Association of polymorphisms in the ICOS and ICOSL genes with the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases

Exploring the link between Co-stimulatory gene polymorphisms and clinical manifestations in Graves' ophthalmopathy

Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is an autoimmune disorder that affects orbital tissues in approximately 30 % of Graves' disease patients. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), particularly in immune-related genes, play a crucial role in the development of GO. This study investigates the association between SNPs in co-stimulatory molecules and specific clinical characteristics of GO, including laterality, orbital pain, swelling, diplopia, exophthalmos, redness, and eyelid retraction. Forty-one patients newly diagnosed with GO were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from their blood, and 98 SNPs were amplified using PCR and sequenced. Candidate SNPs, selected based on prior research, were analyzed using chi-square tests and genetic models to assess genotype and allele frequency differences related to clinical manifestations. CD28 SNPs rs3181096 (C vs. T: p = 0.001) and rs3181098 (G vs. A: p = 0.002) were found to show protective effects against eyelid inflammation, while the A-allele of rs200353921(p = 0.005) increased the risk of eyelid inflammation. PDCD1 SNPs rs36084323 (C vs. T: p = 0.004) and rs41386349 (G vs. A: p = 0.005) were linked to diplopia and eyelid inflammation, respectively. The T-allele of rs6705653 in PDCD1 was found to increase the risk of diplopia (p = 0.001) but decreased the risk of eyelid retraction (p = 0.002). Other SNPs, including rs2227982 (p = 0.003) and rs2227981 (G vs. A: p = 0.001), were also associated with diplopia and eyelid retraction, highlighting the complex genetic influences on the clinical manifestations of GO. Furthermore, interactions between age, gender, and SNPs were observed in relation to GO clinical features. These findings highlight the potential regulatory roles of these genes in influencing immune responses and orbital inflammation in GO. Understanding these genetic influences could help identify predictive markers and novel therapeutic targets for GO management.

The susceptibility of single nucleotide polymorphisms located within co-stimulatory pathways to systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction

Autoimmune diseases result from the loss of immune tolerance, and they exhibit complex pathogenic mechanisms that remain challenging to effectively treat. It has been reported that the altered expression levels of co-stimulatory/inhibitory molecules will affect the level of T/B cell activation and lead to the loss of immune tolerance.

Methods

In this study, we evaluated the gene polymorphisms of the ligand genes corresponding co-stimulatory system that were expressed on antigen-presenting cells (CD80, CD86, ICOSLG, and PDL1) from 60 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and 60 healthy controls.

Results

The results showed that rs16829984 and rs57271503 of the CD80 gene and rs4143815 of the PDL1 gene were associated with SLE, in which the G-allele of rs16829984 (p=0.022), the A-allele of rs57271503 (p=0.029), and the GG and GC genotype of rs4143815 (p=0.039) may be risk polymorphisms for SLE.

Discussion

These SNPs are in the promoter and 3'UTR of the genes, so they may affect the transcription and translation activity of the genes, thereby regulating immune function and contributing to the development of SLE.

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Pediatric Coeliac Disease Patients Suggests Potential Pre-Seroconversion Markers

Celiac Disease (CeD) is a complex immune disorder involving villous atrophy in the small intestine that is triggered by gluten intake. Current CeD diagnosis is based on late-stage pathophysiological parameters such as detection of specific antibodies in blood and histochemical detection of villus atrophy and lymphocyte infiltration in intestinal biopsies. To date, no early onset biomarkers are available that would help prevent widespread villous atrophy and severe symptoms and co-morbidities. To search for novel CeD biomarkers, we used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to investigate PBMC samples from 11 children before and after seroconversion for CeD and 10 control individuals matched for age, sex and HLA-genotype. We generated scRNAseq profiles of 9559 cells and identified the expected major cellular lineages. Cell proportions remained stable across the different timepoints and health conditions, but we observed differences in gene expression profiles in specific cell types when comparing patient samples before and after disease development and comparing patients with controls. Based on the time when transcripts were differentially expressed, we could classify the deregulated genes as biomarkers for active CeD or as potential pre-diagnostic markers. Pathway analysis showed that active CeD biomarkers display a transcriptional profile associated with antigen activation in CD4+ T cells, whereas NK cells express a subset of biomarker genes even before CeD diagnosis. Intersection of biomarker genes with CeD-associated genetic risk loci pinpointed genetic factors that might play a role in CeD onset. Investigation of potential cellular interaction pathways of PBMC cell subpopulations highlighted the importance of TNF pathways in CeD. Altogether, our results pinpoint genes and pathways that are altered prior to and during CeD onset, thereby identifying novel potential biomarkers for CeD diagnosis in blood.

Targeting inducible costimulator expressed on CXCR5+PD-1+ TH cells suppresses the progression of pemphigus vulgaris

BACKGROUND

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune bullous disease mediated by autoantibodies against desmoglein 3 (DSG3). Inducible costimulator (ICOS) is a costimulatory receptor expressed on T cells and influences the activity of T follicular helper (T_FH) cells in various autoimmune diseases, but the roles of ICOS and T_FH cells in PV remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the immunological characteristics, antigen specificity, and pathogenicity of CD4⁺ T-cell subpopulations, as well as the therapeutic effect of anti-ICOS blocking antibodies in PV.

METHODS

A mouse model of PV was established by adoptive transfer of immune cells from the skin-draining lymph nodes or spleens of DSG3-expressing skin-grafted Dsg3^-/- mice into Rag1^-/- mice. The T_FH cells and CD4⁺ T cells in PBMCs from PV patients were examined by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

Among CD4⁺ T cells from the mouse model, ICOS-positive T_FH cells were associated with B-cell differentiation and were required for disease induction. Using an MHC class II tetramer, DSG3-specific ICOS⁺ T_FH cells were found to be associated with anti-DSG3 antibody production and expanded in the absence of B cells. In human PV, the frequency of ICOS⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ memory CD4⁺ T cells correlated with the autoantibody level. Treatment with anti-ICOS blocking antibodies targeting ICOS⁺ T_FH cells decreased the anti-DSG3 antibody level and delayed disease progression in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Mouse Dsg3-specific ICOS⁺ T_FH cells and human ICOS⁺CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ T_H cells are associated with the anti-DSG3 antibody response in PV. ICOS expressed on CXCR5⁺PD-1⁺ T_H cells may be a therapeutic target for PV.

A Multi-Omics Perspective of Quantitative Trait Loci in Precision Medicine

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis is an important approach to investigate the effects of genetic variants identified through an increasing number of large-scale, multidimensional 'omics data sets. In this 'big data' era, the research community has identified a significant number of molecular QTLs (molQTLs) and increased our understanding of their effects. Herein, we review multiple categories of molQTLs, including those associated with transcriptome, post-transcriptional regulation, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, and the microbiome. We summarize approaches to identify molQTLs and to infer their causal effects. We further discuss the integrative analysis of molQTLs through a multi-omics perspective. Our review highlights future opportunities to better understand the functional significance of genetic variants and to utilize the discovery of molQTLs in precision medicine.

Preparation, characterization and application of anti-human OX40 ligand (OX40L) monoclonal antibodies and establishment of a sandwich ELISA for autoimmune diseases detection

OX40L (CD252, TNFSF4), a type II transmembrane protein which like other tumor necrosis factor ligands, involved in the costimulation and differentiation of T cells, functions as a positive signal in immune response. To investigate the biological function of soluble OX40L (sOX40L), three functional anti-OX40L monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) 3D2, 3F7 and 2H3 were obtained by hybridoma technology. Besides, specificity of the mAbs was further demonstrated by ELISA, Western blot and Immunofluorescence experiments. We also developed a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on two anti-human OX40L antibodies 3D2 and 3F7 with different epitopes. Using the ELISA system, we found that sOX40L in the sera of healthy donors increases in an age-dependent manner and that enhanced sOX40L expression in some autoimmune diseases especially in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, suggesting the potential diagnostic significance of sOX40L in the autoimmune diseases. Together, these data demonstrate that the existence of circulating sOX40L in human sera might play an important role in immunoregulation.