1
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Vameghestahbanati M, Kingdom L, Hoffman EA, Kirby M, Allen NB, Angelini E, Bertoni A, Hamid Q, Hogg JC, Jacobs DR, Laine A, Maltais F, Michos ED, Sack C, Sin D, Watson KE, Wysoczanksi A, Couper D, Cooper C, Han M, Woodruff P, Tan WC, Bourbeau J, Barr RG, Smith BM. Airway tree caliber heterogeneity and airflow obstruction among older adults. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2024. [PMID: 38420676 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00694.2022] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smaller mean airway tree caliber is associated with airflow obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated whether airway tree caliber heterogeneity was associated with airflow obstruction and COPD. METHODS Two community-based cohorts (MESA Lung, CanCOLD) and a longitudinal case-control study of COPD (SPIROMICS) performed spirometry and computed tomography measurements of airway lumen diameters at standard anatomic locations and total lung volume. Percent-predicted airway lumen diameters were calculated using sex-specific reference equations accounting for age, height and lung volume. The association of airway tree caliber heterogeneity, quantified as the standard deviation (SD) of percent-predicted airway lumen diameters, with baseline forced expired volume in 1-second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and COPD, as well as longitudinal spirometry, were assessed using regression models adjusted for age, sex, height, race-ethnicity, and mean airway tree caliber. RESULTS Among 2,505 MESA Lung participants (mean±SD age: 69±9 years; 53% female, mean airway tree caliber: 99±10% predicted, airway tree caliber heterogeneity: 14±5%; median follow-up: 6.1 years), participants in the highest quartile of airway tree caliber heterogeneity exhibited lower FEV1 (adjusted mean difference: -125 ml, 95%CI:-171,-79), lower FEV1/FVC (adjusted mean difference: -0.01, 95%CI:-0.02,-0.01), and higher odds of COPD (adjusted OR 1.42, 95%CI:1.01-2.02) when compared with the lowest quartile, whereas longitudinal changes in FEV1 and FEV1/FVC did not differ significantly. Observations in CanCOLD and SPIROMICS were consistent. CONCLUSION Among older adults, airway tree caliber heterogeneity was associated with airflow obstruction and COPD at baseline but was not associated with longitudinal changes in spirometry.
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Grants
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- HHS | NIH | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- COPD Foundation (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Foundation)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- COPD Foundation (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Foundation)
- HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- COPD Foundation (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Foundation)
- American Lung Association (ALA)
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric A Hoffman
- Department of Radiology, Internal Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | | | | | - Elsa Angelini
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Alain Bertoni
- Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - James C Hogg
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Andrew Laine
- Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Erin D Michos
- Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Coralynn Sack
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Don Sin
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karol E Watson
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - David Couper
- University of North Carolina Health Care, United States
| | - Christopher Cooper
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - MeiLan Han
- Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Prescott Woodruff
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Wan C Tan
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jean Bourbeau
- Respiratory Division, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Benjamin M Smith
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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2
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Al-Bluwi N, Agha R, Shukla A, Zeidan RK, AlZubaidi H, Awad M, Hussein A, Abdelbagi M, AlSayed K, Alebaji MB, Shaheen M, Salameh L, Mahboub B, Elkhodary H, Bendardaf R, Mohammed G, Wardat D, Al-Hano Z, Amara HI, Alhajjaj MS, Hamid Q, Halwani R, Saddik B. Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics Associated with COVID-19 Severity Among Hospitalized Patients in the United Arab Emirates: A Retrospective Multicentre Study. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2024:10.1007/s44197-024-00206-8. [PMID: 38407717 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-024-00206-8] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical and epidemiological factors associated with severe COVID-19 cases in hospitalized patients across two emirates within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS A retrospective observational analytical study analysed data from 738 medical records and conducted 573 in-depth interviews with patients hospitalized across multiple healthcare centers in the UAE, between 29 January 2020 and 14 October 2021. Regression analysis predicted risk factors for COVID-19 severity. RESULTS Main risk factors identified were crowding (aOR 1.919; 95%CI 1.144, 3.221), obesity (aOR 2.383; 95%CI 1.332, 4.263), diabetes (aOR 11.14; 95%CI 2.653-46.797), severe dehydration (aOR 3.219; 95%CI 2.161, 4.795), cough or sore throat (aOR 1.607; 95%CI 1.032, 2.502), shortness of breath (aOR 1.921; 95%CI 1.294, 2.853), increased days from symptom onset to admission (aOR 1.055; 95%CI 1.006, 1.105), elevated ANC (aOR 1.263, 95%CI 1.121, 1.424), and AST/SGOT (aOR 1.055, 95% CI 1.016, 1.095). Protective factors included smoking (aOR 0.367; 95%CI 0.182, 0.740), first dose of COVID-19 vaccination (aOR 0.595; 95%CI 0.377, 0.93), higher oxygen saturation (aOR 0.853; 95%CI: 0.801, 0.907) and elevated ALC (aOR 0.540; 95%CI 0.323, 0.905). CONCLUSION Identifying risk factors is crucial for high-risk individuals who may require closer monitoring to improve their outcomes. This can provide guidance for surveillance systems and early detection strategies to mitigate the impact of future outbreaks.
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Grants
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
- 150389 Clinical Epidemiology Research Group operational Grant, University of Sharjah UAE
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Affiliation(s)
- Najlaa Al-Bluwi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Razan Agha
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ankita Shukla
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rouba Karen Zeidan
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hamzah AlZubaidi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- School of Medicine, Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University Faculty of Health, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
| | - Manal Awad
- Department of Orthodontics, Pediatric and Community Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box No 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muzan Abdelbagi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled AlSayed
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad B Alebaji
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Riyad Bendardaf
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ghada Mohammed
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dima Wardat
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zahraa Al-Hano
- Epidemiology Unit, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hajir I Amara
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Saleh Alhajjaj
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Basema Saddik
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- School of Population Health, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia.
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3
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Zeidan RK, Shukla A, Hussein A, AlZubaidi H, Temsah MH, AlHajjaj MS, Al-Bluwi N, Awad M, Alsayed HAH, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, AlHano Z, Agha R, Hamid Q, Halwani R, Saddik B. Assessment of Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes During the Global Mpox Outbreak in June 2022: A Cross-Sectional Study From the United Arab Emirates. Int J Public Health 2023; 68:1606080. [PMID: 38024212 PMCID: PMC10657881 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606080] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To examine knowledge, worry, anxiety, and vaccine acceptance for mpox among UAE adults. Methods: An online survey, advertised on academic and social media platform in June 2022 collected data from 959 participants (aged 18 and above) on mpox beliefs, risks, knowledge, worry, anxiety, COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and willingness to receive the mpox vaccine. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis identified associations and predictors between variables. Results: 56% had optimal knowledge of mpox transmission and symptoms. 54% were worried, and 27% experienced anxiety related to the outbreak. Knowledge scores were higher among women, healthcare workers, and those with reliable information sources. High perceived infection risk, changes in precautionary measures, and belief in difficult treatment predicted more worry and anxiety. Higher worry and two or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine predicted higher likelihood of taking the mpox vaccine. Conclusion: The UAE population showed low knowledge and high worry and anxiety during the global mpox outbreak. Increasing public awareness through targeted educational campaigns is vital. Promoting better understanding of infectious diseases, addressing concerns, and encouraging vaccine uptake can prepare for future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouba Karen Zeidan
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ankita Shukla
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hamzah AlZubaidi
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- School of Medicine, Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University Faculty of Health, Warrnambool, VIC, Australia
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed S. AlHajjaj
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Najlaa Al-Bluwi
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Manal Awad
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zahraa AlHano
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Razan Agha
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Basema Saddik
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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4
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Jalaleddine N, Gaudet M, Mogas A, Hachim M, Senok A, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Mahboub B, Halwani R, Hamid Q, Al Heialy S. Cell free ACE2 RNA: A potential biomarker of COVID-19 severity. Respir Med 2023; 219:107409. [PMID: 37729955 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107409] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Despite the downward trend of COVID-19 pandemic and increased immunity of the general population, COVID-19 is still an elusive disease with risks due to emerging variants. Fast and reliable diagnosis of COVID-19 disease would allow better therapeutic interventions for patients at risk to develop more severe outcomes. Cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs) have been proven to be an effective biomarker in cancer and infectious diseases. It has been reported that cfRNAs are amplified in the bloodstream of these patients and at earlier stages of the disease, reflecting tissue damage. Hence, we hypothesize that cfRNAs may serve as a potential indicator of COVID-19 disease severity. To our knowledge, this is the first report to display a significant link between COVID-19 severity and cfRNA of angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), the receptor for SARS-CoV-2 virus. qRT-PCR analysis of liquid biopsies from COVID-19 patients (n = 82) displayed a significant increase in ACE2-cfRNA levels in patients with severe manifestations. This finding correlated with blood biomarkers (ANC, WBC, and Creatinine) that were also significantly increased in these patients. We previously showed that bronchial cells from obese subjects express higher ACE2 levels, hence, we further analysed the involvement of obesity as a main contributor to severe outcomes. We confirm a significant increase of ACE2-cfRNA in the plasma of obese/overweight (Ob/Ov) COVID-19 patients compared to lean subjects, with no observed significant change in blood biomarkers. These findings suggest that monitoring ACE2-cfRNAs, as a biomarker, during COVID-19 infection may allow for better disease management, specifically for severe-COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Jalaleddine
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mellissa Gaudet
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrea Mogas
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mahmood Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abiola Senok
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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5
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Mdkhana B, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Ramakrishnan RK, Al-Sheakly BK, Hafezi S, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Bajbouj K, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Nucleic acid sensor STING drives remodeling and its inhibition enhances steroid responsiveness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284061. [PMID: 37406004 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284061] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is progressive and irreversible chronic lung inflammatory disease. Cigarette smoke, the main cause of COPD, is often associated with double-stranded DNA release which potentially activates DNA-sensing pathways, such as STING. This study, therefore, analyzed the role of STING pathway in inducing pulmonary inflammation, steroid resistance, and remodeling in COPD. METHODS Primary cultured lung fibroblasts were isolated from healthy non-smoker, healthy smoker, and smoker COPD individuals. The expression of STING pathway, remodeling, and steroid resistance signatures were investigated in these fibroblasts upon LPS stimulation and treatment with dexamethasone and/or STING inhibitor, at both mRNA and protein levels using qRT-PCR, western blot, and ELISA. RESULTS At baseline, STING was elevated in healthy smoker fibroblasts and to a higher extent in smoker COPD fibroblasts when compared to healthy non-smoker fibroblasts. Upon using dexamethasone as monotherapy, STING activity was significantly inhibited in healthy non-smoker fibroblasts but showed resistance in COPD fibroblasts. Treating both healthy and COPD fibroblasts with STING inhibitor in combination with dexamethasone additively inhibited STING pathway in both groups. Moreover, STING stimulation triggered a significant increase in remodeling markers and a reduction in HDAC2 expression. Interestingly, treating COPD fibroblasts with the combination of STING inhibitor and dexamethasone alleviated remodeling and reversed steroid hyporesponsiveness through an upregulation of HDAC2. CONCLUSION These findings support that STING pathway plays an important role in COPD pathogenesis, via inducing pulmonary inflammation, steroid resistance, and remodeling. This raises the possibility of using STING inhibitor as a potential therapeutic adjuvant in combination with common steroid treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Mdkhana
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Baraa Khalid Al-Sheakly
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shirin Hafezi
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khuloud Bajbouj
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Gaudet M, Kaufmann E, Jalaleddine N, Mogas A, Hachim M, Senok A, Divangahi M, Hamid Q, Al Heialy S. Lung Epithelial Cells from Obese Patients Have Impaired Control of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076729. [PMID: 37047702 PMCID: PMC10095048 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076729] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is known to increase the complications of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the exact mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection in obese patients have not been clearly elucidated. This study aims to better understand the effect of obesity on the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify candidate molecular pathways involved in the progression of the disease, using an in vitro live infection model and RNA sequencing. Results from this study revealed the enhancement of viral load and replication in bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) from obese subjects at 24 h of infection (MOI = 0.5) as compared to non-obese subjects. Transcriptomic profiling via RNA-Seq highlighted the enrichment of lipid metabolism-related pathways along with LPIN2, an inflammasome regulator, as a unique differentially expressed gene (DEG) in infected bronchial epithelial cells from obese subjects. Such findings correlated with altered cytokine and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) expression during infection of bronchial cells. These findings provide a novel insight on the molecular interplay between obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the increased SARS-CoV-2 infection of bronchial epithelial cells from obese subjects and highlights the impaired immunity which may explain the increased severity among obese COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellissa Gaudet
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Eva Kaufmann
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Nour Jalaleddine
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrea Mogas
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Mahmood Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abiola Senok
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maziar Divangahi
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Bajbouj K, AbuJabal R, Sahnoon L, Olivenstein R, Mahboub B, Hamid Q. IL-5 receptor expression in lung fibroblasts: Potential role in airway remodeling in asthma. Allergy 2023; 78:882-885. [PMID: 36575907 DOI: 10.1111/all.15627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Khuloud Bajbouj
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rola AbuJabal
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Lina Sahnoon
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ronald Olivenstein
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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8
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Alketbi L, Al-Ali A, Talaat IM, Hamid Q, Bajbouj K. The Role of ATP-Binding Cassette Subfamily A in Colorectal Cancer Progression and Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021344. [PMID: 36674859 PMCID: PMC9860967 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide; it is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. CRC arises due to mutations that can affect oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes and DNA repair genes. The lack of novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets and the development of chemoresistance are some of the major issues when dealing with CRC. The overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters is considered one facilitating mechanism for chemoresistance. Furthermore, ABC transporters have additional roles in cancer development beyond multidrug resistance. In CRC, lipid dysregulation has a key role in tumour development and progression, as cancer cells rely on lipids for energy and rapid cell proliferation. ABC subfamily A (ABCA) contains the largest members of ABC proteins, mainly known for their role in lipid transport, mostly membrane lipids such as cholesterol and phospholipids. Although the exact mechanism of action of these members is not confirmed, their expression is usually correlated with tumour progression and therapy resistance, probably due to their role in lipid homeostasis. CRC shows alteration in the expression of ABCA transporters, which is usually linked to poor prognosis and overall survival. Therefore, as lipid transporters, their role in CRC is investigated, and their diagnostic and prognostic potential is evaluated. This minireview presents evidence from various studies suggesting that ABCA transporters might have an active role in CRC and can be utilized as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Latifa Alketbi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abeer Al-Ali
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Khuloud Bajbouj
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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Saddik B, Al-Bluwi N, Shukla A, Barqawi H, Alsayed HAH, Sharif-Askari NS, Temsah MH, Bendardaf R, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Determinants of healthcare workers perceptions, acceptance and choice of COVID-19 vaccines: a cross-sectional study from the United Arab Emirates. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:1-9. [PMID: 34752716 PMCID: PMC8928822 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1994300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among health-care workers (HCWs) is crucial for controlling the pandemic and ensuring HCW and patient safety. Information on the acceptance of different COVID-19 vaccines is lacking. Despite the United Arab Emirates (UAE) having vaccinated most of its population, vaccine acceptance still raises concerns. This study explores COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, vaccine choice, and associated factors among HCWs in the UAE. An online national cross-sectional study was conducted among 517 HCWs. Acceptance and choice of COVID-19 vaccines were assessed, and logistic regression analysis identified predictors for vaccine acceptance. More than half (58%) of HCWs were willing to take the vaccine and give it to their family. Reasons for taking the vaccine were concerns for families contracting COVID-19 (67%) and social responsibility (64%). Reasons for refusals included concerns with side-effects (61%). Most HCWs knew of the Pfizer (79%) and Sinopharm (57%) vaccines; however, acceptance was higher for Pfizer (35%) and AstraZeneca (21%) vaccines. Being male and being influenza vaccinated predicted willingness to take the vaccine (aOR: 2.34; 95% CI:1.34-4.08; p ≤ 0.001) and (aOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.29-3.51; p ≤ 0.001), respectively. HCWs who expressed concerns with inadequate safety data were less likely to take the vaccine (aOR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.10-0.30; p ≤ 0.001). Additionally, side effects, perception of risk, and level of trust of company and country of manufacture predicted acceptance and choice of vaccines. Effective vaccine policy campaigns to improve acceptance should target HCW's knowledge and awareness of perceived risks of COVID-19, safety data, social responsibility, and individual preferences for vaccine choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Najlaa Al-Bluwi
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Ankita Shukla
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Hiba Barqawi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | | | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Riyad Bendardaf
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Oncology Unit, Sharjah Institute for Medical and Health Sciences Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
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10
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Sharif-Askari NS, Sharif-Askari FS, Hafezi S, Kalaji Z, Temsah M, Almuhsen S, Alsafar HS, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Airways tissue expression of type I interferons and their stimulated genes is higher in children than adults. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11724. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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11
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Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Soares NC, Mohamed HA, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Alsayed HAH, Al-Hroub H, Salameh L, Osman RS, Mahboub B, Hamid Q, Semreen MH, Halwani R. Saliva metabolomic profile of COVID-19 patients associates with disease severity. Metabolomics 2022; 18:81. [PMID: 36271948 PMCID: PMC9589589 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-022-01936-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is strongly linked to dysregulation of various molecular, cellular, and physiological processes that change abundance of different biomolecules including metabolites that may be ultimately used as biomarkers for disease progression and severity. It is important at early stage to readily distinguish those patients that are likely to progress to moderate and severe stages. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the utility of saliva and plasma metabolomic profiles as a potential parameter for risk stratifying COVID-19 patients. METHOD LC-MS/MS-based untargeted metabolomics were used to profile the changes in saliva and plasma metabolomic profiles of COVID-19 patients with different severities. RESULTS Saliva and plasma metabolites were screened in 62 COVID-19 patients and 18 non-infected controls. The COVID-19 group included 16 severe, 15 moderate, 16 mild, and 15 asymptomatic cases. Thirty-six differential metabolites were detected in COVID-19 versus control comparisons. SARS-CoV-2 induced metabolic derangement differed with infection severity. The metabolic changes were identified in saliva and plasma, however, saliva showed higher intensity of metabolic changes. Levels of saliva metabolites such as sphingosine and kynurenine were significantly different between COVID-19 infected and non-infected individuals; while linoleic acid and Alpha-ketoisovaleric acid were specifically increased in severe compared to non-severe patients. As expected, the two prognostic biomarkers of C-reactive protein and D-dimer were negatively correlated with sphingosine and 5-Aminolevulinic acid, and positively correlated with L-Tryptophan and L-Kynurenine. CONCLUSION Saliva disease-specific and severity-specific metabolite could be employed as potential COVID-19 diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Nelson Cruz Soares
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Hajer A. Mohamed
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | | | - Hamza Al-Hroub
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Laila Salameh
- grid.414167.10000 0004 1757 0894Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Rufaida Satti Osman
- grid.414167.10000 0004 1757 0894Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- grid.414167.10000 0004 1757 0894Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Mohammad H. Semreen
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Rabih Halwani
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.412789.10000 0004 4686 5317Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah, UAE
- grid.56302.320000 0004 1773 5396Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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12
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Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Hafezi S, Goel S, Ali Hussain Alsayed H, Ansari AW, Mahboub B, Al-Muhsen S, Temsah MH, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Upregulation of interleukin-19 in saliva of patients with COVID-19. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16019. [PMID: 36163397 PMCID: PMC9511465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20087-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokines are major players in orchestrating inflammation, disease pathogenesis and severity during COVID-19 disease. However, the role of IL-19 in COVID-19 pathogenesis remains elusive. Herein, through the analysis of transcriptomic datasets of SARS-CoV-2 infected lung cells, nasopharyngeal swabs, and lung autopsies of COVID-19 patients, we report that expression levels of IL-19 and its receptor, IL-20R2, were upregulated following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of 202 adult COVID-19 patients, IL-19 protein level was significantly higher in blood and saliva of asymptomatic patients compared to healthy controls when adjusted for patients’ demographics (P < 0.001). Interestingly, high saliva IL-19 level was also associated with COVID-19 severity (P < 0.0001), need for mechanical ventilation (P = 0.002), and/or death (P = 0.010) within 29 days of admission, after adjusting for patients’ demographics, diabetes mellitus comorbidity, and COVID-19 serum markers of severity such as D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and ferritin. Moreover, patients who received interferon beta during their hospital stay had lower plasma IL-19 concentrations (24 pg mL−1) than those who received tocilizumab (39.2 pg mL−1) or corticosteroids (42.5 pg mL−1). Our findings indicate that high saliva IL-19 level was associated with COVID-19 infectivity and disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shirin Hafezi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Swati Goel
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Abdul Wahid Ansari
- Dermatology Institute, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Immunology Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Immunology Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. .,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. .,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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13
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Sharif-Askari FS, Sharif-Askari NS, Hafezi S, Mdkhana B, Alsayed HAH, Ansari AW, Mahboub B, Zakeri AM, Temsah MH, Zahir W, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Interleukin-17, a salivary biomarker for COVID-19 severity. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274841. [PMID: 36136963 PMCID: PMC9498944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives T-helper 17 cell-mediated response and their effector IL-17 cytokine induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a major cause of COVID-19 disease severity and death. Therefore, the study aimed to determine if IL-17 level in saliva mirrors its circulatory level and hence can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for disease severity. Methods Interleukin-17 (IL-17) level was evaluated by ELISA in saliva and blood of 201 adult COVID-19 patients with different levels of severity. The IL-17 saliva level was also associated with COVID-19 disease severity, and need for mechanical ventilation and/or death within 29 days after admission of severe COVID-19 patients. Results We found that IL-17 level in saliva of COVID-19 patients reflected its circulatory level. High IL-17 level in saliva was associated with COVID-19 severity (P<0.001), need for mechanical ventilation (P = 0.002), and/or death by 29 days (P = 0.002), after adjusting for patients’ demographics, comorbidity, and COVID-19 serum severity markers such as D-Dimer, C-reactive protein, and ferritin. Conclusion We propose that saliva IL-17 level could be used as a biomarker to identify patients at risk of developing severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shirin Hafezi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bushra Mdkhana
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Abdul Wahid Ansari
- Dermatology Institute, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Adel M. Zakeri
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Department of Pediatrics, Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Walid Zahir
- G42 Health Care, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Institute of Public Health, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
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14
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Gaudet M, Plesa M, Mogas A, Jalaleddine N, Hamid Q, Al Heialy S. Recent advances in vitamin D implications in chronic respiratory diseases. Respir Res 2022; 23:252. [PMID: 36117182 PMCID: PMC9483459 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-022-02147-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic airway inflammatory and infectious respiratory diseases are the most common medical respiratory conditions, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3) deficiency has been shown to be highly prevalent in patients with chronic airway inflammatory and infectious diseases, correlated with increased disease severity. It has been established that vitamin D modulates ongoing abnormal immune responses in chronic respiratory diseases and is shown to restrict bacterial and viral colonization into the lungs. On the contrary, other studies revealed controversy findings regarding vitamin D efficacy in respiratory diseases. This review aims to update the current evidence regarding the role of vitamin D in airway inflammation and in various respiratory diseases. A comprehensive search of the last five years of literature was conducted using MEDLINE and non-MEDLINE PubMed databases, Ovid MEDLINE, SCOPUS-Elsevier, and data from in vitro and in vivo experiments, including clinical studies. This review highlights the importance of understanding the full range of implications that vitamin D may have on lung inflammation, infection, and disease severity in the context of chronic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellissa Gaudet
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria Plesa
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea Mogas
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nour Jalaleddine
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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15
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Al Heialy S, Ramakrishnan RK, Hamid Q. Reply. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 150:1245-1246. [PMID: 36050128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research; College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Saddik B, Awad MA, Al-Bluwi N, Hussein A, Shukla A, Al-Shujairi A, AlZubaidi H, Al-Hajjaj MS, Halwani R, Hamid Q. The impact of environmental and climate parameters on the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A cross-country comparison study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269204. [PMID: 35901093 PMCID: PMC9333301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental factors can influence the epidemiological dynamics of COVID-19. To estimate the true impact of these factors on COVID-19, climate and disease data should be monitored and analyzed over an extended period of time. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are particularly lacking in such studies. This ecological study investigates the association between climate parameters and COVID-19 cases and deaths in the GCC. Methods Data on temperature, wind-speed and humidity and COVID-19 cases and deaths from the six countries of the GCC were collected between 29/1/2020 and 30/3/2021. Using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, we examined associations between climate parameters and COVID-19 cases and deaths by month, over four different time periods. A two-step cluster analysis was conducted to identify distinct clusters of data using climate parameters and linear regression analysis to determine which climate parameters predicted COVID-19 new cases and deaths. Results The United Arab Emirates (UAE) had the highest cumulative number of COVID-19 cases while Bahrain had the highest prevalence rate per 100,000. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) reported the highest cumulative number of deaths while Oman recorded the highest death rate per 100,000. All GCC countries, except the UAE, reported a positive correlation between temperature and cases and deaths. Wind speed was positively correlated with cases in Qatar, but negatively correlated with cases in the UAE and deaths in KSA. Humidity was positively correlated with cases and deaths in Oman, negatively correlated in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and KSA but there was no correlation in the UAE. The most significant predictors in cluster analysis were temperature and humidity, while in the regression analysis, temperature, humidity and wind speed predicted new COVID-19 cases and deaths. Conclusion This study provides comprehensive epidemiological information on COVID-19 and climate parameters and preliminary evidence that climate may play a key role in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. This study will assist decision makers in translating findings into specific guidelines and policies for the prevention and elimination of COVID-19 transmission and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- * E-mail:
| | - Manal A. Awad
- Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Najlaa Al-Bluwi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ankita Shukla
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Arwa Al-Shujairi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hamzah AlZubaidi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed S. Al-Hajjaj
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Wang W, Li Y, Fan J, Qu X, Shang D, Qin Q, Xu T, Hamid Q, Dang X, Chang Y, Xu D. MiR-365-3p is a negative regulator in IL-17-mediated asthmatic inflammation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:953714. [PMID: 35958620 PMCID: PMC9361323 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.953714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Interleukin-17, the major proinflammatory cytokine secreted by Th17 cells, makes essential contribution to pathogenesis of severe asthma, while the detailed mechanisms, especially the involvement of microRNAs which are also important participants in asthma progression, remains largely unclear. Methods In this study, we established a house dust mite (HDM) extract-induced murine asthmatic models and the miRNA expression in the lung tissues of mice were profiled by miRNA microarray assay. The effect of miR-365-3p on IL-17-mediated inflammation was examined by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting analysis. The involvement of ARRB2 as target gene of miR-365-3p was verified by overexpression or RNA interference. Results HDM extract-induced asthmatic inflammation was proved to be IL17-mediated and miR-365-3p was screened out to be the only miRNA exclusively responsive to IL-17. miR-365-3p, whose expression was significantly downregulated upon IL-17 stimulation, was demonstrated to exert remarkable anti-inflammatory effect to decrease IL-17-provoked inflammatory cytokines (KC/IL-8 and IL-6) in both airway epithelial cells and macrophages of murine and human origins, verifying its universal antagonizing activity against IL-17-initiated inflammation across the two species. ARRB2 was characterized as the key target of miR-365-3p to negate IL-17-induced inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion Taken together, our data supported the notion that miR-365-3p, which was diminished by IL-17 in murine and human asthmatic pathogenesis, functioned as an essential negative mediator in IL-17-stimuated inflammatory response by targeting ARRB2, which would shed new light to the understanding and therapeutics thereof of asthmatic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ying Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jiaqi Fan
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaoyan Qu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of Respiration, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qiaohong Qin
- Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Tun Xu
- School of Automation Science and Engineering, Faculty of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories and Respiratory Division, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Xiaomin Dang
- Department of Respiration, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ying Chang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Dan Xu, ; Ying Chang,
| | - Dan Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Dan Xu, ; Ying Chang,
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18
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Saheb Sharif‐Askari F, Ali Hussain Alsayed H, Tleyjeh I, Saheb Sharif‐Askari N, Al Sayed Hussain A, Saddik B, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Sotrovimab Lowers the Risk of COVID-19 Related Hospitalization or Death in a Large Population Cohort in the United Arab Emirates. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2022; 112:1214-1223. [PMID: 35780295 PMCID: PMC9349865 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Sotrovimab, an anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 monoclonal antibody is being utilized to prevent progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, to understand its benefits, we have conducted a retrospective analysis of all non-hospitalized patients with symptomatic COVID-19 who received a single infusion of sotrovimab and/or oral favipiravir at any Dubai COVID-19 related healthcare center between July 1, 2021, and October 31, 2021. The main outcome was to evaluate the risk of hospitalization for patients with COVID-19 or all-cause death within 28 days of treatment initiation. In this analysis, which included 10,882 patients (1,135 in the sotrovimab group, 2,653 in the sotrovimab/favipiravir group, and 7,094 in the favipiravir group), sotrovimab or sotrovimab/favipiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization (13 patients (1.5%) in the sotrovimab group and 71 patients (2.9%) in the sotrovimab/favipiravir group vs. 251 patients (4%) in the favipiravir group; hazard ratio (HR) for sotrovimab: 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09-0.28, P < 0.001; and for sotrovimab/favipiravir, HR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.32-0.56, P < 0.001), or death by day 28 from the start of treatment (no death in the sotrovimab group and 2 deaths in the the sotrovimab/favipiravir group vs. 10 deaths in the favipiravir group; odds ratio: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.81, P = 026). Safety was assessed in all the 3,788 patients in the sotrovimab and sotrovimab/favipiravir groups, and the reported adverse events were by 34 patients (<1%). In conclusion, sotrovimab was found to reduce the risk of progression of COVID-19 when administrated early to non-hospitalized patients with symptomatic COVID-19. No safety concern was detected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Imad Tleyjeh
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Medical SpecialtiesKing Fahad Medical CityRiyadhSaudi Arabia,College of MedicineAlfaisal UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia,Division of Infectious DiseasesMayo Clinic College of Medicine and ScienceRochesterMinnesotaUSA,Division of EpidemiologyMayo Clinic College of Medicine and ScienceRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | | | | | - Basema Saddik
- Sharjah Institute of Medical ResearchUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates,Department of Family and Community MedicineCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical ResearchUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates,Department of Clinical SciencesCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates,Meakins‐Christie LaboratoriesResearch Institute of the McGill University Health CenterMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical ResearchUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates,Department of Clinical SciencesCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of PediatricsFaculty of Medicine, King Saud UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia
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19
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Ramakrishnan RK, Bajbouj K, Guimei M, Rawat SS, Kalaji Z, Hachim MY, Mahboub B, Ibrahim SM, Hamoudi R, Halwani R, Hamid Q. Bcl10 Regulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pro-Fibrotic Signaling in Bronchial Fibroblasts from Severe Asthma Patients. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071716. [PMID: 35885021 PMCID: PMC9312497 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071716] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Subepithelial fibrosis is a characteristic hallmark of airway remodeling in asthma. Current asthma medications have limited efficacy in treating fibrosis, particularly in patients with severe asthma, necessitating a deeper understanding of the fibrotic mechanisms. The NF-κB pathway is key to airway inflammation in asthma, as it regulates the activity of multiple pro-inflammatory mediators that contribute to airway pathology. Bcl10 is a well-known upstream mediator of the NF-κB pathway that has been linked to fibrosis in other disease models. Therefore, we investigated Bcl10-mediated NF-κB activation as a potential pathway regulating fibrotic signaling in severe asthmatic fibroblasts. We demonstrate here the elevated protein expression of Bcl10 in bronchial fibroblasts and bronchial biopsies from severe asthmatic patients when compared to non-asthmatic individuals. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced the increased expression of the pro-fibrotic cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and TGF-β1 in bronchial fibroblasts, and this induction was associated with the activation of Bcl10. Inhibition of the Bcl10-mediated NF-κB pathway using an IRAK1/4 selective inhibitor abrogated the pro-fibrotic signaling induced by LPS. Thus, our study indicates that Bcl10-mediated NF-κB activation signals increased pro-fibrotic cytokine expression in severe asthmatic airways. This reveals the therapeutic potential of targeting Bcl10 signaling in ameliorating inflammation and fibrosis, particularly in severe asthmatic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
| | - Khuloud Bajbouj
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
| | - Maha Guimei
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21526, Egypt;
| | - Surendra Singh Rawat
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates; (S.S.R.); (M.Y.H.)
| | - Zaina Kalaji
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
| | - Mahmood Y. Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates; (S.S.R.); (M.Y.H.)
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai P.O. Box 4545, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saleh M. Ibrahim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
- Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Correspondence: (R.H.); (R.H.); (Q.H.)
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
- Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh P.O. Box 145111, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (R.H.); (R.H.); (Q.H.)
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates; (R.K.R.); (K.B.); (Z.K.); (B.M.); (S.M.I.)
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Correspondence: (R.H.); (R.H.); (Q.H.)
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20
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Manzoor S, Muhammad JS, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q. Autophagy: A Versatile Player in the Progression of Colorectal Cancer and Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2022; 12:924290. [PMID: 35912261 PMCID: PMC9329589 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.924290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the topmost malignancies for both genders. Despite the high incidence rate and advances in diagnostic tools, treatment in many cases is still ineffective. Most cancerous lesions in CRC begin as benign, followed by the development of invasive forms and metastases. The development of CRC has been linked to defects in autophagy, which plays both a pro-and anti-tumor role and is mainly context-dependent. Autophagy suppression could enhance apoptosis via p53 activation, or autophagy also promotes tumor progression by maintaining tumor growth and increasing resistance to chemotherapy. Autophagy promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC cells via increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, dysbiosis of gut microbiota upregulated autophagy and metastasis markers. Autophagy responses may also modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) via regulating the differentiation process of several innate immune cells. Treatments that promote tumor cell death by stimulating or inhibiting autophagy could be beneficial if used as an adjunct treatment, but the precise role of various autophagy-modulating drugs in CRC patients is needed to be explored. In this article, we present an overview of the autophagy process and its role in the pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance of CRC. Also, we focused on the current understanding of the role of the EMT and TME, including its relation to gut microbiota and immune cells, in autophagic manipulation of CRC. We believe that there is a potential link between autophagy, TME, EMT, and drug resistance, suggesting that further studies are needed to explore this aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaista Manzoor
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jibran Sualeh Muhammad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Azzam A. Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Qutayba Hamid,
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21
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Elemam NM, Hammoudeh S, Salameh L, Mahboub B, Alsafar H, Talaat IM, Habib P, Siddiqui M, Hassan KO, Al-Assaf OY, Taneera J, Sulaiman N, Hamoudi R, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q, Saber-Ayad M. Identifying Immunological and Clinical Predictors of COVID-19 Severity and Sequelae by Mathematical Modeling. Front Immunol 2022; 13:865845. [PMID: 35529862 PMCID: PMC9067542 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.865845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its emergence as a pandemic in March 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outcome has been explored via several predictive models, using specific clinical or biochemical parameters. In the current study, we developed an integrative non-linear predictive model of COVID-19 outcome, using clinical, biochemical, immunological, and radiological data of patients with different disease severities. Initially, the immunological signature of the disease was investigated through transcriptomics analysis of nasopharyngeal swab samples of patients with different COVID-19 severity versus control subjects (exploratory cohort, n=61), identifying significant differential expression of several cytokines. Accordingly, 24 cytokines were validated using a multiplex assay in the serum of COVID-19 patients and control subjects (validation cohort, n=77). Predictors of severity were Interleukin (IL)-10, Programmed Death-Ligand-1 (PDL-1), Tumor necrosis factors-α, absolute neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, and ferritin; with high predictive efficacy (AUC=0.93 and 0.98 using ROC analysis of the predictive capacity of cytokines and biochemical markers, respectively). Increased IL-6 and granzyme B were found to predict liver injury in COVID-19 patients, whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), IL-1 receptor-a (IL-1Ra) and PD-L1 were predictors of remarkable radiological findings. The model revealed consistent elevation of IL-15 and IL-10 in severe cases. Combining basic biochemical and radiological investigations with a limited number of curated cytokines will likely attain accurate predictive value in COVID-19. The model-derived cytokines highlight critical pathways in the pathophysiology of the COVID-19 with insight towards potential therapeutic targets. Our modeling methodology can be implemented using new datasets to identify key players and predict outcomes in new variants of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha M Elemam
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Hammoudeh
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Habiba Alsafar
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Emirates Bio-Research Centre, Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M Talaat
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Peter Habib
- School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS), Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mehmood Siddiqui
- Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | - Jalal Taneera
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,College of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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22
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Salameh L, Bhamidimarri PM, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Dairi Y, Hammoudeh SM, Mahdami A, Alsharhan M, Tirmazy SH, Rawat SS, Busch H, Hamid Q, Al Heialy S, Hamoudi R, Mahboub B. In Silico Bioinformatics Followed by Molecular Validation Using Archival FFPE Tissue Biopsies Identifies a Panel of Transcripts Associated with Severe Asthma and Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071663. [PMID: 35406434 PMCID: PMC8996975 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071663] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The present study identified a panel of transcripts involved in the pathogenesis of both severe asthma and lung cancer. The genes identified using publicly available transcriptomics data were validated on cell lines, plasma samples, and archival tissue biopsies from asthmatic and lung cancer patients. The functional roles of the identified markers in both the diseases were ascertained from the literature. These molecular markers might be useful for diagnosing lung cancer at early stages. Abstract Severe asthma and lung cancer are both heterogeneous pathological diseases affecting the lung tissue. Whilst there are a few studies that suggest an association between asthma and lung cancer, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify common genes involved in both severe asthma and lung cancer. Publicly available transcriptomic data for 23 epithelial brushings from severe asthmatics and 55 samples of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung cancer tissue at relatively early stages were analyzed by absolute gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) in comparison to 37 healthy bronchial tissue samples. The key pathways enriched in asthmatic patients included adhesion, extracellular matrix, and epithelial cell proliferation, which contribute to tissue remodeling. In the lung cancer dataset, the main pathways identified were receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, wound healing, and growth factor response, representing the early cancer pathways. Analysis of the enriched genes derived from the pathway analysis identified seven genes expressed in both the asthma and lung cancer sets: BCL3, POSTN, PPARD, STAT1, MYC, CD44, and FOSB. The differential expression of these genes was validated in vitro in the cell lines retrieved from different lung cancer and severe asthma patients using real-time PCR. The effect of the expression of the seven genes identified in the study on the overall survival of lung cancer patients (n = 1925) was assessed using a Kaplan–Meier plot. In vivo validation performed in the archival biopsies obtained from patients diagnosed with both the disease conditions provided interesting insights into the pathogenesis of severe asthma and lung cancer, as indicated by the differential expression pattern of the seven transcripts in the mixed group as compared to the asthmatics and lung cancer samples alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
- Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates; (Y.D.); (M.A.); (S.H.T.); (B.M.)
| | - Poorna Manasa Bhamidimarri
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
| | - Youssef Dairi
- Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates; (Y.D.); (M.A.); (S.H.T.); (B.M.)
| | - Sarah Musa Hammoudeh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
| | - Amena Mahdami
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
| | - Mouza Alsharhan
- Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates; (Y.D.); (M.A.); (S.H.T.); (B.M.)
| | - Syed Hammad Tirmazy
- Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates; (Y.D.); (M.A.); (S.H.T.); (B.M.)
| | - Surendra Singh Rawat
- Collage of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates; (S.S.R.); (S.A.H.)
| | - Hauke Busch
- Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany;
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Collage of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates; (S.S.R.); (S.A.H.)
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (L.S.); (P.M.B.); (N.S.S.-A.); (S.M.H.); (A.M.); (Q.H.)
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +971-6505-7758
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates; (Y.D.); (M.A.); (S.H.T.); (B.M.)
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23
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Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Goel S, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Hafezi S, Al Heialy S, Hachim MY, Hachim IY, Mahboub B, Salameh L, Abdelrazig M, Elzain EI, Al-Muhsen S, Al-Hajjaj MS, Ratemi E, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Asthma Associated Cytokines Regulate the Expression of SARS-CoV-2 Receptor ACE2 in the Lung Tissue of Asthmatic Patients. Front Immunol 2022; 12:796094. [PMID: 35111161 PMCID: PMC8801531 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.796094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
It is still controversial whether chronic lung inflammation increases the risk for COVID-19. One of the risk factors for acquiring COVID-19 is the level of expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry receptors, ACE2 and TMPRSS2, in lung tissue. It is, however, not clear how lung tissue inflammation affects expression levels of these receptors. We hence aimed to determine the level of SARS-CoV-2 receptors in lung tissue of asthmatic relative to age, gender, and asthma severity, and to investigate the factors regulating that. Therefore, gene expression data sets of well-known asthmatic cohorts (SARP and U-BIOPRED) were used to evaluate the association of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 with age, gender of the asthmatic patients, and also the type of the underlying lung tissue inflammatory cytokines. Notably, ACE2 and to less extent TMPRSS2 expression were upregulated in the lung tissue of asthmatics compared to healthy controls. Although a differential expression of ACE2, but not TMPRSS2 was observed relative to age within the moderate and severe asthma groups, our data suggest that age may not be a key regulatory factor of its expression. The type of tissue inflammation, however, associated significantly with ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels following adjusting with age, gender and oral corticosteroids use of the patient. Type I cytokine (IFN-γ), IL-8, and IL-19 were associated with increased expression, while Type II cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) with lower expression of ACE2 in lung tissue (airway epithelium and/or lung biopsies) of moderate and severe asthmatic patients. Of note, IL-19 was associated with ACE2 expression while IL-17 was associated with TMPRSS2 expression in sputum of asthmatic subjects. In vitro treatment of bronchial fibroblasts with IL-17 and IL-19 cytokines confirmed the regulatory effect of these cytokines on SARS-CoV-2 entry receptors. Our results suggest that the type of inflammation may regulate ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in the lung tissue of asthmatics and may hence affect susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Swati Goel
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shirin Hafezi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ibrahim Yaseen Hachim
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mawada Abdelrazig
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Immunology Research Lab, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed S Al-Hajjaj
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Elaref Ratemi
- Jubail-Industrial College, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Jubail-Industrial City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, department of pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Manzoor S, Saber-Ayad M, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q, Muhammad JS. MLH1 mediates cytoprotective nucleophagy to resist 5-Fluorouracil-induced cell death in colorectal carcinoma. Neoplasia 2022; 24:76-85. [PMID: 34952246 PMCID: PMC8695220 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal Cancer (CRC) with Microsatellite instability (MSI) and mutLhomolog-1 (MLH1) gene deficiency are less aggressive than MLH1 proficient cancers. MLH1 is involved in several cellular processes, but its connection with the autophagy-dependent cellular response towards anticancer drugs remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the interaction between MLH1 and the autophagy marker LC3, which facilitated nucleophagy induction, and its potential role in determining sensitivity to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) induced cell death. To examine the role of MLH1 in DNA-damage-induced nucleophagy in CRC cells, we utilized a panel of MLH1 deficient and MLH1 proficient CRC cell lines. We included a parental HCT116 cell line (MLH1-/-) and its isogenic cell line HCT116 MLH1+/- in which a single allele of the MLH1 gene was introduced using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. We observed that MLH1 proficient cells were less sensitive to the 5-FU-induced cytotoxic effect. The 5-FU induced DNA damage led to LC3 up-regulation, which was dependent on MLH1 overexpression. Moreover, immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation data showed LC3 and MLH1 were colocalized in CRC cells. Consequently, MLH1 dependent 5-FU-induced DNA damage contributed to the formation of micronuclei. These micronuclei colocalize with autolysosome, indicating a cytoprotective role of MLH1 dependent nucleophagy. Interestingly, siRNA knockdown of MLH1 in HCT116 MLH1+/- prevented LC3 upregulation and micronuclei formation. These novel data are the first to show an essential role of MLH1 in mediating the chemoresistance and survival of cancer cells by increasing the LC3 expression and inducing nucleophagy in 5-FU treated CRC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaista Manzoor
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jibran Sualeh Muhammad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Al Heialy S, Ramakrishnan RK, Hamid Q. Recent advances in the immunopathogenesis of severe asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 149:455-465. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.12.765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Kharaba Z, Mahboub B, Ramakrishnan R, Sharif Askari N, Salameh L, Alhariri H, Vats M, Erabia W, Alshawamreh E, Alfoteih Y, Mogas A, Halwani R, Hamid Q. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy suppresses inflammatory cytokines and improves glucocorticoid responsiveness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and asthma: A case–control study. Ann Thorac Med 2022; 17:166-172. [PMID: 35968397 PMCID: PMC9374121 DOI: 10.4103/atm.atm_37_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT: Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are prevalent respiratory disorders that frequently coexist. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the standard treatment for OSA. However, its effects on systemic inflammation and glucocorticoid responsiveness in OSA patients with asthma are largely unknown. AIMS: To examine the potential role of CPAP therapy in reducing systemic inflammation and improving glucocorticoid responsiveness in asthmatic patients with OSA. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A case–control study was conducted at the respiratory and sleep clinics involving patients with OSA and patients with asthma and OSA. METHODS: The levels of inflammatory asthma biomarkers (interleukin [IL]-4, IL-17A, IL-8, IL-2, and interferon-γ [IFN-γ]), and glucocorticoid receptors (GR)-α and GR-β, were determined to compare systemic inflammation and glucocorticoid responsiveness between pre- and post-1-month CPAP treatment in both groups. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare inflammatory biomarkers before and after CPAP therapy. P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The analysis was performed using SPSS. RESULTS: Recruited patients (n = 47), 51% (n = 24) had OSA and 49% (n = 23), had OSA with asthma. Interestingly, the blood levels of IL-17 and IL-8 were significantly decreased post-CPAP therapy in OSA patients, whereas IL-4, IL-17, and IFN-γ were significantly reduced post-CPAP treatment in OSA patients with asthma. Remarkably, CPAP therapy improved glucocorticoid responsiveness in asthmatic patients with OSA, but not in the OSA group and an increase in the GR-α/GR-β ratio was noted post-CPAP therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous positive airway pressure therapy improved responsiveness to glucocorticoid treatment and demonstrated a suppressive effect on proinflammatory cytokines in asthmatics with OSA.
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Elemam NM, Ramakrishnan RK, Hundt JE, Halwani R, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q. Innate Lymphoid Cells and Natural Killer Cells in Bacterial Infections: Function, Dysregulation, and Therapeutic Targets. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:733564. [PMID: 34804991 PMCID: PMC8602108 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.733564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases represent one of the largest medical challenges worldwide. Bacterial infections, in particular, remain a pertinent health challenge and burden. Moreover, such infections increase over time due to the continuous use of various antibiotics without medical need, thus leading to several side effects and bacterial resistance. Our innate immune system represents our first line of defense against any foreign pathogens. This system comprises the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including natural killer (NK) cells that are critical players in establishing homeostasis and immunity against infections. ILCs are a group of functionally heterogenous but potent innate immune effector cells that constitute tissue-resident sentinels against intracellular and extracellular bacterial infections. Being a nascent subset of innate lymphocytes, their role in bacterial infections is not clearly understood. Furthermore, these pathogens have developed methods to evade the host immune system, and hence permit infection spread and tissue damage. In this review, we highlight the role of the different ILC populations in various bacterial infections and the possible ways of immune evasion. Additionally, potential immunotherapies to manipulate ILC responses will be briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha Mousaad Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jennifer E Hundt
- Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Saddik B, Elbarazi I, Temsah MH, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Kheder W, Hussein A, Najim H, Bendardaf R, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Psychological Distress and Anxiety Levels Among Health Care Workers at the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. Int J Public Health 2021; 66:1604369. [PMID: 34840553 PMCID: PMC8615074 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2021.1604369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Providing medical care during a global pandemic exposes healthcare workers (HCW) to a high level of risk, causing anxiety and stress. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and psychological distress among HCWs during COVID-19. Methods: We invited HCWs from 3 hospitals across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in an anonymous online survey between April 19-May 3, 2020. The GAD-7 and K10 measures were used to assess anxiety and psychological distress. Logistic regression models assessed associations between knowledge, attitude, worry, and levels of anxiety and psychological distress. Results: A total of 481 HCWs participated in this study. The majority of HCWs were female (73.6%) and aged 25-34 years (52.6%). More than half were nurses (55.7%) and had good knowledge of COVID-19 (86.3%). Over a third (37%) of HCWs reported moderate/severe psychological distress in the K10 measure and moderate/severe anxiety (32.3%) in the GAD-7, with frontline workers significantly reporting higher levels of anxiety (36%). Knowledge of COVID-19 did not predict anxiety and psychological distress, however, HCWs who believed COVID-19 was difficult to treat and those who perceived they were at high risk of infection had worse mental health outcomes. Worry about spreading COVID-19 to family, being isolated, contracting COVID-19 and feeling stigmatized had 1.8- to 2.5-fold increased odds of symptoms of mental health problems. Additionally, HCWs who felt the need for psychological support through their workplace showed increased odds of psychological distress. Conclusion: HCWs in the UAE reported a high prevalence of psychological distress and anxiety while responding to the challenges of COVID-19. The findings from this study emphasize the public, emotional and mental health burden of COVID-19 and highlight the importance for health systems to implement, monitor, and update preventive policies to protect HCWs from contracting the virus while also providing psychological support in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iffat Elbarazi
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Waad Kheder
- College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hellme Najim
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Riyad Bendardaf
- University Hospital Sharjah (UHS), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Alabed M, Elemam NM, Ramakrishnan RK, Sharif-Askari NS, Kashour T, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Therapeutic effect of statins on airway remodeling during asthma. Expert Rev Respir Med 2021; 16:17-24. [PMID: 34663161 DOI: 10.1080/17476348.2021.1987890] [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] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, which is usually characterized by remodeling, hyperresponsiveness and episodic obstruction of the airways. The underlying chronic airway inflammation leads to pathological restructuring of both the large and small airways. Since the effects of current asthma medications on airway remodeling have been met with contradictions, many therapeutic agents have been redirected from their primary use for the treatment of asthma. Such treatments, which could target several signaling molecules implicated in the inflammatory and airway remodeling processes of asthma, would be an ideal choice. AREAS COVERED Statins are effective serum cholesterol-lowering agents that were found to have potential anti-inflammatory and anti-remodeling properties. Literature search was done for the past 10 years to include research and review articles in the field of statins and asthma complications. In this review, we discuss the role of statins in airway tissue remodeling and their potential therapeutic modalities in asthma. EXPERT OPINION With improved understanding of the role of statins in airway remodeling and inflammation, statins represent a potential therapeutic option for various asthma phenotypes. Further research is warranted to optimize statins for asthma therapy through inhalation as a possible route of administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashael Alabed
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha Mousaad Elemam
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tarek Kashour
- Department of Cardiology, King Fahad Cardiac Center, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Bajbouj K, Al-Ali A, Ramakrishnan RK, Saber-Ayad M, Hamid Q. Histone Modification in NSCLC: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111701. [PMID: 34769131 PMCID: PMC8584007 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in both genders, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for about 85% of all lung cancers. At the time of diagnosis, the tumour is usually locally advanced or metastatic, shaping a poor disease outcome. NSCLC includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell lung carcinoma. Searching for novel therapeutic targets is mandated due to the modest effect of platinum-based therapy as well as the targeted therapies developed in the last decade. The latter is mainly due to the lack of mutation detection in around half of all NSCLC cases. New therapeutic modalities are also required to enhance the effect of immunotherapy in NSCLC. Identifying the molecular signature of NSCLC subtypes, including genetics and epigenetic variation, is crucial for selecting the appropriate therapy or combination of therapies. Epigenetic dysregulation has a key role in the tumourigenicity, tumour heterogeneity, and tumour resistance to conventional anti-cancer therapy. Epigenomic modulation is a potential therapeutic strategy in NSCLC that was suggested a long time ago and recently starting to attract further attention. Histone acetylation and deacetylation are the most frequently studied patterns of epigenetic modification. Several histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDIs), such as vorinostat and panobinostat, have shown promise in preclinical and clinical investigations on NSCLC. However, further research on HDIs in NSCLC is needed to assess their anti-tumour impact. Another modification, histone methylation, is one of the most well recognized patterns of histone modification. It can either promote or inhibit transcription at different gene loci, thus playing a rather complex role in lung cancer. Some histone methylation modifiers have demonstrated altered activities, suggesting their oncogenic or tumour-suppressive roles. In this review, patterns of histone modifications in NSCLC will be discussed, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic modifications in tumour progression and metastasis, as well as in developing drug resistance. Then, we will explore the therapeutic targets emerging from studying the NSCLC epigenome, referring to the completed and ongoing clinical trials on those medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuloud Bajbouj
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (K.B.); (R.K.R.); (Q.H.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Abeer Al-Ali
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (K.B.); (R.K.R.); (Q.H.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (K.B.); (R.K.R.); (Q.H.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
- Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11559, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +971-6-505-7219; Fax: +971-5-558-5879
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (K.B.); (R.K.R.); (Q.H.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates;
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
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Hussain Alsayed HA, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Hussain AAS, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Early administration of remdesivir to COVID-19 patients associates with higher recovery rate and lower need for ICU admission: A retrospective cohort study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258643. [PMID: 34699552 PMCID: PMC8547637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Remdesivir is one of the most widely recommended and used medications for COVID-19 treatment. However, different outcomes have been reported for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir. Specifically, the effect of the timing of remdesivir initiation (from patient’s symptom onset) on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients has not been investigated. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and treated with or without remdisivir. The primary outcome was patient’s recovery rate, defined as clinical improvement and patient’s discharge by day 14 of symptom onset. The secondary outcome was the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and mortality within 28 days of patient’s symptom onset. Results Out of 323 hospitalized adults with COVID-19, 107 (33.1%) received no remdesivir during their hospital stay, 107 (33.1%) received remdesivir early within 7 days of the symptom onset, and 109 (33.7%) received it at 8 days or later of symptom onset. At day 14 following symptom onset, higher proportion of patients recovered in the early remdesivir compared to the late remdesivir cohort, or patients who did not receive remdesivir (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31 to 5.35). Moreover, early administration of remdesivir was associated with lower admission to intensive care unit (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.31; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.64), less need for mechanical ventilation (aHR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.51), and lower mortality at 28 days (aHR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.53), as compared to the late remdesivir cohort or patients who did not receive remdesivir. Conclusion Early administration of remdesivir within 7 days of symptom onset is associated with less need for mechanical ventilation and lower 28-days mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
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Alabed M, Sultana Shaik A, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Hafezi S, Mdkhana B, Ratemi E, Al-Muhsen S, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Enhanced Infiltration of Central Memory T Cells to the Lung Tissue during Allergic Lung Inflammation. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2021; 183:127-141. [PMID: 34818243 DOI: 10.1159/000518835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory T cells play a central role in regulating inflammatory responses during asthma. However, tissue distribution of effector memory (TEM) and central memory (TCM) T-cell subtypes, their differentiation, and their contribution to the persistence of lung tissue inflammation during asthma are not well understood. Interestingly, an increase in survival and persistence of memory T cells was reported in asthmatic lungs, which may suggest a shift toward the more persistent TCM phenotype. In this report, we investigated the differential distribution of memory T-cell subtypes during allergic lung inflammation and the mechanism regulating that. Using an OVA-sensitized asthma mouse model, we observed a significant increase in the frequency of TCM cells in inflamed lungs compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, adoptive transfer techniques confirmed substantial infiltration of TCM cells to lung tissues during allergic airway inflammation. Expression levels of TCM homing receptors, CD34 and GlyCAM-1, were also significantly upregulated in the lung tissues of OVA-sensitized mice, which may facilitate the increased TCM infiltration into inflamed lungs. Moreover, a substantial increase in the relative expression of TCM profile-associated genes (EOMES, BCL-6, ID3, TCF-7, BCL-2, BIM, and BMI-1) was noted for TEM cells during lung inflammation, suggesting a shift for TEM into the TCM state. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report an increased infiltration of TCM cells into inflamed lung tissues and to suggest differentiation of TEM to TCM cells in these tissues. Therapeutic interference at TCM infiltration or differentiations could constitute an alternative treatment approach for lung inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashael Alabed
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Asma Sultana Shaik
- Department of Pediatrics, Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shirin Hafezi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bushra Mdkhana
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Elaref Ratemi
- Jubail Industrial College, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Department of Pediatrics, Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of pediatrics, Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Hachim IY, Hachim MY, Talaat IM, López-Ozuna VM, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Al Heialy S, Halwani R, Hamid Q. The Molecular Basis of Gender Variations in Mortality Rates Associated With the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:728409. [PMID: 34604307 PMCID: PMC8484873 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.728409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the end of 2019, the clinical presentation of the disease showed a great heterogeneity with a diverse impact among different subpopulations. Emerging evidence from different parts of the world showed that male patients usually had a longer disease course as well as worse outcome compared to female patients. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind this difference might be a fundamental step for more effective and personalized response to this disease outbreak. For that reason, here we investigate the molecular basis of gender variations in mortality rates related to COVID-19 infection. To achieve this, we used publicly available lung transcriptomic data from 141 females and compare it to 286 male lung tissues. After excluding Y specific genes, our results showed a shortlist of 73 genes that are differentially expressed between the two groups. Further analysis using pathway enrichment analysis revealed downregulation of a group of genes that are involved in the regulation of hydrolase activity including (CHM, DDX3X, FGFR3, SFRP2, and NLRP2) in males lungs compared to females. This pathway is believed to be essential for immune response and antimicrobial activity in the lung tissues. In contrast, our results showed an increased upregulation of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1), a member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that plays a role in angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity modulation in male lungs compared to females. Finally, our results showed a differential expression of genes involved in the immune response including the NLRP2 and PTGDR2 in lung tissues of both genders, further supporting the notion of the sex-based immunological differences. Taken together, our results provide an initial evidence of the molecular mechanisms that might be involved in the differential outcomes observed in both genders during the COVID-19 outbreak. This maybe essential for the discovery of new targets and more precise therapeutic options to treat COVID-19 patients from different clinical and epidemiological characteristics with the aim of improving their outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Y Hachim
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mahmood Y Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman Mamdouh Talaat
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Vanessa M López-Ozuna
- Woman's Breast Health Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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34
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Plesa M, Gaudet M, Mogas A, Jalaleddine N, Halayko A, Al Heialy S, Hamid Q. Vitamin D3 Attenuates Viral-Induced Inflammation and Fibrotic Responses in Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:715848. [PMID: 34512638 PMCID: PMC8427752 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.715848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) activation by viral infections plays a key role in promoting inflammatory immune responses that contribute to pulmonary fibrosis in chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases. Vitamin D3 has been shown to be beneficial to patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through its anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. Smooth muscle cells are one of the major contributors to airway remodeling in asthma and COPD. We therefore aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D3 treatment on viral-induced TLR3 responses in Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells (BSMCs) as a mechanism contributing to pulmonary fibrosis in asthma and COPD. Primary BSMCs from patients with asthma (n=4), COPD (n=4), and healthy control subjects (n=6) were treated with polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (polyI:C), TLR3 agonist in the presence or absence of vitamin D3 (1,25D3). Here we report the mRNA expression and protein levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic markers (IL-6, IFN-β1, CCL2/MCP-1, fibronectin 1 and type I collagen) among BSMCs groups: asthma, COPD, and healthy controls. We show that at the baseline, prior to polyI:C stimulation, asthma and COPD BSMCs presented increased pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic state compared to healthy control subjects, as measured by quantitative PCR and immunoassays (ELISA/Flow Cytometry. Ligation of TLR3 by polyI:C in BSMCs was associated with increased TLR3 mRNA expression, and 1,25D3 treatment significantly reduced its expression. In addition, 1,25D3 decreased the expression of IL-6, IFN-β1, CCL2, FN1 and COL1A1 induced by polyI:C in BSMCs. The regulatory effect of 1,25D3 treatment on polyI:C-stimulated BSMCs was further confirmed at protein levels. Our findings suggest that vitamin D3 attenuates TLR3 agonist-induced inflammatory and fibrotic responses in BSMCs and support the clinical relevance of vitamin D3 supplementation in patients with viral infections having chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Plesa
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Mellissa Gaudet
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea Mogas
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nour Jalaleddine
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrew Halayko
- Departments of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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35
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Vameghestahbanati M, Kingdom L, Anacleto-Dabarno M, Hoffman E, Kirby M, Allen N, Angelini E, Bertoni A, Hamid Q, Hogg J, Jacobs D, Laine A, Maltais F, Michos E, Sack C, Sin D, Watson K, Wysoczanksi A, Tan W, Bourbeau J, Barr RG, Smith B. Airway tree caliber heterogeneity and airflow obstruction. Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.pa1875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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36
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Vameghestahbanati M, Hoffman E, Kirby M, Sieren J, Allen N, Bertoni A, Cooper C, Jacobs D, Hamid Q, Han M, Hansel N, Hogg J, Jensen D, Kanner R, Michos E, Oelsner E, Sack C, Watson K, Couper D, Benedetti A, Woodruff P, Bourbeau J, Tan W, Barr RG, Smith B. Airway tree caliber across the adult lifespan. Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.pa1874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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37
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Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Mdkhana B, Hussain Alsayed HA, Alsafar H, Alrais ZF, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Upregulation of oxidative stress gene markers during SARS-COV-2 viral infection. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 172:688-698. [PMID: 34186206 PMCID: PMC8233550 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Severe viral infections, including SARS-COV-2, could trigger disruption of the balance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant mediators; the magnitude of which could reflect the severity of infection and lung injury. Using publicly available COVID-19 transcriptomic datasets, we conducted an in-silico analyses to evaluate the expression levels of 125 oxidative stress genes, including 37 pro-oxidant genes, 32 oxidative-responsive genes, and 56 antioxidant genes. Seven oxidative stress genes were found to be upregulated in whole blood and lung autopsies (MPO, S100A8, S100A9, SRXN1, GCLM, SESN2, and TXN); these genes were higher in severe versus non-severe COVID-19 leucocytes. Oxidative genes were upregulated in inflammatory cells comprising macrophages and CD8+ T cells isolated from bronchioalveolar fluid (BALF), and neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood. MPO, S100A8, and S100A9 were top most upregulated oxidative markers within COVID-19's lung autopsies, whole blood, leucocytes, BALF derived macrophages and circulating neutrophils. The calprotectin's, S100A8 and S100A9 were upregulated in SARS-COV-2 infected human lung epithelium. To validate our in-silico analysis, we conducted qRT-PCR to measure MPO and calprotectin's levels in blood and saliva samples. Relative to uninfected donor controls, MPO, S100A8 and S100A9 were significantly higher in blood and saliva of severe versus asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Compared to other different viral respiratory infections, coronavirus infection showed a prominent upregulation in oxidative stress genes with MPO and calprotectin at the top of the list. In conclusion, SARS-COV-2 induce the expression of oxidative stress genes via both immune as well as lung structural cells. The observed correlation between oxidative stress genes dysregulation and COVID-19 disease severity deserve more attention. Mechanistical studies are required to confirm the correlation between oxidative stress gene dysregulation, COVID-19 severity, and the net oxidative stress balance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bushra Mdkhana
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Habiba Alsafar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zeyad Faoor Alrais
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
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38
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Göbel CH, Heinze A, Karstedt S, Morscheck M, Tashiro L, Cirkel A, Hamid Q, Halwani R, Temsah MH, Ziemann M, Görg S, Münte T, Göbel H. Clinical characteristics of headache after vaccination against COVID-19 (coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) with the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine: a multicentre observational cohort study. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab169. [PMID: 34405142 PMCID: PMC8344581 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [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: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes the infectious disease COVID-19. Newly developed mRNA vaccines can prevent the spread of the virus. Headache is the most common neurological symptom in over 50% of those vaccinated. Detailed information about the clinical characteristics of this form of headache has not yet been described. The aim of the study is to examine in detail the clinical characteristics of headaches occurring after vaccination against COVID-19 with the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for the first time. In a multicentre observational cohort study, data on the clinical features and corresponding variables were recorded using a standardized online questionnaire. The questionnaire was circulated to 12 000 residential care homes of the elderly as well as tertiary university hospitals in Germany and the United Arab Emirates. The primary outcomes of this study are the clinical features of headache after vaccination. Comorbidities, treatment with medication and sociodemographic variables are also analysed. A total of 2349 participants reported headaches after vaccination with the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Headaches occur an average of 18.0 ± 27.0 h after vaccination and last an average duration of 14.2 ± 21.3 h. Only 9.7% of those affected also report headaches resulting from previous vaccinations. In 66.6% of the participants, headache occurs as a single episode. A bilateral location is indicated by 73.1% of the participants. This is most often found on the forehead (38.0%) and temples (32.1%). A pressing pain character is indicated by 49.2% and 40.7% report a dull pain character. The pain intensity is most often moderate (46.2%), severe (32.1%) or very severe (8.2%). The most common accompanying symptoms are fatigue (38.8%), exhaustion (25.7%) and muscle pain (23.4%). Headaches after COVID-19 vaccination show an extensive complex of symptoms. The constellation of accompanying symptoms together with the temporal and spatial headache characteristics delimit a distinctive headache phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl H Göbel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.,Kiel Migraine and Headache Centre, Kiel, Germany
| | - Axel Heinze
- Kiel Migraine and Headache Centre, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sarah Karstedt
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.,Kiel Migraine and Headache Centre, Kiel, Germany
| | | | | | - Anna Cirkel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.,Kiel Migraine and Headache Centre, Kiel, Germany
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Malte Ziemann
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Siegfried Görg
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Thomas Münte
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
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Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Goel S, Mahboub B, Ansari AW, Temsah MH, Zakri AM, Ratemi E, Hamoudi R, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Upregulation of interleukin-19 in severe asthma: a potential saliva biomarker for asthma severity. ERJ Open Res 2021; 7:00984-2020. [PMID: 34322544 PMCID: PMC8311130 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00984-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-19, a designated IL-20 subfamily cytokine, has been implicated in inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and, lately, asthma. Here, through the analysis of transcriptomic datasets of lung tissue of large asthma cohorts, we report that IL-19 expression is upregulated in asthma and correlates with disease severity. The gene expression of IL-19 was significantly higher in lung tissue from patients with severe and mild/moderate asthma compared to healthy controls. IL-19 protein level, however, was significantly higher in the blood and saliva of patients with severe asthma compared to mild/moderate subgroups as measured by ELISA assay. IL-19 protein level was not affected by corticosteroid treatment in plasma. Our data provide insights into the potential use of IL-19 as a saliva marker for asthma severity and a potential therapeutic target. Plasma and saliva IL-19 are significantly upregulated in asthma and correlate with disease severity. Plasma IL-19 is not affected by steroid treatment. This suggests that IL-19 can be used as a biomarker of asthma severity.https://bit.ly/2QfYwpc
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Swati Goel
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdul Wahid Ansari
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Immunology Research Lab, Dept of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Sharjah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adel M Zakri
- Dept of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elaref Ratemi
- Dept of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Jubail Industrial College, Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dept of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dept of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dept of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dept of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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40
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Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Ahmed SBM, Hannawi S, Hamoudi R, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Enhanced Expression of Autoantigens During SARS-CoV-2 Viral Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:686462. [PMID: 34276672 PMCID: PMC8278821 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.686462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune homeostasis is disturbed during severe viral infections, which can lead to loss of tolerance to self-peptides and result in short- or long-term autoimmunity. Using publicly available transcriptomic datasets, we conducted an in-silico analyses to evaluate the expression levels of 52 autoantigens, known to be associated with 24 autoimmune diseases, during SAR-CoV-2 infection. Seven autoantigens (MPO, PRTN3, PADI4, IFIH1, TRIM21, PTPRN2, and TSHR) were upregulated in whole blood samples. MPO and TSHR were overexpressed in both lung autopsies and whole blood tissue and were associated with more severe COVID-19. Neutrophil activation derived autoantigens (MPO, PRTN3, and PADI4) were prominently increased in blood of both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 viral infections, while TSHR and PTPRN2 autoantigens were specifically increased in SARS-CoV-2. Using single-cell dataset from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we observed an upregulation of MPO, PRTN3, and PADI4 autoantigens within the low-density neutrophil subset. To validate our in-silico analysis, we measured plasma protein levels of two autoantigens, MPO and PRTN3, in severe and asymptomatic COVID-19. The protein levels of these two autoantigens were significantly upregulated in more severe COVID-19 infections. In conclusion, the immunopathology and severity of COVID-19 could result in transient autoimmune activation. Longitudinal follow-up studies of confirmed cases of COVID-19 could determine the enduring effects of viral infection including development of autoimmune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samrein B M Ahmed
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Suad Hannawi
- Department of Rheumatology, Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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41
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Ramakrishnan RK, Kashour T, Hamid Q, Halwani R, Tleyjeh IM. Unraveling the Mystery Surrounding Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19. Front Immunol 2021; 12:686029. [PMID: 34276671 PMCID: PMC8278217 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.686029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [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: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
More than one year since its emergence, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still looming large with a paucity of treatment options. To add to this burden, a sizeable subset of patients who have recovered from acute COVID-19 infection have reported lingering symptoms, leading to significant disability and impairment of their daily life activities. These patients are considered to suffer from what has been termed as “chronic” or “long” COVID-19 or a form of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, and patients experiencing this syndrome have been termed COVID-19 long-haulers. Despite recovery from infection, the persistence of atypical chronic symptoms, including extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pains, brain fogs, anxiety and depression, that could last for months implies an underlying disease pathology that persist beyond the acute presentation of the disease. As opposed to the direct effects of the virus itself, the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is believed to be largely responsible for the appearance of these lasting symptoms, possibly through facilitating an ongoing inflammatory process. In this review, we hypothesize potential immunological mechanisms underlying these persistent and prolonged effects, and describe the multi-organ long-term manifestations of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tarek Kashour
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, King Fahad Cardiac Center, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Imad M Tleyjeh
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Medical Specialties, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, United States.,Division of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, United States
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42
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Hammoudeh SM, Hammoudeh AM, Bhamidimarri PM, Al Safar H, Mahboub B, Künstner A, Busch H, Halwani R, Hamid Q, Rahmani M, Hamoudi R. Systems Immunology Analysis Reveals the Contribution of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tissues to the Immunopathogenesis of Severe COVID-19 Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:595150. [PMID: 34262555 PMCID: PMC8273737 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.595150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the current global health conundrums, COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic increase of cases exceeding 79 million and 1.7 million deaths worldwide. Severe presentation of COVID-19 is characterized by cytokine storm and chronic inflammation resulting in multi-organ dysfunction. Currently, it is unclear whether extrapulmonary tissues contribute to the cytokine storm mediated-disease exacerbation. In this study, we applied systems immunology analysis to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung, liver, kidney, and heart tissues and the potential contribution of these tissues to cytokines production. Notably, genes associated with neutrophil-mediated immune response (e.g. CXCL1) were particularly upregulated in lung, whereas genes associated with eosinophil-mediated immune response (e.g. CCL11) were particularly upregulated in heart tissue. In contrast, immune responses mediated by monocytes, dendritic cells, T-cells and B-cells were almost similarly dysregulated in all tissue types. Focused analysis of 14 cytokines classically upregulated in COVID-19 patients revealed that only some of these cytokines are dysregulated in lung tissue, whereas the other cytokines are upregulated in extrapulmonary tissues (e.g. IL6 and IL2RA). Investigations of potential mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 modulates the immune response and cytokine production revealed a marked dysregulation of NF-κB signaling particularly CBM complex and the NF-κB inhibitor BCL3. Moreover, overexpression of mucin family genes (e.g. MUC3A, MUC4, MUC5B, MUC16, and MUC17) and HSP90AB1 suggest that the exacerbated inflammation activated pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues remodeling. In addition, we identified multiple sets of immune response associated genes upregulated in a tissue-specific manner (DCLRE1C, CHI3L1, and PARP14 in lung; APOA4, NFASC, WIPF3, and CD34 in liver; LILRA5, ISG20, S100A12, and HLX in kidney; and ASS1 and PTPN1 in heart). Altogether, these findings suggest that the cytokines storm triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection is potentially the result of dysregulated cytokine production by inflamed pulmonary and extrapulmonary (e.g. liver, kidney, and heart) tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Musa Hammoudeh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Luebeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Arabella Musa Hammoudeh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- General Surgery Department, Tawam Hospital, SEHA, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Poorna Manasa Bhamidimarri
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Habiba Al Safar
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Axel Künstner
- Luebeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Hauke Busch
- Luebeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mohamed Rahmani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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43
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Hammoudeh SM, Hammoudeh AM, Bhamidimarri PM, Mahboub B, Halwani R, Hamid Q, Rahmani M, Hamoudi R. Insight into molecular mechanisms underlying hepatic dysfunction in severe COVID-19 patients using systems biology. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:2850-2870. [PMID: 34135558 PMCID: PMC8173390 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i21.2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a pandemic contributing to more than 105 million cases and more than 2.3 million deaths worldwide, was described to be frequently accompanied by extrapulmonary manifestations, including liver dysfunction. Liver dysfunction and elevated liver enzymes were observed in about 53% of COVID-19 patients.
AIM To gain insight into transcriptional abnormalities in liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients that may result in liver dysfunction.
METHODS The transcriptome of liver autopsy samples from severe COVID-19 patients against those of non-COVID donors was analyzed. Differentially expressed genes were identified from normalized RNA-seq data and analyzed for the enrichment of functional clusters and pathways. The differentially expressed genes were then compared against the genetic signatures of liver diseases including cirrhosis, fibrosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and hepatitis A/B/C. Gene expression of some differentially expressed genes was assessed in the blood samples of severe COVID-19 patients with liver dysfunction using qRT-PCR.
RESULTS Analysis of the differential transcriptome of the liver tissue of severe COVID-19 patients revealed a significant upregulation of transcripts implicated in tissue remodeling including G-coupled protein receptors family genes, DNAJB1, IGF2, EGFR, and HDGF. Concordantly, the differential transcriptome of severe COVID-19 liver tissues substantially overlapped with the disease signature of liver diseases characterized with pathological tissue remodeling (liver cirrhosis, Fibrosis, NAFLD, and hepatitis A/B/C). Moreover, we observed a significant suppression of transcripts implicated in metabolic pathways as well as mitochondrial function, including cytochrome P450 family members, ACAD11, CIDEB, GNMT, and GPAM. Consequently, drug and xenobiotics metabolism pathways are significantly suppressed suggesting a decrease in liver detoxification capacity. In correspondence with the RNA-seq data analysis, we observed a significant upregulation of DNAJB1 and HSP90AB1 as well as significant downregulation of CYP39A1 in the blood plasma of severe COVID-19 patients with liver dysfunction.
CONCLUSION Severe COVID-19 patients appear to experience significant transcriptional shift that may ensue tissue remodeling, mitochondrial dysfunction and lower hepatic detoxification resulting in the clinically observed liver dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Musa Hammoudeh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Arabella Musa Hammoudeh
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- General Surgery Department, Tawam Hospital, SEHA, Al-Ain 15258, United Arab Emirates
| | - Poorna Manasa Bhamidimarri
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Rashid Hospital, 315 Umm Hurair Second, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai 4545, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Quebec H4A 3J1, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mohamed Rahmani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London W1W 7TY, United Kingdom
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44
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Hachim MY, Elemam NM, Ramakrishnan RK, Salameh L, Olivenstein R, Hachim IY, Venkatachalam T, Mahboub B, Al Heialy S, Hamid Q, Hamoudi R. Derangement of cell cycle markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asthmatic patients as a reliable biomarker for asthma control. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11873. [PMID: 34088958 PMCID: PMC8178351 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91087-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In asthma, most of the identified biomarkers pertain to the Th2 phenotype and no known biomarkers have been verified for severe asthmatics. Therefore, identifying biomarkers using the integrative phenotype-genotype approach in severe asthma is needed. The study aims to identify novel biomarkers as genes or pathways representing the core drivers in asthma development, progression to the severe form, resistance to therapy, and tissue remodeling regardless of the sample cells or tissues examined. Comprehensive reanalysis of publicly available transcriptomic data that later was validated in vitro, and locally recruited patients were used to decipher the molecular basis of asthma. Our in-silicoanalysis revealed a total of 10 genes (GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, KRT8, TOP2A, SERPINE1, ANLN, MKI67, NEK2, and RRM2) related to cell cycle and proliferation to be deranged in the severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium and fibroblasts compared to their healthy counterparts. In vitro, RT qPCR results showed that (SERPINE1 and RRM2) were upregulated in severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium and fibroblasts, (SFN, ABCA1, TOP2A, SERPINE1, MKI67, and NEK2) were upregulated in asthmatic bronchial epithelium while (GPRC5A and KRT8) were upregulated only in asthmatic bronchial fibroblasts. Furthermore, MKI76, RRM2, and TOP2A were upregulated in Th2 high epithelium while GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1 were upregulated in the blood of asthmatic patients. SFN, ABCA1 were higher, while MKI67 was lower in severe asthmatic with wheeze compared to nonasthmatics with wheezes. SERPINE1 and GPRC5A were downregulated in the blood of eosinophilic asthmatics, while RRM2 was upregulated in an acute attack of asthma. Validation of the gene expression in PBMC of locally recruited asthma patients showed that SERPINE1, GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, MKI67, and RRM2 were downregulated in severe uncontrolled asthma. We have identified a set of biologically crucial genes to the homeostasis of the lung and in asthma development and progression. This study can help us further understand the complex interplay between the transcriptomic data and the external factors which may deviate our understanding of asthma heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Center for Genomic Discovery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Noha Mousaad Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Ibrahim Yaseen Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Thenmozhi Venkatachalam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL, London, UK
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45
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Salameh L, Mahboub B, Khamis A, Alsharhan M, Tirmazy SH, Dairi Y, Hamid Q, Hamoudi R, Al Heialy S. Asthma severity as a contributing factor to cancer incidence: A cohort study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250430. [PMID: 33983952 PMCID: PMC8118340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A putative link between asthma and asthma severity with the occurrence of cancer has been suggested but has not been fully investigated. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of all types of cancer in a cohort of asthmatic patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS A single center cohort retrospective study was conducted to investigate the role of asthma as a potential risk factor for various cancers. Participants were followed for a period of 9 years from 01/01/2010 to 30/12/2018 and cancer incidence and its determinants were collected in asthmatic patients and controls from the same population source but without any respiratory disease. Overall, 2,027 asthma patients and 1,637 controls were followed up for an average of 9 years. The statistical analysis showed that 2% of asthma patients were diagnosed with various cancers, resulting in an incidence rate of cancer of 383.02 per 100,000 persons per year which is significantly higher than the 139.01 per 100,000 persons per year observed in matched controls (p-value < 0.001). The top four cancers reported among asthmatics were breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer. Lung cancer in asthmatics had the longest diagnosis period with a mean of 36.6 years compared to the shortest with prostate cancer with 16.5 years. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that asthma patients are at increased risk of different types of cancers with asthma severity and goiter as the main factors that may increase the risk of developing cancers among asthmatic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Salameh
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Amar Khamis
- Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | | | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, College of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, College of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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46
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Saddik B, Hussein A, Albanna A, Elbarazi I, Al-Shujairi A, Temsah MH, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Stip E, Hamid Q, Halwani R. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirates: a nationwide cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 2021; 21:224. [PMID: 33941119 PMCID: PMC8090921 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-021-03213-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The psychosocial impact of previous infectious disease outbreaks in adults has been well documented, however, there is limited information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults and children in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) community. The aim of this study was to explore anxiety levels among adults and children in the UAE and to identify potential risk and protective factors for well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Using a web-based cross-sectional survey we collected data from 2200 self-selected, assessed volunteers and their children. Demographic information, knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the (GAD-7) scale, emotional problems in children using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), worry and fear about COVID-19, coping mechanisms and general health information were collected. Descriptive analysis was carried out to summarize demographic and participant characteristics, Chi-square analysis to explore associations between categorical variables and anxiety levels and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis to determine predictors of anxiety levels in adults and emotional problems in children. RESULTS The overall prevalence of GAD in the general population was 71% with younger people (59.8%) and females (51.7%) reporting highest levels of anxiety. Parents who were teachers reported the highest percentage of emotional problems in children (26.7%). Adjusted multivariable logistic regression for GAD-7 scores showed that being female, high levels of worry associated with COVID-19, intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine and smoking were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression for SDQ showed that higher emotional problems were reported for children in lower and higher secondary education, and parents who had severe anxiety were seven times more likely to report emotional problems in their children. CONCLUSIONS This study reports the psychological impact of COVID-19 among adults and children in the UAE and highlights the significant association between parental and child anxiety. Findings suggest the urgency for policy makers to develop effective screening and coping strategies for parents and especially children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basema Saddik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates ,Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar Albanna
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Excellence, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ,Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iffat Elbarazi
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Arwa Al-Shujairi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad-Hani Temsah
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Emmanuel Stip
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates ,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. .,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
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Goel S, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Saheb Sharif Askari N, Madkhana B, Alwaa AM, Mahboub B, Zakeri AM, Ratemi E, Hamoudi R, Hamid Q, Halwani R. SARS-CoV-2 Switches 'on' MAPK and NFκB Signaling via the Reduction of Nuclear DUSP1 and DUSP5 Expression. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:631879. [PMID: 33995033 PMCID: PMC8114414 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.631879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [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: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and NF-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway regulate many cellular processes and are essential for immune cells function. Their activity is controlled by dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs). A comprehensive analysis of publicly available gene expression data sets of human airway epithelial cells (AECs) infected with SARS-CoV-2 identified DUSP1 and DUSP5 among the lowest induced transcripts within these pathways. These proteins are known to downregulate MAPK and NF-κB pathways; and their lower expression was associated with increased activity of MAPK and NF-κB signaling and enhanced expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. Infection with other coronaviruses did not have a similar effect on these genes. Interestingly, treatment with chloroquine and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs counteracted the SARS-CoV-2 induced reduction of DUSP1 and DUSP5 genes expression. Therapeutically, impeding this evasion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 may help control the exaggerated activation of these immune regulatory pathways during a COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Goel
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | - Bushra Madkhana
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmad Munzer Alwaa
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Adel M Zakeri
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elaref Ratemi
- Jubail- Industrial College, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Jubail- Industrial City, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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48
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Alenazy MF, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Omair MA, El-Wetidy MS, Omair MA, Mitwalli H, Al-Muhsen S, Al-Masri A, Hamid Q, Halwani R. Author Correction: Abatacept enhances blood regulatory B cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients to a level that associates with disease remittance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8462. [PMID: 33850239 PMCID: PMC8044154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maha Fahad Alenazy
- Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed A Omair
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad S El-Wetidy
- Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha A Omair
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussam Mitwalli
- Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Al-Muhsen
- Immunology Research Lab, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abeer Al-Masri
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. .,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. .,Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Chair, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spreading at an alarming rate has taken a heavy toll on the public healthcare systems and economies worldwide. An abnormal and overactivated inflammatory response is occasionally elicited by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and this hyperinflammation is associated with worse prognosis of COVID-19. Theoretically, one would expect patients with asthma to be at a greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection considering their increased susceptibility to common respiratory virus-associated exacerbations. Surprisingly, current data do not consistently suggest an increased prevalence of asthma among patients with COVID-19. Considering the high global prevalence of asthma, the characteristics of the disease and/or their conventional therapy might play a role in their potential defense against COVID-19. This may be attributed to the T helper type 2 immune response predominantly seen in patients with asthma. Likewise, asthma therapeutics, including corticosteroids and biologics, may in fact benefit the patients with asthma by alleviating the development of hyperinflammation. On the other hand, elevated IL-17 levels are characteristically seen in a subset of asthma patients with severe disease as well as in patients with COVID-19. Targeting the IL-17 pathway as a treatment strategy could plausibly alleviate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with COVID-19 and asthma demonstrating a predominant T helper type 17 response. A clinical trial including a drug targeting this pathway may thus, constitute a logical addition to the global pursuit for effective therapeutics against COVID-19. The complex interplay between the asthma endotypes and COVID-19 is not very well understood and will be discussed in this mini-review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Healthy Center, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Hachim MY, Elemam NM, Ramakrishnan RK, Bajbouj K, Olivenstein R, Hachim IY, Al Heialy S, Hamid Q, Busch H, Hamoudi R. Wnt Signaling Is Deranged in Asthmatic Bronchial Epithelium and Fibroblasts. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:641404. [PMID: 33791298 PMCID: PMC8006921 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.641404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway alterations have been documented in pulmonary disease pathogenesis and progression; therefore, they can be an attractive target for pharmaceutical management of severe asthma. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was shown to link early embryonic lung development impairment to later in life asthmatic airway remodeling. Here we explored the changes in Wnt signaling associated with asthma initiation and progression in epithelial and fibroblasts using a comprehensive approach based on in silico analysis and followed by in vitro validation. In summary, the in silico analysis showed that the bronchial epithelium of severe asthmatic patients showed a deranged balance between Wnt enhancer and Wnt inhibitors. A Th2-high phenotype is associated with upregulated Wnt-negative regulators, while inflammatory and neutrophilic severe asthmatics showed higher canonical Wnt signaling member enrichment. Most of these genes are regulators of healthy lung development early in life and, if disturbed, can make people susceptible to developing asthma early in life and prone to developing a severe phenotype. Most of the Wnt members are secreted, and their effect can be in an autocrine fashion on the bronchial epithelium, paracrine on nearby adjacent structural cells like fibroblasts and smooth muscles, or systemic in blood. Our results showed that canonical Wnt signaling is needed for the proper response of cells to proliferative stimuli, which puts cells under stress. Cells in response to this proliferative stress will activate the senescence mechanism, which is also dependent on Wnt signaling. Inhibition of Wnt signaling using FH535 inhibits both proliferation and senescence markers in bronchial fibroblasts compared to DMSO-treated cells. In fibroblasts from asthmatic patients, inhibition of Wnt signaling did not show that effect as the Wnt signaling is deranged besides other pathways that might be non-functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- College of Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha Mousaad Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rakhee K Ramakrishnan
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khuloud Bajbouj
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Ibrahim Yaseen Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saba Al Heialy
- College of Medicine, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Hauke Busch
- Medical Systems Biology Group, Institute for Experimental Dermatology, Institute for Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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