Aberrant Expression and Prognostic Potential of IL-37 in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma

Potential Role of IL-37 in Atopic Dermatitis

Interleukin 37 (IL-37) is a recently discovered member of the IL-1 cytokine family that appears to have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in various diseases. IL-37 acts as a dual-function cytokine, exerting its effect extracellularly by forming a complex with the receptors IL-18 α (IL-18Rα) and IL-1R8 and transmitting anti-inflammatory signals, as well as intracellularly by interacting with Smad3, entering the nucleus, and inhibiting the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes. Consequently, IL-37 is linked to IL-18, which plays a role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), consistent with our studies. Some isoforms of IL-37 are expressed by keratinocytes, monocytes, and other skin immune cells. IL-37 has been found to modulate the skewed T helper 2 (Th2) inflammation that is fundamental to the pathogenesis of AD. This review provides an up-to-date summary of the function of IL-37 in modulating the immune system and analyses its potential role in the pathogenesis of AD. Moreover, it speculates on IL-37's hypothetical value as a therapeutic target in the treatment of AD.

Predicting lung adenocarcinoma prognosis, immune escape, and pharmacomic profile from arginine and proline-related genes

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a highly heterogeneous disease that ranks first in morbidity and mortality. Abnormal arginine metabolism is associated with inflammatory lung disease and may influence alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment. However, the potential role of arginine and proline metabolic patterns and immune molecular markers in LUAD is unclear. Gene expression, somatic mutations, and clinicopathological information of LUAD were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify metabolic genes associated with overall survival (OS). Unsupervised clustering divided the sample into two subtypes with different metabolic and immunological profiles. Gene set enrichment analysis (GESA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were used to analyze the underlying biological processes of the two subtypes. Drug sensitivity between subtypes was also predicted; then prognostic features were developed by multivariate Cox regression analysis. In addition, validation was obtained in the GSE68465, and GSE50081 dataset. Then, gene expression, and clinical characterization of hub genes CPS1 and SMS were performed; finally, in vitro validation experiments for knockdown of SMS were performed in LUAD cell lines. In this study, we first identified 12 arginine and proline-related genes (APRGs) significantly associated with OS and characterized the clinicopathological features and tumor microenvironmental landscape of two different subtypes. Then, we established an arginine and proline metabolism-related scoring system and identified two hub genes highly associated with prognosis, namely CPS1, and SMS. In addition, we performed CCK8, transwell, and other functional experiments on SMS to obtain consistent results. Our comprehensive analysis revealed the potential molecular features and clinical applications of APRGs in LUAD. A model based on 2 APRGs can accurately predict survival outcomes in LUAD, improve our understanding of APRGs in LUAD, and pave a new pathway to guide risk stratification and treatment strategy development for LUAD patients.

Deregulated Expression of IL-37 in Patients with Bladder Urothelial Cancer: The Diagnostic Potential of the IL-37e Isoform

Cellular and molecular immune components play a crucial role in the development and perpetuation of human malignancies, shaping anti-tumor responses. A novel immune regulator is interleukin-37 (IL-37), already shown to be involved in the inflammation associated with the pathophysiology of many human disorders, including cancer. The interplay between tumor and immune cells is of great importance, especially for highly immunogenic tumors such as bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). This study aimed to investigate the potential of IL-37 and its receptor SIGIRR (single immunoglobulin IL-1-related receptor) to serve as prognostic and/or diagnostic markers in patients with BLCA. To this end, a series of bioinformatics tools processing -omics datasets and specifically designed qPCR assays on human BLCA tumors and cancer cell lines were utilized. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that IL-37 levels correlate with BLCA tumor development and are higher in patients with longer overall survival. Furthermore, mutations on SIGIRR are associated with enhanced infiltration of the tumor by regulatory T cells and dendritic cells. Based on the qPCR validation experiments, BLCA epithelial cells express the IL-37c and IL-37e isoforms, while the latter is the predominant variant detected in tumor biopsies, also associated with higher grade and the non-muscle-invasive type. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that IL-37 and SIGIRR levels have been assessed in BLCA tumor lesions, and associations with pathological and survival parameters are described, while a transcript variant-specific signature is indicated to have a diagnostic potential. These data strongly indicate the need for further investigation of the involvement of this cytokine and interconnected molecules in the pathophysiology of the disease and its prospective as a therapeutic target and biomarker for BLCA.