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Armento A, Murali A, Marzi J, Almansa-Garcia AC, Arango-Gonzalez B, Kilger E, Clark SJ, Schenke-Layland K, Ramlogan-Steel CA, Steel JC, Ueffing M. Complement Factor H Loss in RPE Cells Causes Retinal Degeneration in a Human RPE-Porcine Retinal Explant Co-Culture Model. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11111621. [PMID: 34827622 PMCID: PMC8615889 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related Macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disease of the macula affecting the elderly population. Treatment options are limited, partly due to the lack of understanding of AMD pathology and the lack of suitable research models that replicate the complexity of the human macula and the intricate interplay of the genetic, aging and lifestyle risk factors contributing to AMD. One of the main genetic risks associated with AMD is located on the Complement Factor H (CFH) gene, leading to an amino acid substitution in the Factor H (FH) protein (Y402H). However, the mechanism of how this FH variant promotes the onset of AMD remains unclear. Previously, we have shown that FH deprivation in RPE cells, via CFH silencing, leads to increased inflammation, metabolic impairment and vulnerability toward oxidative stress. In this study, we established a novel co-culture model comprising CFH silenced RPE cells and porcine retinal explants derived from the visual streak of porcine eyes, which closely resemble the human macula. We show that retinae exposed to FH-deprived RPE cells show signs of retinal degeneration, with rod cells being the first cells to undergo degeneration. Moreover, via Raman analyses, we observed changes involving the mitochondria and lipid composition of the co-cultured retinae upon FH loss. Interestingly, the detrimental effects of FH loss in RPE cells on the neuroretina were independent of glial cell activation and external complement sources. Moreover, we show that the co-culture model is also suitable for human retinal explants, and we observed a similar trend when RPE cells deprived of FH were co-cultured with human retinal explants from a single donor eye. Our findings highlight the importance of RPE-derived FH for retinal homeostasis and provide a valuable model for AMD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Armento
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.U.); Tel.: +49-7071-29-84953 (A.A.)
| | - Aparna Murali
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; (C.A.R.-S.); (J.C.S.)
| | - Julia Marzi
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.M.); (K.S.-L.)
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ana C Almansa-Garcia
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Blanca Arango-Gonzalez
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Ellen Kilger
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Simon J Clark
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (J.M.); (K.S.-L.)
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Medicine/Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Laboratories, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Charmaine A Ramlogan-Steel
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; (C.A.R.-S.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Jason C Steel
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; (C.A.R.-S.); (J.C.S.)
- School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.M.); (A.C.A.-G.); (B.A.-G.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.U.); Tel.: +49-7071-29-84953 (A.A.)
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Armento A, Schmidt TL, Sonntag I, Merle DA, Jarboui MA, Kilger E, Clark SJ, Ueffing M. CFH Loss in Human RPE Cells Leads to Inflammation and Complement System Dysregulation via the NF-κB Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168727. [PMID: 34445430 PMCID: PMC8396051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, is a degenerative disease of the macula, where retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are damaged in the early stages of the disease, and chronic inflammatory processes may be involved. Besides aging and lifestyle factors as drivers of AMD, a strong genetic association to AMD is found in genes of the complement system, with a single polymorphism in the complement factor H gene (CFH), accounting for the majority of AMD risk. However, the exact mechanism of CFH dysregulation confers such a great risk for AMD and its role in RPE cell homeostasis is unclear. To explore the role of endogenous CFH locally in RPE cells, we silenced CFH in human hTERT-RPE1 cells. We demonstrate that endogenously expressed CFH in RPE cells modulates inflammatory cytokine production and complement regulation, independent of external complement sources, or stressors. We show that loss of the factor H protein (FH) results in increased levels of inflammatory mediators (e.g., IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF) and altered levels of complement proteins (e.g., C3, CFB upregulation, and C5 downregulation) that are known to play a role in AMD. Moreover, our results identify the NF-κB pathway as the major pathway involved in regulating these inflammatory and complement factors. Our findings suggest that in RPE cells, FH and the NF-κB pathway work in synergy to maintain inflammatory and complement balance, and in case either one of them is dysregulated, the RPE microenvironment changes towards a proinflammatory AMD-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Armento
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.U.); Tel.: +49-7071-29-84953 (A.A.)
| | - Tiziana L. Schmidt
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Inga Sonntag
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - David A. Merle
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria
| | - Mohamed Ali Jarboui
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Ellen Kilger
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
| | - Simon J. Clark
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.L.S.); (I.S.); (D.A.M.); (M.A.J.); (E.K.); (S.J.C.)
- Department for Ophthalmology, University Eye Clinic, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (M.U.); Tel.: +49-7071-29-84953 (A.A.)
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Yang B, Lin SJ, Ren JY, Liu T, Wang YM, Li CM, Xu WW, He YW, Zheng WH, Zhao J, Yuan XH, Liao HX. Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation of Human Anti- Complement Factor H (CFH) Antibody Ab42 and CFH Polypeptide. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2568. [PMID: 31130605 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the interaction between the antibody and its targeted antigen and knowing of the epitopes are critical for the development of monoclonal antibody drugs. Complement factor H (CFH) is implied to play a role in tumor growth and metastasis. An autoantibody to CHF is associated with anti-tumor cell activity. The interaction of a human monoclonal antibody Ab42 that was isolated from a cancer patient with CFH polypeptide (pCFH) antigen was analyzed by molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, free energy calculation, and computational alanine scanning (CAS). Experimental alanine scanning (EAS) was then carried out to verify the results of the theoretical calculation. Our results demonstrated that the Ab42 antibody interacts with pCFH by hydrogen bonds through the Tyr315, Ser100, Gly33, and Tyr53 residues on the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), respectively, with the amino acid residues of Pro441, Ile442, Asp443, Asn444, Ile447, and Thr448 on the pCFH antigen. In conclusion, this study has explored the mechanism of interaction between Ab42 antibody and its targeted antigen by both theoretical and experimental analysis. Our results have important theoretical significance for the design and development of relevant antibody drugs.
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Abstract
The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) recommended treatment with antioxidants plus zinc in patients with intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration in order to reduce progression risks. Recent pharmacogenetic studies have reported differences in treatment outcomes with respect to variants in genes for CFH and ARMS2, although the treatment recommendations based on these differences are controversial. Different retrospective analyses of subsets of patients from the same AREDS trial have drawn different conclusions. The practicing clinician, who is not an expert on genetics, clinical trial design, or statistical analysis, may be uncertain how to interpret these results. Based on the balance of the available literature, we suggest not changing established practice recommendations until additional evidence from clinical trials becomes available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake M Hampton
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jaclyn L Kovach
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stephen G Schwartz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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Gezen-Ak D, Dursun E, Hanağası H, Bilgiç B, Lohman E, Araz ÖS, Atasoy IL, Alaylıoğlu M, Önal B, Gürvit H, Yılmazer S. BDNF, TNFα, HSP90, CFH, and IL-10 serum levels in patients with early or late onset Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. J Alzheimers Dis 2014; 37:185-95. [PMID: 23948885 DOI: 10.3233/jad-130497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [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: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Identifying early-detection biomarkers have become an increasingly important approach in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we investigated the potential of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), complement factor H (CFH), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as serum biomarkers for AD in a cohort of the Turkish population because they have been suggested to be associated with AD. Serum BDNF, CFH, TNFα, IL-10, and Hsp90 levels in three groups of patients, early-onset AD (EOAD; age of onset < 65; n = 22), late-onset AD (LOAD; age of onset > 65; n = 54), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 30), were compared with age-matched healthy controls (age < 65, n = 18 and age > 65; n = 32) using ELISA. The serum BDNF levels significantly decreased and TNFα levels significantly increased in the EOAD and LOAD groups compared to the age-matched healthy controls. There was a correlation between serum TNFα and IL-10 levels in the LOAD and healthy control groups. Serum CFH levels in the LOAD and MCI patients were significantly decreased compared with controls. Serum Hsp90 levels in the EOAD, LOAD, and MCI patients were significantly decreased compared with controls. The protein misfolding, the inflammatory response, and decreased neurotrophic factor synthesis are all suggested to be related to AD type brain pathology, and our results indicate these alterations might be traced from serum samples. For accurate early diagnosis of AD, it is important to determine a profile of alterations in multiple biomarkers in large-scale population studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Gezen-Ak
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Erdinç Dursun
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Haşmet Hanağası
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Başar Bilgiç
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebba Lohman
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ömür Selin Araz
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Irem L Atasoy
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Merve Alaylıoğlu
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burak Önal
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hakan Gürvit
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Selma Yılmazer
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Kitchens JW, Kassem N, Wood W, Stone TW, Isernhagen R, Wood E, Hancock BA, Radovich M, Waymire J, Li L, Schneider BP. A pharmacogenetics study to predict outcome in patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy in age related macular degeneration. Clin Ophthalmol 2013; 7:1987-93. [PMID: 24143065 PMCID: PMC3797648 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s39635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To ascertain whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Vascular Endothelial Growth factor (VEGFA), Complement Factor H (CFH), and LOC387715 genes could predict outcome to anti-VEGF therapy for patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Patients with “wet” AMD were identified by chart review. Baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual acuity (VA) data, and at least 6 months of clinical follow up after 3 initial monthly injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab were required for inclusion. Based on OCT and VA, patients were categorized into two possible clinical outcomes: (a) responders and (b) non-responders. DNA was extracted from saliva and genotyped for candidate SNPs in the VEGFA, LOC387715, and CFH genes. Clinical outcomes were statistically compared to patient genotypes. Results 101 patients were recruited, and one eye from each patient was included in the analysis. 97% of samples were successfully genotyped for all SNPs. We found a statistically significant association between the LOC387715 A69S TT genotype and outcome based on OCT. Conclusion Genetic variation may be associated with outcome in patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy.
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