and secondary) cohorts. One investigator performed mRSS assessments and forearm biopsies, and trichrome-stained biopsy sections were photomicrographed. We used the AlexNet DNN to generate a numerical signature of 4096 quantitative image features (QIFs) for 100 randomly selected dermal image patches/biopsy. In the primary cohort, we used principal components analysis (PCA) to summarize the QIFs into a Biopsy Score for comparison with mRSS. In the secondary cohort, using QIF signatures as the input, we fit a logistic regression model to discriminate between SSc vs. control biopsy, and a linear regression model to estimate mRSS, yielding Diagnostic Scores and Fibrosis Scores, respectively. We determined the correlation between Fibrosis Scores and the published Scleroderma Skin Severity Score (4S) and between Fibrosis Scores and longitudinal changes in mRSS on a per patient basis. RESULTS In the primary cohort (n = 6, 26 SSc biopsies), Biopsy Scores significantly correlated with mRSS (R = 0.55, p = 0.01). In the secondary cohort (n = 60 SSc and 16 controls, 164 biopsies; divided into 70% training and 30% test sets), the Diagnostic Score was significantly associated with SSc-status (misclassification rate = 1.9% [training], 6.6% [test]), and the Fibrosis Score significantly correlated with mRSS (R = 0.70 [training], 0.55 [test]). The DNN-derived Fibrosis Score significantly correlated with 4S (R = 0.69, p = 3 × 10- 17). CONCLUSIONS DNN analysis of SSc biopsies is an unbiased, quantitative, and reproducible outcome that is associated with validated SSc outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase Correia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seamus Mawe
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, HSRF 408 149 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Shane Lofgren
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Roberta G Marangoni
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jungwha Lee
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Rana Saber
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kathleen Aren
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michelle Cheng
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shannon Teaw
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Aileen Hoffmann
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Isaac Goldberg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shawn E Cowper
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Purvesh Khatri
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Informatics - Research Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection) and of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - J Matthew Mahoney
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, HSRF 408 149 Beaumont Avenue, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
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16
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Wasson CW, Abignano G, Hermes H, Malaab M, Ross RL, Jimenez SA, Chang HY, Feghali-Bostwick CA, Del Galdo F. Long non-coding RNA HOTAIR drives EZH2-dependent myofibroblast activation in systemic sclerosis through miRNA 34a-dependent activation of NOTCH. Ann Rheum Dis 2020; 79:507-517. [PMID: 32041748 PMCID: PMC7147169 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-216542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterised by autoimmune activation, tissue and vascular fibrosis in the skin and internal organs. Tissue fibrosis is driven by myofibroblasts, that are known to maintain their phenotype in vitro, which is associated with epigenetically driven trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3). Methods Full-thickness skin biopsies were surgically obtained from the forearms of 12 adult patients with SSc of recent onset. Fibroblasts were isolated and cultured in monolayers and protein and RNA extracted. HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) was expressed in healthy dermal fibroblasts by lentiviral induction employing a vector containing the specific sequence. Gamma secretase inhibitors were employed to block Notch signalling. Enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) was blocked with GSK126 inhibitor. Results SSc myofibroblasts in vitro and SSc skin biopsies in vivo display high levels of HOTAIR, a scaffold long non-coding RNA known to direct the histone methyltransferase EZH2 to induce H3K27me3 in specific target genes. Overexpression of HOTAIR in dermal fibroblasts induced EZH2-dependent increase in collagen and α-SMA expression in vitro, as well as repression of miRNA-34A expression and consequent NOTCH pathway activation. Consistent with these findings, we show that SSc dermal fibroblast display decreased levels of miRNA-34a in vitro. Further, EZH2 inhibition rescued miRNA-34a levels and mitigated the profibrotic phenotype of both SSc and HOTAIR overexpressing fibroblasts in vitro. Conclusions Our data indicate that the EZH2-dependent epigenetic phenotype of myofibroblasts is driven by HOTAIR and is linked to miRNA-34a repression-dependent activation of NOTCH signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Wasson
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
| | - Giuseppina Abignano
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.,Rheumatology Department of Lucania San Carlo Hospital, Potenza, Italy, Rheumatology Institute of Lucania (IReL), Potenza, Italy.,Scleroderma Programme, NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds, UK
| | - Heidi Hermes
- Jefferson Institute of Molecular Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maya Malaab
- Rheumatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charlestown, South Carolina, USA
| | - Rebecca L Ross
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
| | - Sergio A Jimenez
- Jefferson Institute of Molecular Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, University of Stanford, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Francesco Del Galdo
- Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK .,Scleroderma Programme, NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds, UK
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17
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Gonçalves RSG, Pereira MC, Dantas AT, Almeida ARD, Rego MJBM, Lima EA, Pitta IDR, Duarte ALBP, Pitta MGDR. CCL3, IL-7, IL-13 and IFNγ transcripts are increased in skin's biopsy of systemic sclerosis. Exp Dermatol 2019; 28:1172-1175. [PMID: 31162840 DOI: 10.1111/exd.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Although several cytokines and chemokines have been investigated as possible mediators of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc), specific correlation between cytokines and organ involvement have not been found yet, and a cytokine profile characteristic of SSc is far to be identified. We studied the profile of antifibrotic and profibrotic transcripts involved in skin of SSc patients. The mRNA expression was detected by fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in skin's biopsies from 14 patients with SSc and 5 healthy controls. PDGF-A, CTGF, CCL3, IL-6, IL-13, IL-7, IFNγ, IL-17, IL-22 and RORc were analysed in these samples. CCL3, IL-7, IL-13 and IFN-γ were more expressed in skin's biopsy of patients with SSc (P = 0.0002, P = 0.0082, P = 0.0243, P = 0.0335, respectively) when compared with healthy controls. We also found a positive correlation between CCL3 and IL-7 transcripts (P = 0.0050 r = 0.7187). Furthermore, we observed that patients with lung involvement had lower expression of PDGF-A (P = 0.0385). We found an increase in IL-7, IFN-γ, CCL3 and IL-13 relative mRNA expressions on the skin's biopsy of patients with SSc, and a positive correlation between IL-7 and CCL3. These molecules are involved in the pathogenesis of SSc, and how their interactions occur should be the subject of further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Silva Guimarães Gonçalves
- Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Michelly Cristiny Pereira
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Andréa Tavares Dantas
- Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Anderson Rodrigues de Almeida
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Moacyr J B M Rego
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Emerson Andrade Lima
- Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Ivan da Rocha Pitta
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Angela Luzia Branco Pinto Duarte
- Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Hospital of Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Maira Galdino da Rocha Pitta
- Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Novas Abordagens Terapêuticas, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Inovação Terapêutica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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18
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Wu J, Lubman DM, Kugathasan S, Denson LA, Hyams JS, Dubinsky MC, Griffiths A, Baldassano RN, Noe JD, Rabizadeh S, Gulati AS, Rosh J, Crandall WV, Higgins PD, Stidham RW. Serum Protein Biomarkers of Fibrosis Aid in Risk Stratification of Future Stricturing Complications in Pediatric Crohn's Disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2019; 114:777-785. [PMID: 31058681 PMCID: PMC6532424 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000000237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Avoiding fibrostenotic complications is of paramount concern in the management of Crohn's disease (CD). We sought to investigate the association of candidate biomarkers of fibrosis collected at diagnosis with the future development of fibrostenotic CD. METHODS Using the Risk Stratification and Identification of Immunogenetic and Microbial Markers of Rapid Disease Progression in Children with Crohn's Disease cohort, a multicenter prospective observational pediatric inception cohort, subjects with an inflammatory phenotype (B1) at diagnosis who later converted to a stricturing phenotype (B2) within 3 years were compared with those who remained B1. Serum collected at diagnosis underwent both parallel reaction monitoring-targeted proteomic analysis and conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for 10 candidate biomarkers of intestinal fibrosis. Cox proportional hazard regression was used for multivariable analysis of time-dependent outcomes. RESULTS In 116 subjects 58 subjects with verified B1 phenotype at diagnosis who later converted to B2 disease were compared with 58 subjects who remained B1 over 3 years of follow-up. Extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) levels in the upper quartile (hazard ratio [HR] 3.43, 95% confidence limit [CL] 1.33, 8.42) were associated with future fibrostenotic disease. ASCA IgA (HR 4.99, 95% CL 1.50, 16.68) and CBir levels (HR 5.19, 95% CL 1.83, 14.74) were also associated with future intestinal fibrostenosis, although ECM1 continued to demonstrate independent association with conversion to B2 even with adjustment for serologies in multivariable analysis (HR 5.33, 95% CL 1.29, 22.13). CONCLUSIONS ECM1 and other biomarkers of fibrosis may aid in determining the risk of uncomplicated inflammatory disease converting to B2 stricturing phenotypes in children with CD. Prospective validation studies to verify test performance and optimize clinical utilization are needed before clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - David M. Lubman
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Subra Kugathasan
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lee A. Denson
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jeffrey S. Hyams
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, CT
| | - Marla C. Dubinsky
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
| | - Anne Griffiths
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert N. Baldassano
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Joshua D. Noe
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Shervin Rabizadeh
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ajay S. Gulati
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Joel Rosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Goryeb Children’s Hospital, Morristown, NJ
| | - Wallace V. Crandall
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH
| | - Peter D.R. Higgins
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Ryan W. Stidham
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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19
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Moon SJ, Bae JM, Park KS, Tagkopoulos I, Kim KJ. Compendium of skin molecular signatures identifies key pathological features associated with fibrosis in systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis 2019; 78:817-825. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-214778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
ObjectivesTreatment of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) can be challenging because of clinical heterogeneity. Integration of genome-scale transcriptomic profiling for patients with SSc can provide insights on patient categorisation and novel drug targets.MethodsA normalised compendium was created from 344 skin samples of 173 patients with SSc, covering an intersection of 17 424 genes from eight data sets. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified by three independent methods were subjected to functional network analysis, where samples were grouped using non-negative matrix factorisation. Finally, we investigated the pathways and biomarkers associated with skin fibrosis using gene-set enrichment analysis.ResultsWe identified 1089 upregulated DEGs, including 14 known genetic risk factors and five potential drug targets. Pathway-based subgrouping revealed four distinct clusters of patients with SSc with distinct activity signatures for SSc-relevant pathways. The inflammatory subtype was related to significant improvement in skin fibrosis at follow-up. The phosphoinositide-3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signalling pathway showed both the closest correlation and temporal pattern to skin fibrosis score. COMP, THBS1, THBS4, FN1, and TNC were leading-edge genes of the PI3K-Akt pathway in skin fibrogenesis.ConclusionsConstruction and analysis of normalised skin transcriptomic compendia can provide useful insights on pathway involvement by SSc subsets and discovering viable biomarkers for a skin fibrosis index. Particularly, the PI3K-Akt pathway and its leading players are promising therapeutic targets.
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Rosini S, Pugh N, Bonna AM, Hulmes DJS, Farndale RW, Adams JC. Thrombospondin-1 promotes matrix homeostasis by interacting with collagen and lysyl oxidase precursors and collagen cross-linking sites. Sci Signal 2018; 11:eaar2566. [PMID: 29844053 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aar2566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Fibrillar collagens of the extracellular matrix are critical for tissue structure and physiology; however, excessive or abnormal deposition of collagens is a defining feature of fibrosis. Regulatory mechanisms that act on collagen fibril assembly potentially offer new targets for antifibrotic treatments. Tissue weakening, altered collagen fibril morphologies, or both, are shared phenotypes of mice lacking matricellular thrombospondins. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) plays an indirect role in collagen homeostasis through interactions with matrix metalloproteinases and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). We found that TSP1 also affects collagen fibril formation directly. Compared to skin from wild-type mice, skin from Thbs1-/- mice had reduced collagen cross-linking and reduced prolysyl oxidase (proLOX) abundance with increased conversion to catalytically active LOX. In vitro, TSP1 bound to both the C-propeptide domain of collagen I and the highly conserved KGHR sequences of the collagen triple-helical domain that participate in cross-linking. TSP1 also bound to proLOX and inhibited proLOX processing by bone morphogenetic protein-1. In human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), TSP1 and collagen I colocalized in intracellular vesicles and on extracellular collagen fibrils, whereas TSP1 and proLOX colocalized only in intracellular vesicles. Inhibition of LOX-mediated collagen cross-linking did not prevent the extracellular association between collagen and TSP1; however, treatment of HDFs with KGHR-containing, TSP1-binding, triple-helical peptides disrupted the collagen-TSP1 association, perturbed the collagen extracellular matrix, and increased myofibroblastic differentiation in a manner that depended on TGF-β receptor 1. Thus, the extracellular KGHR-dependent interaction of TSP1 with fibrillar collagens contributes to fibroblast homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Rosini
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Nicholas Pugh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Arkadiusz M Bonna
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - David J S Hulmes
- Tissue Biology and Therapeutic Engineering Unit (LBTI), UMR5305, CNRS/University of Lyon I, 69367 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Richard W Farndale
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
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21
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Schulz JN, Plomann M, Sengle G, Gullberg D, Krieg T, Eckes B. New developments on skin fibrosis - Essential signals emanating from the extracellular matrix for the control of myofibroblasts. Matrix Biol 2018; 68-69:522-532. [PMID: 29408278 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2018.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Many different diseases are associated with fibrosis of the skin. The clinical symptoms can vary considerably with a broad range from isolated small areas to the involvement of the entire integument. Fibrosis is triggered by a multitude of different stimuli leading to activation of the immune and vascular system that then initiate fibroblast activation and formation of matrix depositing and remodeling myofibroblasts. Ultimately, myofibroblasts deposit excessive amounts of extracellular matrix with a pathological architecture and alterations in growth factor binding and biomechanical properties, which culminates in skin hardening and loss of mobility. Treatment depends certainly on the specific type and cause of the disease, for the autoimmune driven localized and systemic scleroderma therapeutic options are still limited, but recent research has pointed out diverse molecular targets and mechanisms that can be exploited for the development of novel antifibrotic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Markus Plomann
- Center for Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gerhard Sengle
- Center for Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Donald Gullberg
- Department of Biomedicine, Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Thomas Krieg
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany; Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Beate Eckes
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Translational Matrix Biology, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany.
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22
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Antisense Long Non-Coding RNAs Are Deregulated in Skin Tissue of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. J Invest Dermatol 2017; 138:826-835. [PMID: 29179949 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis of skin and multiple organs of which the pathogenesis is poorly understood. We studied differentially expressed coding and non-coding genes in relation to systemic sclerosis pathogenesis with a specific focus on antisense non-coding RNAs. Skin biopsy-derived RNAs from 14 early systemic sclerosis patients and six healthy individuals were sequenced with ion-torrent and analyzed using DEseq2. Overall, 4,901 genes with a fold change >1.5 and a false discovery rate <5% were detected in patients versus controls. Upregulated genes clustered in immunologic, cell adhesion, and keratin-related processes. Interestingly, 676 deregulated non-coding genes were detected, 257 of which were classified as antisense genes. Sense genes expressed opposite of these antisense genes were also deregulated in 42% of the observed sense-antisense gene pairs. The majority of the antisense genes had a similar effect sizes in an independent North American dataset with three genes (CTBP1-AS2, OTUD6B-AS1, and AGAP2-AS1) exceeding the study-wide Bonferroni-corrected P-value (PBonf < 0.0023, Pcombined = 1.1 × 10-9, 1.4 × 10-8, 1.7 × 10-6, respectively). In this study, we highlight that together with coding genes, (antisense) long non-coding RNAs are deregulated in skin tissue of systemic sclerosis patients suggesting a novel class of genes involved in pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis.
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23
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Schmidt KG, Herrero San Juan M, Trautmann S, Berninger L, Schwiebs A, Ottenlinger FM, Thomas D, Zaucke F, Pfeilschifter JM, Radeke HH. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Receptor 5 Modulates Early-Stage Processes during Fibrogenesis in a Mouse Model of Systemic Sclerosis: A Pilot Study. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1242. [PMID: 29033951 PMCID: PMC5626866 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare multi-organ autoimmune disease characterized by progressive skin fibrosis. Inflammation, type 2 immunity, and fibrogenic processes are involved in disease development and may be affected by sphingolipids. However, details about early-stage pathophysiological mechanisms and implicated mediators remain elusive. The sphingolipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is elevated in the sera of SSc patients, and its receptor S1P5 is expressed in skin tissue. Nevertheless, almost nothing is known about the dermatological contribution of S1P5 to inflammatory and pro-fibrotic processes leading to the pathological changes seen in SSc. In this study, we observed a novel effect of S1P5 on the inflammatory processes during low-dose bleomycin (BLM)-induced fibrogenesis in murine skin. By comparing 2-week-treated skin areas of wild-type (WT) and S1P5-deficient mice, we found that S1P5 is important for the transcriptional upregulation of the Th2 characteristic transcription factor GATA-3 under treatment-induced inflammatory conditions, while T-bet (Th1) and FoxP3 (Treg) mRNA expression was regulated independently of S1P5. Additionally, treatment caused a regulation of S1P receptor 1 and S1P receptor 3 mRNA as well as a regulation of long-chain ceramide profiles, which both differ significantly between the genotypes. Despite S1P5-dependent differences regarding inflammatory processes, similar macroscopic evidence of fibrosis was detected in the skin histology of WT and S1P5-deficient mice after 4 weeks of subcutaneous BLM treatment. However, at the earlier 2-week point in time, the mRNA data of pro-collagen type 1 and SMAD7 indicate a pro-fibrotic S1P5 contribution in the applied SSc mouse model. In conclusion, we propose that S1P5 plays a role as a novel modulator during the early phase of BLM-caused fibrogenesis in murine skin. An immediate relationship between dermal S1P5 expression and fibrotic processes leading to skin alterations, such as formative for SSc pathogenesis, is indicated but should be studied more profound in further investigations. Therefore, this study is an initial step in understanding the role of S1P5-mediated effects during early stages of fibrogenesis, which may encourage the ongoing search for new therapeutic options for SSc patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin G Schmidt
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Martina Herrero San Juan
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sandra Trautmann
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lucija Berninger
- Dr Rolf M Schwiete Research Unit for Osteoarthritis, Orthopedic University Hospital, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Anja Schwiebs
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Florian M Ottenlinger
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dominique Thomas
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Frank Zaucke
- Dr Rolf M Schwiete Research Unit for Osteoarthritis, Orthopedic University Hospital, Friedrichsheim gGmbH, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Josef M Pfeilschifter
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Heinfried H Radeke
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital of the Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Stidham RW, Wu J, Shi J, Lubman DM, Higgins PDR. Serum Glycoproteome Profiles for Distinguishing Intestinal Fibrosis from Inflammation in Crohn's Disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170506. [PMID: 28114331 PMCID: PMC5256928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Reliable identification and quantitation of intestinal fibrosis in the setting of co-existing inflammation due to Crohn’s disease (CD) is difficult. We aimed to identify serum biomarkers which distinguish inflammatory from fibrostenotic phenotypes of CD using serum glycoproteome profiles. Methods Subjects with fibrostenotic and inflammation-predominant CD phenotypes (n = 20 per group) underwent comparison by quantitative serum glycoproteome profiles as part of a single tertiary care center cohort study. Following lectin elution, glycoproteins underwent liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry. Identified candidate biomarkers of fibrosis were also measured by serum ELISA, a widely available technique. Results Five (5) glycoproteins demonstrated a ≥20% relative abundance change in ≥80% of subjects, including cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA). COMP (431.7±112.7 vs. 348.7±90.5 ng/mL, p = 0.012) and HGFA (152.7±66.5 vs. 107.1±38.7 ng/mL, p = 0.031) serum levels were elevated in the fibrostenotic vs. inflammatory CD groups using ELISA. Within the fibrostenotic group, intra-individual changes of candidate biomarkers revealed HGFA levels significantly declined following the resection of all diseased intestine (152.7±66.5 vs. 107.1±38.7 ng/mL, p = 0.015); COMP levels were unchanged. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed the presence of COMP in the submucosa and muscularis of resected fibrostenotic tissue. Conclusions In this biomarker discovery study, several serum glycoproteins, specifically COMP and HGFA, differ between between predominately inflammatory and fibrostenotic CD phenotypes. The development of blood-based biomarkers of fibrosis would provide an important complement to existing prognostic tools in IBD, aiding decisions on therapeutic intensity and mechanism selection, surgery, and the monitoring of future anti-fibrotic therapies for CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W. Stidham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Jiaqi Shi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - David M. Lubman
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Peter D. R. Higgins
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
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25
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Ligon C, Hummers LK. Biomarkers in Scleroderma: Progressing from Association to Clinical Utility. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2016; 18:17. [DOI: 10.1007/s11926-016-0565-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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26
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Kobayashi M, Kawabata K, Kusaka-Kikushima A, Sugiyama Y, Mabuchi T, Takekoshi S, Miyasaka M, Ozawa A, Sakai S. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Increases in Photodamaged Skin. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136:1143-1149. [PMID: 26968261 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.02.802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a structural component of cartilage. Recent studies have described COMP as a pathogenic factor that promotes collagen deposition in fibrotic skin disorders such as scleroderma and keloid skin. Although collagen, a major dermis component, is thought to decrease in photoaged skin, recent reports have demonstrated the presence of tightly packed collagen fibrils with a structural resemblance to fibrosis in the papillary dermis of photoaged skin. Here we examined how photoaging damage relates to COMP expression and localization in photoaged skin. In situ hybridization revealed an increase in COMP-mRNA-positive cells with the progress of photoaging in preauricular skin (sun-exposed skin). The signal intensity of immunostaining for COMP increased with photoaging in not only the papillary dermis but also the reticular dermis affected by advancing solar elastosis. Immunoelectron microscopy detected the colocalization of COMP with both elastotic materials and collagen fibrils in photoaged skin. Ultraviolet light A irradiation of human dermal fibroblasts induced COMP expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Ultraviolet light A-induced COMP expression was inhibited by an anti-transforming growth factor-β antibody or SB431542, an activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitor. These results suggest that the transforming growth factor-β-mediated upregulation of COMP expression may contribute to the modulation of dermal extracellular matrix in the photoaging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kobayashi
- Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan; Department of Plastic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Keigo Kawabata
- Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Yoshinori Sugiyama
- Health Beauty Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Mabuchi
- Department of Dermatology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Susumu Takekoshi
- Department of Cell Biology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Muneo Miyasaka
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akira Ozawa
- Department of Dermatology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shingo Sakai
- Health Beauty Products Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Kanagawa, Japan
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27
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Sun L, Sun C, Liang Z, Li H, Chen L, Luo H, Zhang H, Ding P, Sun X, Qin Z, Zhao Y. FSP1(+) fibroblast subpopulation is essential for the maintenance and regeneration of medullary thymic epithelial cells. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14871. [PMID: 26445893 PMCID: PMC4597222 DOI: 10.1038/srep14871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) form a 3-dimentional network supporting thymocyte development and maturation. Besides epithelium and thymocytes, heterogeneous fibroblasts are essential components in maintaining thymic microenvironments. However, thymic fibroblast characteristics, development and function remain to be determined. We herein found that thymic non-hematopoietic CD45(-)FSP1(+) cells represent a unique Fibroblast specific protein 1 (FSP1)(-)fibroblast-derived cell subset. Deletion of these cells in FSP1-TK transgenic mice caused thymus atrophy due to the loss of TECs, especially mature medullary TECs (MHCII(high), CD80(+) and Aire(+)). In a cyclophosphamide-induced thymus injury and regeneration model, lack of non-hematopoietic CD45(-)FSP1(+) fibroblast subpopulation significantly delayed thymus regeneration. In fact, thymic FSP1(+) fibroblasts released more IL-6, FGF7 and FSP1 in the culture medium than their FSP1(-) counterparts. Further experiments showed that the FSP1 protein could directly enhance the proliferation and maturation of TECs in the in vitro culture systems. FSP1 knockout mice had significantly smaller thymus size and less TECs than their control. Collectively, our studies reveal that thymic CD45(-)FSP1(+) cells are a subpopulation of fibroblasts, which is crucial for the maintenance and regeneration of TECs especially medullary TECs through providing IL-6, FGF7 and FSP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenming Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongran Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haiying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pengbo Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoning Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihai Qin
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Update on biomarkers in systemic sclerosis: tools for diagnosis and treatment. Semin Immunopathol 2015; 37:475-87. [PMID: 26168983 PMCID: PMC4554742 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-015-0506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease in which immune activation, vasculopathy, and extensive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs are among the principal features. SSc is a heterogeneous disease with varying manifestations and clinical outcomes. Currently, patients’ clinical evaluation often relies on subjective measures, non-quantitative methods, or requires invasive procedures as markers able to predict disease trajectory or response to therapy are lacking. Therefore, current research is focusing on the discovery of useful biomarkers reflecting ongoing inflammatory or fibrotic activity in the skin and internal organs, as well as being predictive of future disease course. Recently, remarkable progress has been made towards a better understanding of numerous mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of SSc. This has opened new possibilities for the development of novel biomarkers and therapy. However, current proposed biomarkers that could reliably describe various aspects of SSc still require further investigation. This review will summarize studies describing the commonly used and validated biomarkers, the newly emerging and promising SSc biomarkers identified to date, and consideration of future directions in this field.
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29
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Simultaneous downregulation of KLF5 and Fli1 is a key feature underlying systemic sclerosis. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5797. [PMID: 25504335 PMCID: PMC4268882 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is manifested by fibrosis, vasculopathy and immune dysregulation. So far, a unifying hypothesis underpinning these pathological events remains unknown. Given that SSc is a multifactorial disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors, we focus on the two transcription factors, which modulate the fibrotic reaction and are epigenetically suppressed in SSc dermal fibroblasts, Friend leukemia integration 1 (Fli1) and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5). In addition to Fli1 silencing-dependent collagen induction, simultaneous knockdown of Fli1 and KLF5 synergistically enhances expression of connective tissue growth factor. Notably, mice with double heterozygous deficiency of Klf5 and Fli1 mimicking the epigenetic phenotype of SSc skin spontaneously recapitulate all the three features of SSc, including fibrosis and vasculopathy of the skin and lung, B cell activation, and autoantibody production. These studies implicate the epigenetic downregulation of Fli1 and KLF5 as a central event triggering the pathogenic triad of SSc.
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30
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Valverde-Franco G, Hum D, Matsuo K, Lussier B, Pelletier JP, Fahmi H, Kapoor M, Martel-Pelletier J. The in vivo effect of prophylactic subchondral bone protection of osteoarthritic synovial membrane in bone-specific Ephb4-overexpressing mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2014; 185:335-46. [PMID: 25453723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Revised: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive joint destruction, including synovial membrane alteration. EphB4 and its ligand ephrin-B2 were found in vitro to positively affect OA subchondral bone and cartilage. In vivo in an experimental mouse model overexpressing bone-specific Ephb4 (TgEphB4), a protective effect was found on both the subchondral bone and cartilage during OA. We investigated in the TgEphB4 mouse model the in vivo effect on synovial membrane during OA. Knee OA was surgically induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). Synovial membrane was evaluated using histology, histomorphometry, IHC, and real-time PCR. Compared to DMM-wild-type (WT) mice, DMM-TgEphB4 mice had a significant decrease in synovial membrane thickness, vascular endothelial growth factor, and the profibrotic markers fibrin, type 1 procollagen, type 3 collagen, connective tissue growth factor, smooth muscle actin-α, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, and procollagen-lysine, and 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 2. Moreover, factors known to modulate transforming growth factor-β signaling, transforming growth factor receptor 1/ALK1, phosphorylated Smad-1, and heat shock protein 90β were significantly decreased in DMM-TgEphB4 compared with DMM-WT mice. Ephb4 overexpression also exhibited a protective effect on synovial membrane thickness of aged (24-month-old) mice. Overexpression of bone-specific Ephb4 clearly demonstrated prevention of the development and/or progression of fibrosis in OA synovial membrane, reinforcing the hypothesis that protecting the subchondral bone prophylactically and during OA reduces the pathologic changes in other articular tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gladys Valverde-Franco
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Hum
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Koichi Matsuo
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bertrand Lussier
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Science, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Pelletier
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hassan Fahmi
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mohit Kapoor
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johanne Martel-Pelletier
- Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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31
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Otteby KE, Holmquist E, Saxne T, Heinegård D, Hesselstrand R, Blom AM. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein-induced complement activation in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Res Ther 2014; 15:R215. [PMID: 24330664 PMCID: PMC3978716 DOI: 10.1186/ar4410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Complexes between cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and the complement activation product C3b have been found in the circulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In systemic sclerosis (SSc) COMP expression in the skin is upregulated both in lesional and non-lesional skin, which is also reflected in an increased amount of circulating COMP. We investigated the presence of COMP-C3b complexes in serum and skin biopsies of patients with SSc. Methods The presence of COMP and COMP-C3b complexes in the serum of 80 patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc, n = 40) and diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc, n = 40) and 97 healthy controls was measured by ELISA and correlated to different clinical parameters. Samples were collected both at baseline and after three to five years to assess longitudinal changes in COMP-C3b complex levels. Furthermore, skin biopsies from seven patients with dcSSc and three healthy controls were analyzed for expression of COMP and deposition of C3b and IgG. Results Serum levels of COMP-C3b were found to be elevated in both dcSSc and lcSSc compared to healthy controls and decreased at the second measurement in patients on immunosuppressive therapy. No co-localization of COMP and C3b was found in the skin biopsies, indicating that the COMP-C3b complexes are formed upon release of COMP into the circulation. Conclusion COMP-C3b complexes are found in the serum of patients with SSc. The lack of co-localization between COMP and C3b in the skin suggests that COMP does not drive complement activation in the skin in SSc.
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Abstract
Skin fibrosis is the final outcome of a variety of pathologic processes ranging from aberrant wound healing (keloids) to environmentally induced conditions (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) to idiopathic or autoimmune conditions (morphea and systemic sclerosis). The quantitative assessment of skin fibrosis has been a major burden of clinical and biomarker research in the field for the past three decades. Here, we review the efforts that reached some sort of validation and the ones we envisage have the potential for further development focusing on systemic sclerosis as prototype of fibrotic disease.
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Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) has long been implicated in fibrotic diseases, including the multisystem fibrotic disease systemic sclerosis (SSc). Expression of TGF-β-regulated genes in fibrotic skin and lungs of patients with SSc correlates with disease activity, which points to this cytokine as the central mediator of pathogenesis. Patients with SSc often develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a particularly lethal complication caused by vascular dysfunction. Several genetic diseases with vascular features related to SSc, such as familial PAH and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, are caused by mutations in the TGF-β-sensing ALK-1 signalling pathway. These observations suggest that increased TGF-β signalling causes both vascular and fibrotic features of SSc. The question of how latent TGF-β becomes activated in local SSc tissues is, therefore, central to the understanding of SSc. Both TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 can be activated by integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8, whose upregulation in bronchial epithelial cells can activate TGF-β in SSc lungs. Other αv integrins, thrombospondin-1 or altered TGF-β sequestration by matrix proteins might be important in other target tissues. How the immune system triggers this process remains unclear, although links between inflammation and TGF-β activation are emerging. Together, these observations provide an increasingly secure framework for understanding TGF-β in SSc pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Lafyatis
- Boston University School of Medicine, E5 Arthritis Centre, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Castelino FV, Varga J. Current status of systemic sclerosis biomarkers: applications for diagnosis, management and drug development. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2014; 9:1077-90. [PMID: 24168414 DOI: 10.1586/1744666x.2013.848792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a clinically heterogeneous orphan disease of unknown etiology and no effective therapy. It is characterized by protean manifestations, an unpredictable disease course and variable outcomes. Clinical manifestations reflect underlying autoimmunity, small vessel vasculopathy and progressive multi-organ fibrosis. Predicting disease progression, pattern and severity of complications and response to therapy in SSc remain major challenges both for the management of patients and for the development of effective disease-modifying therapies. This review summarizes contemporary understanding of novel and emerging biomarkers for SSc. We focus on the development of new classification criteria, the utility of SSc-specific autoantibodies as diagnostic and prognostic markers, and on biomarkers for skin and lung involvement. Finally, we review genome-wide expression analysis as a tool to predict therapeutic responses. We anticipate that the development, validation and application of these biomarkers, singly or more likely in combination, will have a transformative impact in SSc, informing early diagnosis, classification and management, as well as the design, execution and interpretation of clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia V Castelino
- Division of Rheumatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Yawkey 2C-2100, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Christmann RB, Sampaio-Barros P, Stifano G, Borges CL, de Carvalho CR, Kairalla R, Parra ER, Spira A, Simms R, Capellozzi VL, Lafyatis R. Association of Interferon- and transforming growth factor β-regulated genes and macrophage activation with systemic sclerosis-related progressive lung fibrosis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2014; 66:714-25. [PMID: 24574232 DOI: 10.1002/art.38288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the leading causes of mortality. We undertook this study to analyze the gene expression of lung tissue in a prospective cohort of patients with SSc-related ILD and to compare it with that in control lungs and with 2 prospective clinical parameters in order to understand the molecular pathways implicated in progressive lung disease. METHODS Lung tissue was obtained by open lung biopsy in 28 consecutive patients with SSc-related ILD and in 4 controls. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function testing (PFT) were performed at baseline and 2-3 years after treatment based on lung histologic classification. Microarray analysis was performed, and the results were correlated with changes in the HRCT score (FibMax) and PFT values. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to confirm differential levels of messenger RNA and protein. RESULTS Lung microarray data distinguished patients with SSc-related ILD from healthy controls. In the lungs of patients with SSc-related ILD who had nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), expressed genes included macrophage markers, chemokines, collagen, and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)- and interferon (IFN)-regulated genes. Expression of these genes correlated with progressive lung fibrosis defined by the change in FibMax. Immunohistochemistry confirmed increased markers of collagen (COL1A1), IFN (OAS1 and IFI44), and macrophages (CCL18 and CD163), and the positive correlation with the change in FibMax was confirmed by qPCR in a larger group of SSc patients with NSIP. Several genes correlated with both the change in FibMax (r > 0.4) and the change in % predicted forced vital capacity (r < -0.1), including IFN and macrophage markers, chemokines, and heat-shock proteins. CONCLUSION These results highlight major pathogenic pathways relevant to progressive pulmonary fibrosis in SSc-related ILD: macrophage emigration and activation, and up-regulated expression of TGFβ- and IFN-regulated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy B Christmann
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Sakai R, Komano Y, Tanaka M, Nanki T, Koike R, Nakajima A, Atsumi T, Yasuda S, Tanaka Y, Saito K, Tohma S, Fujii T, Ihata A, Tamura N, Kawakami A, Sugihara T, Ito S, Miyasaka N, Harigai M. The REAL database reveals no significant risk of serious infection during treatment with a methotrexate dose of more than 8 mg/week in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol 2014. [DOI: 10.3109/s10165-011-0421-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Vuga LJ, Milosevic J, Pandit K, Ben-Yehudah A, Chu Y, Richards T, Sciurba J, Myerburg M, Zhang Y, Parwani AV, Gibson KF, Kaminski N. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83120. [PMID: 24376648 PMCID: PMC3869779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and life threatening disease with median survival of 2.5-3 years. The IPF lung is characterized by abnormal lung remodeling, epithelial cell hyperplasia, myofibroblast foci formation, and extracellular matrix deposition. Analysis of gene expression microarray data revealed that cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a non-collagenous extracellular matrix protein is among the most significantly up-regulated genes (Fold change 13, p-value <0.05) in IPF lungs. This finding was confirmed at the mRNA level by nCounter® expression analysis in additional 115 IPF lungs and 154 control lungs as well as at the protein level by western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that COMP was expressed in dense fibrotic regions of IPF lungs and co-localized with vimentin and around pSMAD3 expressing cells. Stimulation of normal human lung fibroblasts with TGF-β1 induced an increase in COMP mRNA and protein expression. Silencing COMP in normal human lung fibroblasts significantly inhibited cell proliferation and negatively impacted the effects of TGF-β1 on COL1A1 and PAI1. COMP protein concentration measured by ELISA assay was significantly increased in serum of IPF patients compared to controls. Analysis of serum COMP concentrations in 23 patients who had prospective blood draws revealed that COMP levels increased in a time dependent fashion and correlated with declines in force vital capacity (FVC). Taken together, our results should encourage more research into the potential use of COMP as a biomarker for disease activity and TGF-β1 activity in patients with IPF. Hence, studies that explore modalities that affect COMP expression, alleviate extracellular matrix rigidity and lung restriction in IPF and interfere with the amplification of TGF-β1 signaling should be persuaded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis J. Vuga
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jadranka Milosevic
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kusum Pandit
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ahmi Ben-Yehudah
- Pittsburgh Development Center, Magee-Women’s Research Institute and Foundation, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yanxia Chu
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Thomas Richards
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joshua Sciurba
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Myerburg
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yingze Zhang
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Anil V. Parwani
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Kevin F. Gibson
- Dorothy P and Richard P Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Naftali Kaminski
- Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Li M, Lu S, Liu X, Zhao J, Zhang H, Ling C. [Expression of endoglin in human non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance]. Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi 2013; 129:706-16. [PMID: 23746240 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.180216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of endoglin (ENG) in human non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, cancer and adjacent non-cancer tissues, and its role in NSCLC development, progression, metastasis and recurrence. METHODS Five strains of NSCLC cells and one strain of normal human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells were cultured in vitro. Human NSCLC tissues and their corresponding adjacent lung tissues were taken from 22 NSCLC cases to detect the mRNA and protein levels of ENG using real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Chi-square test was performed to analyze the correlations between the ENG expression and clinical data. RESULTS The mRNA and protein levels of ENG were up-regulated in 3 NSCLC cell strains of high metastasis. However, the expression of ENG was missing in the other low-metastatic NSCLC cell strains and the HBE cell strain. Besides, the mRNA and protein levels of ENG were up-regulated in the 19 out of 22 lung cancer tissues (86.36%), which were significantly higher than those in the adjacent non-cancer tissues (P<0.01). The over-expression of ENG was significantly correlated positively with lymph node metastasis (P<0.01), but not with age, sex, tumor size, clinical stage, pathological grade or histopathological type. CONCLUSION The expression of ENG in NSCLC is significantly correlated positively with lymph node metastasis, and it might be a biomarker for the metastasis and prognosis of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Li
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Soochow 215000, China
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Agarwal P, Schulz JN, Blumbach K, Andreasson K, Heinegård D, Paulsson M, Mauch C, Eming SA, Eckes B, Krieg T. Enhanced deposition of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein is a common feature in fibrotic skin pathologies. Matrix Biol 2013; 32:325-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2013.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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40
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Systemic sclerosis with multiple nodules: characterization of the extracellular matrix. Arch Dermatol Res 2013; 305:645-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00403-013-1383-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Hinchcliff M, Huang CC, Wood TA, Matthew Mahoney J, Martyanov V, Bhattacharyya S, Tamaki Z, Lee J, Carns M, Podlusky S, Sirajuddin A, Shah SJ, Chang RW, Lafyatis R, Varga J, Whitfield ML. Molecular signatures in skin associated with clinical improvement during mycophenolate treatment in systemic sclerosis. J Invest Dermatol 2013; 133:1979-89. [PMID: 23677167 PMCID: PMC3714324 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2013.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity in systemic sclerosis/SSc confounds clinical trials. We previously identified ‘intrinsic’ gene expression subsets by analysis of SSc skin. Here we test the hypotheses that skin gene expression signatures including intrinsic subset are associated with skin score/MRSS improvement during mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment. Gene expression and intrinsic subset assignment were measured in 12 SSc patients’ biopsies and ten controls at baseline, and from serial biopsies of one cyclophosphamide-treated patient, and nine MMF-treated patients. Gene expression changes during treatment were determined using paired t-tests corrected for multiple hypothesis testing. MRSS improved in four of seven MMF-treated patients classified as the inflammatory intrinsic subset. Three patients without MRSS improvement were classified as normal-like or fibroproliferative intrinsic subsets. 321 genes (FDR <5%) were differentially expressed at baseline between patients with and without MRSS improvement during treatment. Expression of 571 genes (FDR <10%) changed between pre- and post-MMF treatment biopsies for patients demonstrating MRSS improvement. Gene expression changes in skin are only seen in patients with MRSS improvement. Baseline gene expression in skin, including intrinsic subset assignment, may identify SSc patients whose MRSS will improve during MMF treatment, suggesting that gene expression in skin may allow targeted treatment in SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Hinchcliff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
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Bujor AM, Haines P, Padilla C, Christmann RB, Junie M, Sampaio-Barros PD, Lafyatis R, Trojanowska M. Ciprofloxacin has antifibrotic effects in scleroderma fibroblasts via downregulation of Dnmt1 and upregulation of Fli1. Int J Mol Med 2012; 30:1473-80. [PMID: 23041765 PMCID: PMC4035782 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2012.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic implicated in matrix remodeling, on dermal and lung fibroblasts obtained from SSc patients. Dermal and lung fibroblasts from SSc patients and healthy subjects were treated with ciprofloxacin. Western blotting was used to analyze protein levels and RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA expression. The pharmacologic inhibitor UO126 was used to block Erk1/2 signaling. SSc dermal fibroblasts demonstrated a significant decrease in collagen type I mRNA and protein levels after antibiotic treatment, while healthy dermal fibroblasts were less sensitive to ciprofloxacin, downregulating collagen only at the protein levels. Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) gene expression was significantly reduced and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) levels were enhanced after ciprofloxacin treatment to a similar extent in healthy and SSc fibroblasts. Ciprofloxacin induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation, and Erk1/2 blockade completely prevented MMP1 upregulation. However, Smad1 and Smad3 activation in response to TGFβ was not affected. The expression of friend leukemia integration factor 1 (Fli1), a transcriptional repressor of collagen, was increased after treatment with ciprofloxacin only in SSc fibroblasts, and this was accompanied by a decrease in the levels of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1). Similar effects were observed in SSc-interstitial lung disease (ILD) lung fibroblasts. In summary, our study demonstrates that ciprofloxacin has antifibrotic actions in SSc dermal and lung fibroblasts via the downregulation of Dnmt1, the upregulation of Fli1 and induction of MMP1 gene expression via an Erk1/2-dependent mechanism. Thus, our data suggest that ciprofloxacin may be an attractive therapy for SSc skin and lung fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea M Bujor
- Arthritis Center, Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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Zhu L, Gao D, Yang J, Li M. Characterization of the phenotype of high collagen-producing fibroblast clones in systemic sclerosis, using a new modified limiting-dilution method. Clin Exp Dermatol 2012; 37:395-403. [PMID: 22582912 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2011.04254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overproduction of type I collagen in fibroblasts of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is the hallmark of fibrosis. Establishment and characterization of the phenotype of SSc fibroblasts has been hindered by the heterogeneity between fibroblasts and the lack of adequate cloning methods. AIM To establish and investigate the characteristics of the SSc high collagen-producing fibroblast phenotype. METHODS Primary cultured fibroblasts from skin biopsies of patients with SSc and normal controls were cloned by a new modified limiting-dilution method. All clones were divided into different subpopulations based on their α1(I) procollagen (COL1A1) mRNA level detected by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay. In the different subpopulations, cell growth and cycle distribution were analysed by MTT and flow cytometry, COL1A1 promoter activity was examined by transient transfection, and the binding activity of Sp1 to the COL1A1 proximal promoter was investigated by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS The clonogenicities of SSc and normal control fibroblasts were similar, but the mean COL1A1 mRNA level of clones and the percentage of the subpopulation with a high COL1A1 mRNA level were significantly higher in SSc fibroblasts than in controls. There was no significant difference on cell growth and cycle between different subpopulations of SSc and control fibroblasts. The COL1A1 proximal promoter activity and its binding activity to Sp1 in the clones were strongly correlated with their COL1A1 mRNA level. CONCLUSION Overproduction of collagen in an SSc fibroblast subpopulation seems to result mainly from the abnormally activated transcription of COL1A1 rather than from overproliferation of fibroblasts. The new modified limiting-dilution method provides a useful means for characterizing cells with heterogeneous phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Zhu
- Department of Dermatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Agarwal P, Zwolanek D, Keene DR, Schulz JN, Blumbach K, Heinegård D, Zaucke F, Paulsson M, Krieg T, Koch M, Eckes B. Collagen XII and XIV, new partners of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in the skin extracellular matrix suprastructure. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:22549-59. [PMID: 22573329 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.335935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The tensile and scaffolding properties of skin rely on the complex extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds cells, vasculature, nerves, and adnexus structures and supports the epidermis. In the skin, collagen I fibrils are the major structural component of the dermal ECM, decorated by proteoglycans and by fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices such as collagens XII and XIV. Here we show that the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), an abundant component of cartilage ECM, is expressed in healthy human skin. COMP expression is detected in the dermal compartment of skin and in cultured fibroblasts, whereas epidermis and HaCaT cells are negative. In addition to binding collagen I, COMP binds to collagens XII and XIV via their C-terminal collagenous domains. All three proteins codistribute in a characteristic narrow zone in the superficial papillary dermis of healthy human skin. Ultrastructural analysis by immunogold labeling confirmed colocalization and further revealed the presence of COMP along with collagens XII and XIV in anchoring plaques. On the basis of these observations, we postulate that COMP functions as an adapter protein in human skin, similar to its function in cartilage ECM, by organizing collagen I fibrils into a suprastructure, mainly in the vicinity of anchoring plaques that stabilize the cohesion between the upper dermis and the basement membrane zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Agarwal
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
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Intrinsic gene expression subsets of diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis are stable in serial skin biopsies. J Invest Dermatol 2012; 132:1363-73. [PMID: 22318389 PMCID: PMC3326181 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2011.472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Skin biopsy gene expression was analyzed by DNA microarray from 13 diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dSSc) patients enrolled in an open-label study of rituximab, 9 dSSc patients not treated with rituximab, and 9 healthy controls. These data recapitulate the patient "intrinsic" gene expression subsets described previously, including fibroproliferative, inflammatory, and normal-like groups. Serial skin biopsies showed consistent and non-progressing gene expression over time, and importantly, the patients in the inflammatory subset do not move to the fibroproliferative subset, and vice versa. We were unable to detect significant differences in gene expression before and after rituximab treatment, consistent with an apparent lack of clinical response. Serial biopsies from each patient stayed within the same gene expression subset, regardless of treatment regimen or the time point at which they were taken. Collectively, these data emphasize the heterogeneous nature of SSc and demonstrate that the intrinsic subsets are an inherent, reproducible, and stable feature of the disease that is independent of disease duration. Moreover, these data have fundamental importance for the future development of personalized therapy for SSc; drugs targeting inflammation are likely to benefit those patients with an inflammatory signature, whereas drugs targeting fibrosis are likely to benefit those with a fibroproliferative signature.
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Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) in systemic sclerosis (SSc): Role in disease severity and subclinical rheumatoid arthritis overlap. Joint Bone Spine 2012; 79:51-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2011.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Accepted: 02/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Usategui A, del Rey MJ, Pablos JL. Fibroblast abnormalities in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2011; 7:491-8. [PMID: 21790292 DOI: 10.1586/eci.11.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic systemic disease characterized by autoimmunity, vascular lesions and progressive fibrosis. The fibrotic component is dominant in SSc compared with other vascular or autoimmune diseases and determines its prognosis and therapeutic refractoriness. Fibroblasts are responsible for abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation. Studies in cultured SSc skin fibroblasts have facilitated the identification of potential pathways involved in their profibrotic phenotype. Profibrotic fibroblasts characterized by abnormal growth and extracellular matrix synthesis may differentiate or expand from normal resident fibroblasts. Recruitment of bone marrow-derived progenitors and transdifferentiation of different cell lineages might also be involved. Multiple factors and signaling pathways appear to be involved in the development or persistence of the SSc fibroblast phenotype. Although their relative relevance and interplay are unclear, aberrant TGF-β signaling seems pivotal and constitutes the best characterized therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Usategui
- Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
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Li H, Haudenschild D, Posey K, Hecht J, Di Cesare P, Yik J. Comparative analysis with collagen type II distinguishes cartilage oligomeric matrix protein as a primary TGFβ-responsive gene. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2011; 19:1246-53. [PMID: 21843649 PMCID: PMC4098880 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2011.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the regulation of expression of Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), which is predominately expressed by chondrocytes and functions to organize the extracellular matrix. Mutations in COMP cause two skeletal dysplasias: pseudoachondroplasia and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. The mechanism controlling COMP expression during chondrocyte differentiation is still poorly understood. DESIGN Primary human bone marrow-derived stem cells were induced to differentiate into chondrocyte by pellet cultures. We then compared the temporal expression of COMP with the well-characterized cartilage-specific Type II collagen (Col2a1), and their response to transforming growth factor (TGF)β and Sox trio (Sox5, 6, and 9) stimulation. RESULTS COMP and Col2a1 expression are differentially regulated by three distinct mechanisms. First, upregulation of COMP mRNA precedes Col2a1 by several days during chondrogenesis. Second, COMP expression is independent of high cell density but requires TGF-β1. Induction of COMP mRNA by TGF-β1 is detected within 2h in the absence of protein synthesis and is blocked by specific inhibitors of the TGFβ signaling pathway; and therefore, COMP is a primary TFGβ-response gene. Lastly, while Col2a1 expression is intimately controlled by the Sox trio, overexpression of Sox trio fails to activate the COMP promoter. CONCLUSION COMP and Col2a1 expression are regulated differently during chondrogenesis. COMP is a primary response gene of TGFβ and its fast induction during chondrogenesis suggests that COMP is suitable for rapidly accessing the chondrogenic potential of stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - D.R. Haudenschild
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - K.L. Posey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
| | - J.T. Hecht
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Texas, USA
| | - P.E. Di Cesare
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - J.H.N. Yik
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA,Address correspondence and reprint requests to: J.H.N. Yik, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lawrence J. Ellison Musculoskeletal Research Center, University of California at Davis Medical Center, 4635 Second Ave, Research Building 1, Room 2000, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Fax: 1-916-734-5750. (J.H.N. Yik)
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Identification and characterization of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein as a novel pathogenic factor in keloids. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 179:1951-60. [PMID: 21872564 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2010] [Revised: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To elucidate pathogenic molecules in keloids, microarray analysis was performed using RNAs extracted from keloid-derived fibroblasts and normal skin-derived fibroblasts from the same patient with a typical keloid. Among 11 up-regulated extracellular matrix genes, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) was most prominently increased. Up-regulation of COMP mRNA and protein was confirmed in the keloid tissue by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. Using immunohistochemistry, we compared 15 keloids and 6 control normal tissues using a COMP-specific antibody and found that COMP stained positively in 10 keloids (66.7%), whereas no staining was observed in normal tissues, demonstrating the ectopic expression of COMP in keloids. Comparing keloids smaller or larger than 10 cm(2), the larger keloids were significantly more intensely stained with the COMP-specific antibody. Because COMP reportedly accelerates collagen type I fibril assembly, we examined whether extracellular type I collagen deposition is altered by silencing COMP mRNA by small interfering RNA (siRNA). Immunocytochemistry showed at 96 hours after transfection with COMP siRNA that the extracellular deposition of type I collagen was decreased compared to that observed with control siRNA. Further, COMP knockdown decreased amount collagens type I to V in the medium and on the cell surfaces. Our data suggest that COMP facilitates keloid formation by accelerating collagen deposition, thus providing a new therapeutic target.
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Christmann RB, Hayes E, Pendergrass S, Padilla C, Farina G, Affandi AJ, Whitfield ML, Farber HW, Lafyatis R. Interferon and alternative activation of monocyte/macrophages in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 63:1718-28. [PMID: 21425123 DOI: 10.1002/art.30318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between biomarkers of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), interferon (IFN)-regulated gene expression, and the alternative activation pathway in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were purified from healthy controls, patients with idiopathic PAH, and SSc patients (classified as having diffuse cutaneous SSc, limited cutaneous SSc [lcSSc] without PAH, and lcSSc with PAH). IFN-regulated and "PAH biomarker" genes were compared after supervised hierarchical clustering. Messenger RNA levels of selected IFN-regulated genes (Siglec1 and MX1), biomarker genes (IL13RA1, CCR1, and JAK2), and the alternative activation marker gene (MRC1) were analyzed on PBMCs and on CD14- and CD14+ cell populations. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) and IL-4 concentrations were measured in plasma by immunoassay. CD14, MRC1, and IL13RA1 surface expression was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS Increased PBMC expression of both IFN-regulated and biomarker genes distinguished SSc patients from healthy controls. Expression of genes in the biomarker cluster, but not in the IFN-regulated cluster, distinguished lcSSc with PAH from lcSSc without PAH. The genes CCR1 (P<0.001) and JAK2 (P<0.001) were expressed more highly in lcSSc patients with PAH compared with controls and mainly by CD14+ cells. MRC1 expression was increased exclusively in lcSSc patients with PAH (P<0.001) and correlated strongly with pulmonary artery pressure (r=0.52, P=0.03) and higher mortality (P=0.02). MRC1 expression was higher in CD14+ cells and was greatly increased by stimulation with IL-13. IL-13 concentrations in plasma were most highly increased in lcSSc patients with PAH (P<0.001). CONCLUSION IFN-regulated and biomarker genes represent distinct, although related, clusters in lcSSc patients with PAH. MRC1, a marker for the effect of IL-13 on alternative monocyte/macrophage activation, is associated with this severe complication and is related to mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy B Christmann
- Boston University School of Medicine, E501 Arthritis Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2526, USA
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