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Feng S, Yang Y, Wang F, Shi W, Xu J, Tang G, Xie J, Zhong N, Liang Z, Chen R. Low human beta-defensin-2 levels in the sputum of COPD patients are associated with the risk of exacerbations. BMC Pulm Med 2023; 23:106. [PMID: 37003996 PMCID: PMC10064533 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-023-02364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complicated chronic inflammatory disease. It is important to investigate the characteristics of acute exacerbation of COPD to develop new therapeutic strategies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the relationship between the human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) levels and aggravation of COPD. METHODS We detected the sputum hBD-2 level of 254 patients from Guangzhou, China, for 2 years. The study participants were categorized into the COPD group (n = 203, GOLD 0-4) and the control group (n = 51, 40-79 years old). At baseline, 12th month, and 24th month, we detected the sputum hBD-2 level and levels of cytokines, such as CXCL10, CXCL11, and IFN. RESULTS At baseline, there were no significant differences in the sputum and serum hBD-2 levels between the patients and the controls. However, the sputum hBD-2 levels of patients who had at least one symptom aggravation over the next 2 years were significantly lower than those of patients without any exacerbations (1130.9 ± 858.4 pg/mL vs. 2103.7 ± 1294.2 pg/mL, respectively; p = 0.001). Nevertheless, there were no statistically significant differences in the sputum hBD-2 levels between patients (no aggravation history) and controls (2084.9 ± 1317.6 pg/mL vs. 2152.5 ± 1251.6 pg/mL, respectively; p = 0.626). We used a logistic regression model to assess the relationship between aggravation and sputum hBD-2 levels. Interestingly, we found that low hBD-2 level (< 1000 pg/mL) was significantly associated with exacerbations. Specifically, patients with low hBD-2 levels were more likely to experience exacerbations in the next 12 months (0.333 vs. 0.117; p = 0.001). Moreover, we compared the hBD-2 levels between controls and patients with GOLD 3-4 and found that participants with bacteria (+) and/or viruses (+) had an association between hBD-2 level and disease severity (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION Patients at risk of exacerbations are more likely to have lower sputum hBD-2 levels. These results have important implications for future therapies for COPD.
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Grants
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- 202201020451 Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- C2019001, C2019031, C2021073 Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- 2022YFF0710802 the National Key Research and Development Program of China
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
- NoKCXFZ202002011008256 the Sustainable Development Project of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (China)
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchuan Feng
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqiong Yang
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengyan Wang
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weijuan Shi
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxuan Xu
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guoyan Tang
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxing Xie
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nanshan Zhong
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenyu Liang
- Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Rongchang Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020, Shenzhen, China.
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2
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Wen T, Zhang X, Lippuner C, Schiff M, Stuber F. Development and Evaluation of a Droplet Digital PCR Assay for 8p23 β-Defensin Cluster Copy Number Determination. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 25:607-615. [PMID: 34327613 PMCID: PMC8320422 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-021-00546-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Introduction It has been proposed that the copy number (CN) variation (CNV) in β-defensin genes (DEFB) on human chromosome 8p23 determines phenotypic differences in inflammatory diseases. However, no method for accurate and easy DEFB CN quantification is yet available. Objective Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a novel method for CNV quantification and has been used for genes such as CCL4L, CCL3L1, AMY1, and HER2. However, to date, no ddPCR assay has been available for DEFB CN determination. In the present study, we aimed to develop and evaluate such a ddPCR assay. Methods The assay was designed using DEFB4 and RPP30 as the target and the reference gene, respectively. To evaluate the assay, 283 DNA samples with known CNs previously determined using the multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) method, the current gold standard, were used as standards. To discover the optimal DNA template amount, we tested 80 to 2.5 ng DNA by a serial of one to two dilutions of eight samples. To evaluate the reproducibility of the assay, 31 samples were repeated to calculate the intra- and inter-assay variations. To further validate the reliability of the assay, the CNs of all 283 samples were determined using ddPCR. To compare results with those using quantitative PCR (qPCR), DEFB CNs for 48 samples were determined using qPCR with the same primers and probes. Results In a one-dimensional plot, the positive and negative droplets were clearly separated in both DEFB4 and RPP30 detection channels. In a two-dimensional plot, four populations of droplets were observed. The 20 ng template DNA proved optimal, with either high (80 ng) or low (10, 5, 2.5 ng) template input leading to ambiguous or inaccurate results. For the 31 standard samples, DEFB CNs were accurately determined with small intra- and inter-assay variations (coefficient of variation < 0.04 for both). In the validation cohort, ddPCR provided the correct CN for all 283 samples with high confidence. qPCR measurements for the 48 samples produced noisy data with high uncertainty and low accuracy. Conclusions ddPCR is an accurate, reproducible, easy-to-use, cheap, high-throughput method for DEFB CN determination. ddPCR could be applied to DEFB CN quantification in large-scale case–control studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40291-021-00546-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xianghong Zhang
- Department of Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Heath, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Christoph Lippuner
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Schiff
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Frank Stuber
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
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Abujaber R, Shea PR, McLaren PJ, Lakhi S, Gilmour J, Allen S, Fellay J, Hollox EJ. No Evidence for Association of β-Defensin Genomic Copy Number with HIV Susceptibility, HIV Load during Clinical Latency, or Progression to AIDS. Ann Hum Genet 2017; 81:27-34. [PMID: 28084001 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Common single-nucleotide variation in the host accounts for 25% of the variability in the plasma levels of HIV during the clinical latency stage (viral load set point). However, the role of rare variants and copy number variants remains relatively unexplored. Previous work has suggested copy number variation of a cluster of β-defensin genes affects HIV load in treatment-naïve sub-Saharan Africans and rate of response to antiretroviral treatment. Here we analyse a total of 1827 individuals from two cohorts of HIV-infected individuals from Europe and sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the role of β-defensin copy number variation on HIV load at set point. We find no evidence for association of copy number with viral load. We also compare distribution of β-defensin copy number between European cases and controls and find no differences, arguing against a role of β-defensin copy number in HIV acquisition. Taken together, our data argue against an effect of copy number variation of the β-defensin region in the spontaneous control of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razan Abujaber
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Patrick R Shea
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul J McLaren
- National HIV and Retrovirology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Shabir Lakhi
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York, New York, USA.,Zambia-Emory HIV Research Project, Lusaka and Copperbelt, Zambia
| | - Jill Gilmour
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York, New York, USA.,IAVI Human Immunology Laboratory, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Allen
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), New York, New York, USA.,School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Edward J Hollox
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Association of nsv823469 copy number loss with decreased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary function in Chinese. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40060. [PMID: 28079130 PMCID: PMC5227687 DOI: 10.1038/srep40060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
It is highly possible that copy number variations (CNVs) in susceptible regions have effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) development, while long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) have been shown to cause COPD. We hypothesized that the common CNV, named nsv823469 located on 6p22.1, and covering lncRNAs (major histocompatibility complex, class I, A (HLA-A) and HLA complex group 4B (HCG4B)) has an effect on COPD risk. This association was assessed through a two-stage case-control study, and was further confirmed with COPD and pulmonary function-based family analyses, respectively. The copy number loss (0-copy/1-copy) of nsv823469 significantly decreased risk of COPD compared with normal (2-copy) (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.69–0.85). The loss allele, inducing copy number loss of nsv823469, has a tendency to transmit to offspring or siblings (P = 0.010) and is associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (P = 0.030). Furthermore, the copy number loss of nsv823469 in normal pulmonary tissue decreases the expression levels of HCG4B (r = 0.315, P = 0.031) and HLA-A (r = 0.296, P = 0.044). Our data demonstrates that nsv823469 plays a role in COPD and pulmonary function inheritance by potentially altering expression of HCG4B.
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Abstract
Copy number variation (CNV), where a segment of DNA differs in copy number between different individuals, is an extensive and often underappreciated source of genetic variation within species. However, reliably determining copy number of a particular DNA sequence for a large number of samples can be challenging. Here, I describe and review the paralogue ratio test (PRT) in detail. PRT was developed to robustly type the CNV of the beta-defensin locus using small amounts of genomic DNA in a high-throughput manner, and has been applied successfully at many other loci. I discuss the strategies for designing successful PRT assays using both manual and bioinformatics methods, how to optimize experimental conditions, and approaches for analyzing the data. I discuss strengths and weaknesses of the approach, and how to troubleshoot results, as well as the range of problems to which PRT can be a potential solution.
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6
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Translating Lung Function Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Findings. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2016; 93:57-145. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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7
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Begum F, Ruczinski I, Li S, Silverman EK, Cho MH, Lynch DA, Curran-Everett D, Crapo J, Scharpf RB, Parker MM, Hetmanski JB, Beaty TH. Identifying a Deletion Affecting Total Lung Capacity Among Subjects in the COPDGene Study Cohort. Genet Epidemiol 2015; 40:81-8. [PMID: 26643968 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.21943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease with both environmental and genetic risk factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple genomic regions influencing risk of COPD. To thoroughly investigate the genetic etiology of COPD, however, it is also important to explore the role of copy number variants (CNVs) because the presence of structural variants can alter gene expression and can be causal for some diseases. Here, we investigated effects of polymorphic CNVs on quantitative measures of pulmonary function and chest computed tomography (CT) phenotypes among subjects enrolled in COPDGene, a multisite study. COPDGene subjects consist of roughly one-third African American (AA) and two-thirds non-Hispanic white adult smokers (with or without COPD). We estimated CNVs using PennCNV on 9,076 COPDGene subjects using Illumina's Omni-Express genome-wide marker array. We tested for association between polymorphic CNV components (defined as disjoint intervals of copy number regions) for several quantitative phenotypes associated with COPD within each racial group. Among the AAs, we identified a polymorphic CNV on chromosome 5q35.2 located between two genes (FAM153B and SIMK1, but also harboring several pseudo-genes) giving genome-wide significance in tests of association with total lung capacity (TLCCT ) as measured by chest CT scans. This is the first study of genome-wide association tests of polymorphic CNVs and TLCCT . Although the ARIC cohort did not have the phenotype of TLCCT , we found similar counts of CNV deletions and amplifications among AA and European subjects in this second cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdouse Begum
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ingo Ruczinski
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shengchao Li
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Edwin K Silverman
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Michael H Cho
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David A Lynch
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Douglas Curran-Everett
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - James Crapo
- Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Robert B Scharpf
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Margaret M Parker
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline B Hetmanski
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Terri H Beaty
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Machado LR, Ottolini B. An evolutionary history of defensins: a role for copy number variation in maximizing host innate and adaptive immune responses. Front Immunol 2015; 6:115. [PMID: 25852686 PMCID: PMC4364288 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Defensins represent an evolutionary ancient family of antimicrobial peptides that play diverse roles in human health and disease. Defensins are cationic cysteine-containing multifunctional peptides predominantly expressed by epithelial cells or neutrophils. Defensins play a key role in host innate immune responses to infection and, in addition to their classically described role as antimicrobial peptides, have also been implicated in immune modulation, fertility, development, and wound healing. Aberrant expression of defensins is important in a number of inflammatory diseases as well as modulating host immune responses to bacteria, unicellular pathogens, and viruses. In parallel with their role in immunity, in other species, defensins have evolved alternative functions, including the control of coat color in dogs. Defensin genes reside in complex genomic regions that are prone to structural variations and some defensin family members exhibit copy number variation (CNV). Structural variations have mediated, and continue to influence, the diversification and expression of defensin family members. This review highlights the work currently being done to better understand the genomic architecture of the β-defensin locus. It evaluates current evidence linking defensin CNV to autoimmune disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease and psoriasis) as well as the contribution CNV has in influencing immune responses to HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee R Machado
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, School of Health, University of Northampton , Northampton , UK
| | - Barbara Ottolini
- Department of Cancer Studies, University of Leicester , Leicester , UK
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Hiemstra PS, McCray PB, Bals R. The innate immune function of airway epithelial cells in inflammatory lung disease. Eur Respir J 2015; 45:1150-62. [PMID: 25700381 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00141514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The airway epithelium is now considered to be central to the orchestration of pulmonary inflammatory and immune responses, and is also key to tissue remodelling. It acts as the first barrier in the defence against a wide range of inhaled challenges, and is critically involved in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses to these challenges. Recent progress in our understanding of the developmental regulation of this tissue, the differentiation pathways, recognition of pathogens and antimicrobial responses is now exploited to help understand how epithelial cell function and dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory lung diseases. Herein, advances in our knowledge of the biology of airway epithelium, as well as its role and (dys)function in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter S Hiemstra
- Dept of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul B McCray
- Dept of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Robert Bals
- Dept of Internal Medicine V - Pulmonology, Allergology and Critical Care Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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10
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Jones EA, Kananurak A, Bevins CL, Hollox EJ, Bakaletz LO. Copy number variation of the beta defensin gene cluster on chromosome 8p influences the bacterial microbiota within the nasopharynx of otitis-prone children. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98269. [PMID: 24867293 PMCID: PMC4035277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As there is increasing evidence that aberrant defensin expression is related to susceptibility for infectious disease and inflammatory disorders, we sought to determine if copy number of the beta-defensin gene cluster located on chromosome 8p23.1 (DEFB107, 106, 105, 104, 103, DEFB4 and SPAG11), that shows copy number variation as a block, was associated with susceptibility to otitis media (OM). The gene DEFB103 within this complex encodes human beta defensin-3 (hBD-3), an antimicrobial peptide (AP) expressed by epithelial cells that line the mammalian airway, important for defense of mucosal surfaces and previously shown to have bactericidal activity in vitro against multiple human pathogens, including the three that predominate in OM. To this end, we conducted a retrospective case-control study of 113 OM prone children and 267 controls aged five to sixty months. We identified the copy number of the above defined beta-defensin gene cluster (DEFB-CN) in each study subject by paralogue ratio assays. The mean DEFB-CN was indistinguishable between subjects classified as OM prone based on a recent history of multiple episodes of OM and control subjects who had no history of OM (4.4 ± 0.96 versus 4.4 ± 1.08, respectively: Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.16 (95% CI: 0.61, 2.20). Despite a lack of direct association, we observed a statistically significant correlation between DEFB-CN and nasopharyngeal bacterial colonization patterns. Collectively, our findings suggested that susceptibility to OM might be mediated by genetic variation among individuals, wherein a DEFB-CN less than 4 exerts a marked influence on the microbiota of the nasopharynx, specifically with regard to colonization by the three predominant bacterial pathogens of OM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A. Jones
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Anchasa Kananurak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Charles L. Bevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Edward J. Hollox
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren O. Bakaletz
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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