|
1
|
Koletsos N, Lazaridis A, Triantafyllou A, Anyfanti P, Lamprou S, Stoimeni A, Papadopoulos NG, Koravou EE, Gkaliagkousi E. Accumulation of Microvascular Target Organ Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Is Associated with Increased Cardiovascular Risk. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2140. [PMID: 38610905 PMCID: PMC11012611 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13072140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototype autoimmune disease associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) burden. Besides increased arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis, microvascular dysfunction is considered an important component in the pathophysiology of CV disease. However, there is a lack of data regarding the effect of multiple target organ damage (TOD) on CV health. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate (i) the presence of microvascular changes in SLE in various vascular beds, (ii) the possible associations between the accumulation of microvascular TOD and CV risk and (iii) whether Galectin-3 represents a predictor of combined microvascular TOD. Methods: Participants underwent (i) evaluation of skin microvascular perfusion (laser speckle contrast analysis), (ii) fundoscopy (non-mydriatic fundus camera), (iii) indirect assessment of myocardial perfusion (subendocardial viability ratio) and (iv) determination of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). CV risk was calculated using the QResearch Risk Estimator version 3 (QRISK3). Serum Galectin-3 levels were determined. Results: Forty-seven SLE patients and fifty controls were studied. SLE patients demonstrated impaired skin microvascular reactivity (160.2 ± 41.0 vs. 203.6 ± 40.1%), retinal arteriolar narrowing (88.1 ± 11.1 vs. 94.6 ± 13.5 μm) and higher UACR levels compared to controls. Furthermore, SLE individuals had significantly higher Galectin-3 levels [21.5(6.1) vs. 6.6(6.6) ng/dL], QRISK3 scores [7.0(8.6) vs. 1.3(3.6)%] and a greater chance for microvascular dysfunction. In the SLE group, patients with multiple TOD exhibited higher QRISK3. In the multivariate analysis, the accumulation of TOD correlated with disease activity and Galectin-3 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study showed for the first time that SLE patients exhibit a greater number of cases of TOD. The accumulation of TOD was associated with increased CV risk. Clinicians dealing with SLE should be aware and seek microvascular alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Koletsos
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Antonios Lazaridis
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Areti Triantafyllou
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Panagiota Anyfanti
- Second Medical Department, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Stamatina Lamprou
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Anastasia Stoimeni
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| | | | | | - Eugenia Gkaliagkousi
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.L.); (A.T.); (S.L.); (A.S.); (E.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Venou TM, Vetsiou E, Varelas C, Daniilidis A, Psarras K, Koravou EE, Koutra M, Touloumenidou T, Tsolakidis V, Papalexandri A, Minti F, Mandala E, Dinas K, Vlachaki E, Gavriilaki E. Increased Complement Activation and Decreased ADAMTS13 Activity Are Associated with Genetic Susceptibility in Patients with Preeclampsia/HELLP Syndrome Compared to Healthy Pregnancies: An Observational Case-Controlled Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:387. [PMID: 38673014 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14040387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a progressive multi-systemic disorder characterized by proteinuria, critical organ damage, and new-onset hypertension. It can be further complicated by HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets), resulting in critical liver or renal damage, disseminated coagulation, and grand mal seizures. This study aimed to examine the involvement of ADAMTS13, von Willebrand, and the complement system in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome. We studied 30 Caucasian preeclamptic pregnant women and a control group of 15 healthy pregnancies. Genetic sequencing of ADAMTS13 and complement regulatory genes (MiniSeq System, Illumina) was performed. The modified Ham test was used to check for complement activation, ADAMTS13 activity, von Willebrand antigen (vWFAg) levels, and soluble C5b-9 levels were measured. Patients with preeclampsia had a decreased ADAMTS13 activity and increased C5b-9 levels. The vWFAg was significantly correlated with ADAMTS13 activity (r = 0.497, p = 0.003). Risk-factor variants were found in the genes of ADAMTS13, C3, thrombomodulin, CFB, CFH, MBL2, and, finally, MASP2. A portion of pregnant women with preeclampsia showed a decline in ADAMTS13 activity, correlated with vWFAg levels. These patients also exhibited an elevated complement activation and high-risk genetic variants in regulatory genes. Further research is needed to determine if these factors can serve as reliable biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theodora-Maria Venou
- Hematological Laboratory, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Vetsiou
- Hematological Laboratory, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christos Varelas
- Hematology Department, Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Angelos Daniilidis
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Kyriakos Psarras
- 2nd Propedeutical Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Maria Koutra
- Hematology Department, Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Vasilis Tsolakidis
- Hematological Laboratory, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Fani Minti
- Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evdokia Mandala
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Dinas
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Efthymia Vlachaki
- Hematological Laboratory, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Gavriilaki
- 2nd Propedeutical Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Gavriilaki E, Bousiou Z, Batsis I, Vardi A, Mallouri D, Koravou EE, Konstantinidou G, Spyridis N, Karavalakis G, Noli F, Patriarcheas V, Masmanidou M, Touloumenidou T, Papalexandri A, Poziopoulos C, Yannaki E, Sakellari I, Politou M, Papassotiriou I. Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) and Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15) Levels Are Significantly Associated with Endothelial Injury Indices in Adult Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:231. [PMID: 38203404 PMCID: PMC10778584 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (HSCT-TMA) and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) represent life-threatening syndromes after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). In both conditions, endothelial dysfunction is a common denominator, and development of relevant biomarkers is of high importance for both diagnosis and prognosis. Despite the fact that soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) have been determined as endothelial injury indices in various clinical settings, their role in HSCT-related complications remains unexplored. In this context, we used immunoenzymatic methods to measure suPAR and GDF-15 levels in HSCT-TMA, acute and/or chronic GVHD, control HSCT recipients, and apparently healthy individuals of similar age and gender. We found considerably greater SuPAR and GDF-15 levels in HSCT-TMA and GVHD patients compared to allo-HSCT and healthy patients. Both GDF-15 and suPAR concentrations were linked to EASIX at day 100 and last follow-up. SuPAR was associated with creatinine and platelets at day 100 and last follow-up, while GDF-15 was associated only with platelets, suggesting that laboratory values do not drive EASIX. SuPAR, but not GDF-15, was related to soluble C5b-9 levels, a sign of increased HSCT-TMA risk. Our study shows for the first time that suPAR and GDF-15 indicate endothelial damage in allo-HSCT recipients. Rigorous validation of these biomarkers in many cohorts may provide utility for their usefulness in identifying and stratifying allo-HSCT recipients with endothelial cell impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gavriilaki
- Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Hippocration Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Zoi Bousiou
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Ioannis Batsis
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Anna Vardi
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Despina Mallouri
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Evaggelia-Evdoxia Koravou
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Georgia Konstantinidou
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Nikolaos Spyridis
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Georgios Karavalakis
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Foteini Noli
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Vasileios Patriarcheas
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Marianna Masmanidou
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Tasoula Touloumenidou
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Apostolia Papalexandri
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Christos Poziopoulos
- Department of Hematology, Metropolitan Hospital, Neo Faliro, 18547 Athens, Greece;
| | - Evangelia Yannaki
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Ioanna Sakellari
- BMT Unit, Hematology Department, George Papanicolaou General Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (Z.B.); (I.B.); (A.V.); (D.M.); (E.-E.K.); (G.K.); (N.S.); (G.K.); (F.N.); (V.P.); (M.M.); (T.T.); (A.P.); (E.Y.); (I.S.)
| | - Marianna Politou
- Hematology Laboratory-Blood Bank, Aretaieion Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Ioannis Papassotiriou
- First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece;
| |
Collapse
|
|
4
|
Tsiftsoglou SA, Gavriilaki E, Touloumenidou T, Koravou EE, Koutra M, Papayanni PG, Karali V, Papalexandri A, Varelas C, Chatzopoulou F, Chatzidimitriou M, Chatzidimitriou D, Veleni A, Rapti E, Kioumis I, Kaimakamis E, Bitzani M, Boumpas DT, Tsantes A, Sotiropoulos D, Papadopoulou A, Sakellari I, Kokoris S, Anagnostopoulos A. Targeted genotyping of COVID-19 patients reveals a signature of complement C3 and factor B coding SNPs associated with severe infection. Immunobiology 2023; 228:152351. [PMID: 36805858 PMCID: PMC9928680 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
We have attempted to explore further the involvement of complement components in the host COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) immune responses by targeted genotyping of COVID-19 adult patients and analysis for missense coding Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (coding SNPs) of genes encoding Alternative pathway (AP) components. We have identified a small group of common coding SNPs in Survivors and Deceased individuals, present in either relatively similar frequencies (CFH and CFI SNPs) or with stark differences in their relative abundance (C3 and CFB SNPs). In addition, we have identified several sporadic, potentially protective, coding SNPs of C3, CFB, CFD, CFH, CFHR1 and CFI in Survivors. No coding SNPs were detected for CD46 and CD55. Our demographic analysis indicated that the C3 rs1047286 or rs2230199 coding SNPs were present in 60 % of all the Deceased patients (n = 25) (the rs2230199 in 67 % of all Deceased Males) and in 31 % of all the Survivors (n = 105, p = 0.012) (the rs2230199 in 25 % of all Survivor Males). When we analysed these two major study groups using the presence of the C3 rs1047286 or rs2230199 SNPs as potential biomarkers, we noticed the complete absence of the protective CFB rs12614 and rs641153 coding SNPs from Deceased Males compared to Females (p = 0.0023). We propose that in these individuals, C3 carrying the R102G and CFB lacking the R32W or the R32Q amino acid substitutions, may contribute to enhanced association dynamics of the C3bBb AP pre-convertase complex assembly, thus enabling the exploitation of the activation of the Complement Alternative pathway (AP) by SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanos A Tsiftsoglou
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece.
| | - Eleni Gavriilaki
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece.
| | - Tasoula Touloumenidou
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | | | - Maria Koutra
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | | | - Vassiliki Karali
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, University General Hospital "Attikon", Αthens, Greece
| | - Apostolia Papalexandri
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | - Christos Varelas
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | - Fani Chatzopoulou
- Microbiology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Chatzidimitriou
- Biomedical Sciences Alexander Campus International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Anastasia Veleni
- Infectious Disease Committee, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evdoxia Rapti
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital "Attikon", NKUA, Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Kioumis
- Respiratory Failure Department, G Papanicolaou Hospital-Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Milly Bitzani
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios T Boumpas
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, University General Hospital "Attikon", Αthens, Greece
| | - Argyris Tsantes
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital "Attikon", NKUA, Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Damianos Sotiropoulos
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | - Anastasia Papadopoulou
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | - Ioanna Sakellari
- Hematology Department-BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki 57010, Greece
| | - Styliani Kokoris
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital "Attikon", NKUA, Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|
|
5
|
Koletsos N, Dipla K, Triantafyllou A, Lazaridis A, Papadopoulos NG, Dolgyras P, Gavriilaki E, Anyfanti P, Zafeiridis A, Koravou EE, Aslanidis S, Douma S, Gkaliagkousi E. Blunted cerebral oxygenation during exercise in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2023; 41:6-14. [PMID: 35238763 DOI: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/q8iygd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Subclinical brain lesions have been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have revealed microstructural and microvascular alterations. Most studies examining structural or functional brain abnormalities were performed either at rest or during a mental task. Our study aimed to examine possible differences in cerebral oxygenation during exercise between SLE patients without known neuropsychiatric manifestations and age-matched controls, using near-infrared-spectroscopy (NIRS) and examine possible underlying mechanisms through evaluation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. METHODS The protocol involved a seated rest, a 3-min submaximal (30%) handgrip exercise, and a 3-min recovery. Continuous-NIRS was used to monitor changes in cerebral-oxygenated (O2Hb), de-oxygenated (HHb) and total-haemoglobin (tHb). BDNF levels were measured in serum samples. RESULTS Twenty-six SLE patients and 27 matched controls were enrolled. No differences were observed in baseline characteristics. During exercise, cerebral-O2Hb increased in both groups. However, SLE patients exhibited a significantly lower average- (1.20 ± 0.89 vs. 2.69 ± 2.46, p=0.001) and peak-O2Hb response (2.89 ± 1.56 vs. 5.83 ± 4.59, p=0.004) compared to controls. Serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in SLE patients compared to controls (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate cerebral oxygenation during exercise using NIRS in SLE patients compared to age-matched controls. Our data show that SLE patients even without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations exhibit a blunted increase in cerebral-O2Hb during a submaximal exercise stimulus. Examining brain oxygenation during a simple exercise task may assist in identifying patients with early alterations in cerebral function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Koletsos
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantina Dipla
- Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Sport Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
| | - Areti Triantafyllou
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Antonios Lazaridis
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis Dolgyras
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Gavriilaki
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Department of Haematology, BMT Unit, G. Papanikolaou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiota Anyfanti
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Andreas Zafeiridis
- Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Sport Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Serres, Greece
| | | | - Spyros Aslanidis
- Rheumatology Department, 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stella Douma
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eugenia Gkaliagkousi
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
|
6
|
Gavriilaki E, Tsiftsoglou SA, Touloumenidou T, Farmaki E, Panagopoulou P, Michailidou E, Koravou EE, Mavrikou I, Iosifidis E, Tsiatsiou O, Papadimitriou E, Papadopoulou-Alataki E, Papayanni PG, Varelas C, Kokkoris S, Papalexandri A, Fotoulaki M, Galli-Tsinopoulou A, Zafeiriou D, Roilides E, Sakellari I, Anagnostopoulos A, Tragiannidis A. Targeted Genotyping of MIS-C Patients Reveals a Potential Alternative Pathway Mediated Complement Dysregulation during COVID-19 Infection. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:2811-2824. [PMID: 35877417 PMCID: PMC9325260 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44070193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Complement dysregulation has been documented in adults with COVID-19 and implicated in relevant pediatric inflammatory responses against SARS-CoV-2. We propose that signatures of complement missense coding SNPs associated with dysregulation could also be identified in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). We investigated 71 pediatric patients with RT-PCR validated SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized in pediatric COVID-19 care units (November 2020–March 2021) in three major groups. Seven (7) patients suffered from MIS-C (MIS-C group), 32 suffered from COVID-19 and were hospitalized (admitted group), whereas 32 suffered from COVID-19, but were sent home. All patients survived and were genotyped for variations in the C3, C5, CFB, CFD, CFH, CFHR1, CFI, CD46, CD55, MASP1, MASP2, MBL2, COLEC11, FCN1, and FCN3 genes. Upon evaluation of the missense coding SNP distribution patterns along the three study groups, we noticed similarities, but also considerably increased frequencies of the alternative pathway (AP) associated with SNPs rs12614 CFB, rs1061170, and rs1065489 CFH in the MIS-C patients. Our analysis suggests that the corresponding substitutions potentially reduce the C3b-inactivation efficiency and promote slower and weaker AP C3bBb pre-convertase assembly on virions. Under these circumstances, the complement AP opsonization capacity may be impaired, leading to compromised immune clearance and systemic inflammation in the MIS-C syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gavriilaki
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence: (E.G.); (S.A.T.); Tel.: +30-697-3841-671 (E.G.); +30-697-9568-269 (S.A.T.)
| | - Stefanos A. Tsiftsoglou
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence: (E.G.); (S.A.T.); Tel.: +30-697-3841-671 (E.G.); +30-697-9568-269 (S.A.T.)
| | - Tasoula Touloumenidou
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Evangelia Farmaki
- 1st Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hipporkation Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.F.); (E.P.); (D.Z.)
| | - Paraskevi Panagopoulou
- 4th Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.P.); (E.P.-A.); (M.F.)
| | - Elissavet Michailidou
- 3rd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.M.); (E.I.); (O.T.); (E.R.)
| | - Evaggelia-Evdoxia Koravou
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Ioulia Mavrikou
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Elias Iosifidis
- 3rd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.M.); (E.I.); (O.T.); (E.R.)
| | - Olga Tsiatsiou
- 3rd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.M.); (E.I.); (O.T.); (E.R.)
| | - Eleni Papadimitriou
- 1st Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hipporkation Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.F.); (E.P.); (D.Z.)
| | - Efimia Papadopoulou-Alataki
- 4th Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.P.); (E.P.-A.); (M.F.)
| | - Penelope Georgia Papayanni
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Christos Varelas
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Styliani Kokkoris
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital—Blood Transfusion Unit, Medical School, University General Hospital “Attikon”, NKUA, 12462 Athens, Greece;
| | - Apostolia Papalexandri
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Maria Fotoulaki
- 4th Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.P.); (E.P.-A.); (M.F.)
| | - Assimina Galli-Tsinopoulou
- 2nd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.G.-T.); (A.T.)
| | - Dimitrios Zafeiriou
- 1st Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hipporkation Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.F.); (E.P.); (D.Z.)
| | - Emmanuel Roilides
- 3rd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.M.); (E.I.); (O.T.); (E.R.)
| | - Ioanna Sakellari
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Achilles Anagnostopoulos
- Hematology Department & BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.T.); (E.-E.K.); (I.M.); (P.G.P.); (C.V.); (A.P.); (I.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Athanasios Tragiannidis
- 2nd Pediatric Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, 54621 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.G.-T.); (A.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
|
7
|
Gavriilaki E, Papadopoulou A, Touloumenidou T, Stavridou F, Koravou EE, Giannaki M, Papalexandri A, Karavalakis G, Batsis I, Kourelis A, Chatzopoulou F, Chatzidimitriou D, Sotiropoulos D, Yannaki E, Sakellari I, Anagnostopoulos A. Neutralizing antibody and T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. Bone Marrow Transplant 2022; 57:1183-1186. [PMID: 35449455 PMCID: PMC9022618 DOI: 10.1038/s41409-022-01675-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gavriilaki
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia Papadopoulou
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Tasoula Touloumenidou
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Fani Stavridou
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evaggelia-Evdoxia Koravou
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Giannaki
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Apostolia Papalexandri
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Karavalakis
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis Batsis
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Andreas Kourelis
- Microbiology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Fani Chatzopoulou
- Microbiology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Damianos Sotiropoulos
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evangelia Yannaki
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Ioanna Sakellari
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Achilles Anagnostopoulos
- Hematology Department - Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Unit - Gene and Cell Therapy Center, George Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
|
8
|
Gavriilaki E, Asteris PG, Touloumenidou T, Koravou EE, Koutra M, Papayanni PG, Karali V, Papalexandri A, Varelas C, Chatzopoulou F, Chatzidimitriou M, Chatzidimitriou D, Veleni A, Grigoriadis S, Rapti E, Chloros D, Kioumis I, Kaimakamis E, Bitzani M, Boumpas D, Tsantes A, Sotiropoulos D, Sakellari I, Kalantzis IG, Parastatidis ST, Koopialipoor M, Cavaleri L, Armaghani DJ, Papadopoulou A, Brodsky RA, Kokoris S, Anagnostopoulos A. Genetic justification of severe COVID-19 using a rigorous algorithm. Clin Immunol 2021; 226:108726. [PMID: 33845193 PMCID: PMC8043057 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2021.108726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest excessive complement activation in severe coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The latter shares common characteristics with complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). We hypothesized that genetic susceptibility would be evident in patients with severe COVID-19 (similar to TMA) and associated with disease severity. We analyzed genetic and clinical data from 97 patients hospitalized for COVID-19. Through targeted next-generation-sequencing we found an ADAMTS13 variant in 49 patients, along with two risk factor variants (C3, 21 patients; CFH,34 patients). 31 (32%) patients had a combination of these, which was independently associated with ICU hospitalization (p = 0.022). Analysis of almost infinite variant combinations showed that patients with rs1042580 in thrombomodulin and without rs800292 in complement factor H did not require ICU hospitalization. We also observed gender differences in ADAMTS13 and complement-related variants. In light of encouraging results by complement inhibitors, our study highlights a patient population that might benefit from early initiation of specific treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gavriilaki
- Hematology Department – BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece,Corresponding author at: Hematology Department – BMT Unit, G. Papanicolaou Hospital, Exochi, 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiotis G. Asteris
- Computational Mechanics Laboratory, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Maria Koutra
- Hematology Department – BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Vassiliki Karali
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Christos Varelas
- Hematology Department – BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Fani Chatzopoulou
- Microbiology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Chatzidimitriou
- Biomedical Sciences, Alexander Campus International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Anastasia Veleni
- Infectious Disease Committee, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Savvas Grigoriadis
- Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evdoxia Rapti
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital “Attikon”, NKUA, Medical School, Greece
| | - Diamantis Chloros
- Pneumonology Department, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis Kioumis
- Respiratory Failure Department, G Papanicolaou Hospital-Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Milly Bitzani
- 1st Intensive Care Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Boumpas
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Argyris Tsantes
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital “Attikon”, NKUA, Medical School, Greece
| | | | - Ioanna Sakellari
- Hematology Department – BMT Unit, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Stefanos T. Parastatidis
- Computational Mechanics Laboratory, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Liborio Cavaleri
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace and Materials Engineering, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Danial J. Armaghani
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Robert Alan Brodsky
- Hematology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | - Styliani Kokoris
- Laboratory of Hematology and Hospital Blood Transfusion Department, University General Hospital “Attikon”, NKUA, Medical School, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|