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Layug PJ, Vats H, Kannan K, Arsenio J. Sex differences in CD8 + T cell responses during adaptive immunity. WIREs Mech Dis 2024:e1645. [PMID: 38581141 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1645] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Biological sex is an important variable that influences the immune system's susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious diseases and their outcomes. Sex dimorphic features in innate and adaptive immune cells and their activities may help to explain sex differences in immune responses. T lymphocytes in the adaptive immune system are essential to providing protection against infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases. In this review, T cell responses are discussed with focus on the current knowledge of biological sex differences in CD8+ T cell mediated adaptive immune responses in infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases. Future directions aimed at investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sex differences in diverse T cell responses will continue to underscore the significance of understanding sex differences in protective immunity at the cellular level, to induce appropriate T cell-based immune responses in infection, autoimmunity, and cancer. This article is categorized under: Immune System Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Infectious Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jerard Layug
- Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Harman Vats
- Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Kamali Kannan
- Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Janilyn Arsenio
- Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Lawler CD, Nuñez AKP, Hernandes N, Bhide S, Lohrey I, Baxter S, Robin C. The haplolethal gene wupA of Drosophila exhibits potential as a target for an X-poisoning gene drive. G3 (Bethesda) 2024; 14:jkae025. [PMID: 38306583 PMCID: PMC10989859 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae025] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
A synthetic gene drive that targets haplolethal genes on the X chromosome can skew the sex ratio toward males. Like an "X-shredder," it does not involve "homing," and that has advantages including the reduction of gene drive resistance allele formation. We examine this "X-poisoning" strategy by targeting 4 of the 11 known X-linked haplolethal/haplosterile genes of Drosophila melanogaster with CRISPR/Cas9. We find that targeting the wupA gene during spermatogenesis skews the sex ratio so fewer than 14% of progeny are daughters. That is unless we cross the mutagenic males to X^XY female flies that bear attached-X chromosomes, which reverses the inheritance of the poisoned X chromosome so that sons inherit it from their father, in which case only 2% of the progeny are sons. These sex ratio biases suggest that most of the CRISPR/Cas9 mutants we induced in the wupA gene are haplolethal but some are recessive lethal. The males generating wupA mutants do not suffer from reduced fertility; rather, the haplolethal mutants arrest development in the late stages of embryogenesis well after fertilized eggs have been laid. This provides a distinct advantage over genetic manipulation strategies involving sterility which can be countered by the remating of females. We also find that wupA mutants that destroy the nuclear localization signal of shorter isoforms are not haplolethal as long as the open reading frame remains intact. Like D. melanogaster, wupA orthologs of Drosophila suzukii and Anopheles mosquitos are found on X chromosomes making wupA a viable X-poisoning target in multiple species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clancy D Lawler
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | | | - Natalia Hernandes
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Soumitra Bhide
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Isabelle Lohrey
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Simon Baxter
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Charles Robin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
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Achiro JM, Tao Y, Gao F, Lin CH, Watanabe M, Neumann S, Coppola G, Black DL, Martin KC. Aging differentially alters the transcriptome and landscape of chromatin accessibility in the male and female mouse hippocampus. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1334862. [PMID: 38318533 PMCID: PMC10839115 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1334862] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging-related memory impairment and pathological memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease differ between males and females, and yet little is known about how aging-related changes in the transcriptome and chromatin environment differ between sexes in the hippocampus. To investigate this question, we compared the chromatin accessibility landscape and gene expression/alternative splicing pattern of young adult and aged mouse hippocampus in both males and females using ATAC-seq and RNA-seq. We detected significant aging-dependent changes in the expression of genes involved in immune response and synaptic function and aging-dependent changes in the alternative splicing of myelin sheath genes. We found significant sex-bias in the expression and alternative splicing of hundreds of genes, including aging-dependent female-biased expression of myelin sheath genes and aging-dependent male-biased expression of genes involved in synaptic function. Aging was associated with increased chromatin accessibility in both male and female hippocampus, especially in repetitive elements, and with an increase in LINE-1 transcription. We detected significant sex-bias in chromatin accessibility in both autosomes and the X chromosome, with male-biased accessibility enriched at promoters and CpG-rich regions. Sex differences in gene expression and chromatin accessibility were amplified with aging, findings that may shed light on sex differences in aging-related and pathological memory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Achiro
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yang Tao
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Fuying Gao
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Chia-Ho Lin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marika Watanabe
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sylvia Neumann
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Douglas L. Black
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kelsey C. Martin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Mas-Sandoval A, Mathieson S, Fumagalli M. The genomic footprint of social stratification in admixing American populations. eLife 2023; 12:e84429. [PMID: 38038347 PMCID: PMC10776089 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84429] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cultural and socioeconomic differences stratify human societies and shape their genetic structure beyond the sole effect of geography. Despite mating being limited by sociocultural stratification, most demographic models in population genetics often assume random mating. Taking advantage of the correlation between sociocultural stratification and the proportion of genetic ancestry in admixed populations, we sought to infer the former process in the Americas. To this aim, we define a mating model where the individual proportions of the genome inherited from Native American, European, and sub-Saharan African ancestral populations constrain the mating probabilities through ancestry-related assortative mating and sex bias parameters. We simulate a wide range of admixture scenarios under this model. Then, we train a deep neural network and retrieve good performance in predicting mating parameters from genomic data. Our results show how population stratification, shaped by socially constructed racial and gender hierarchies, has constrained the admixture processes in the Americas since the European colonization and the subsequent Atlantic slave trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Mas-Sandoval
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of BolognaBolognaItaly
| | - Sara Mathieson
- Department of Computer Science, Haverford CollegeHaverfordUnited States
| | - Matteo Fumagalli
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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Wolf B, Blaschke CRK, Mungaray S, Weselman BT, Stefanenko M, Fedoriuk M, Bai H, Rodgers J, Palygin O, Drake RR, Nowling TK. Metabolic Markers and Association of Biological Sex in Lupus Nephritis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16490. [PMID: 38003679 PMCID: PMC10671813 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216490] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious complication for many patients who develop systemic lupus erythematosus, which primarily afflicts women. Our studies to identify biomarkers and the pathogenic mechanisms underlying LN will provide a better understanding of disease progression and sex bias, and lead to identification of additional potential therapeutic targets. The glycosphingolipid lactosylceramide (LacCer) and N-linked glycosylated proteins (N-glycans) were measured in urine and serum collected from LN and healthy control (HC) subjects (10 females and 10 males in each group). The sera from the LN and HC subjects were used to stimulate cytokine secretion and intracellular Ca2+ flux in female- and male-derived primary human renal mesangial cells (hRMCs). Significant differences were observed in the urine of LN patients compared to HCs. All major LacCers species were significantly elevated and differences between LN and HC were more pronounced in males. 72 individual N-glycans were altered in LN compared to HC and three N-glycans were significantly different between the sexes. In hRMCs, Ca2+ flux, but not cytokine secretion, was higher in response to LN sera compared to HC sera. Ca2+ flux, cytokine secretion, and glycosphingolipid levels were significantly higher in female-derived compared to male-derived hRMCs. Relative abundance of some LacCers and hexosylceramides were higher in female-derived compared to male-derived hRMCs. Urine LacCers and N-glycome could serve as definitive LN biomarkers and likely reflect renal disease activity. Despite higher sensitivity of female hRMCs, males may experience greater increases in LacCers, which may underscore worse disease in males. Elevated glycosphingolipid metabolism may poise renal cells to be more sensitive to external stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon Street, Suite 303 MSC 835, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
| | - Calvin R. K. Blaschke
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue Basic Science Building 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA (B.T.W.); (H.B.); (R.R.D.)
| | - Sandy Mungaray
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (S.M.); (J.R.)
| | - Bryan T. Weselman
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue Basic Science Building 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA (B.T.W.); (H.B.); (R.R.D.)
| | - Mariia Stefanenko
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Clinical Sciences Building, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (M.S.); (M.F.); (O.P.)
| | - Mykhailo Fedoriuk
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Clinical Sciences Building, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (M.S.); (M.F.); (O.P.)
| | - Hongxia Bai
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue Basic Science Building 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA (B.T.W.); (H.B.); (R.R.D.)
| | - Jessalyn Rodgers
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (S.M.); (J.R.)
| | - Oleg Palygin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Clinical Sciences Building, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (M.S.); (M.F.); (O.P.)
| | - Richard R. Drake
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue Basic Science Building 358, Charleston, SC 29425, USA (B.T.W.); (H.B.); (R.R.D.)
| | - Tamara K. Nowling
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (S.M.); (J.R.)
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Li Z, Lan L, Zhou Y, Li R, Chavin KD, Xu H, Li L, Shih DJH, Zheng WJ. Developing deep learning-based strategies to predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease from electronic health records. medRxiv 2023:2023.11.17.23298691. [PMID: 38014193 PMCID: PMC10680899 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.23298691] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Deep learning models showed great success and potential when applied to many biomedical problems. However, the accuracy of deep learning models for many disease prediction problems is affected by time-varying covariates, rare incidence, and covariate imbalance when using structured electronic health records data. The situation is further exasperated when predicting the risk of one disease on condition of another disease, such as the hepatocellular carcinoma risk among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease due to slow, chronic progression, the scarce of data with both disease conditions and the sex bias of the diseases. Objective The goal of this study is to investigate the extent to which time-varying covariates, rare incidence, and covariate imbalance influence deep learning performance, and then devised strategies to tackle these challenges. These strategies were applied to improve hepatocellular carcinoma risk prediction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods We evaluated two representative deep learning models in the task of predicting the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in a cohort of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 220,838) from a national EHR database. The disease prediction task was carefully formulated as a classification problem while taking censorship and the length of follow-up into consideration. Results We developed a novel backward masking scheme to evaluate how the length of longitudinal information after the index date affects disease prediction. We observed that modeling time-varying covariates improved the performance of the algorithms and transfer learning mitigated reduced performance caused by the lack of data. In addition, covariate imbalance, such as sex bias in data impaired performance. Deep learning models trained on one sex and evaluated in the other sex showed reduced performance, indicating the importance of assessing covariate imbalance while preparing data for model training. Conclusions Devising proper strategies to address challenges from time-varying covariates, lack of data, and covariate imbalance can be key to counteracting data bias and accurately predicting disease occurrence using deep learning models. The novel strategies developed in this work can significantly improve the performance of hepatocellular carcinoma risk prediction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Furthermore, our novel strategies can be generalized to apply to other disease risk predictions using structured electronic health records, especially for disease risks on condition of another disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Li
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Lan Lan
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Yujia Zhou
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Ruoxing Li
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas, 77030
| | - Kenneth D. Chavin
- Department of Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44106
| | | | - Liang Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, FCT4.6008, Houston TX 77030
| | | | - W. Jim Zheng
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin Street, Suite 600, Houston, Texas, 77030
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Zhang H, Lundberg M, Tarka M, Hasselquist D, Hansson B. Evidence of Site-Specific and Male-Biased Germline Mutation Rate in a Wild Songbird. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad180. [PMID: 37793164 PMCID: PMC10627410 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation and the raw material for organismal evolution. Despite their significance, the frequency and genomic locations of mutations, as well as potential sex bias, are yet to be widely investigated in most species. To address these gaps, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 12 great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in a pedigree spanning 3 generations to identify single-nucleotide de novo mutations (DNMs) and estimate the germline mutation rate. We detected 82 DNMs within the pedigree, primarily enriched at CpG sites but otherwise randomly located along the chromosomes. Furthermore, we observed a pronounced sex bias in DNM occurrence, with male warblers exhibiting three times more mutations than females. After correction for false negatives and adjusting for callable sites, we obtained a mutation rate of 7.16 × 10-9 mutations per site per generation (m/s/g) for the autosomes and 5.10 × 10-9 m/s/g for the Z chromosome. To demonstrate the utility of species-specific mutation rates, we applied our autosomal mutation rate in models reconstructing the demographic history of the great reed warbler. We uncovered signs of drastic population size reductions predating the last glacial period (LGP) and reduced gene flow between western and eastern populations during the LGP. In conclusion, our results provide one of the few direct estimates of the mutation rate in wild songbirds and evidence for male-driven mutations in accordance with theoretical expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkai Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maja Tarka
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Sahay O, Barik GK, Islam S. FBXW10: a male-biased E3 ligase in liver cancer. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:876-878. [PMID: 37775405 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Two recent studies, by Lin et al. and Liu et al., unveiled the pivotal role of F-box and WD repeat domain containing 10 (FBXW10)-mediated ubiquitination and activation of oncogenic signaling as the primary driver behind the higher prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in men. These discoveries shed light on underlying mechanisms of sex-biased cancer and provide a promising roadmap for both basic and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osheen Sahay
- Cancer Biology Division, National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India.
| | - Ganesh Kumar Barik
- Cancer Biology Division, National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Sehbanul Islam
- Department of Cancer Biology, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Biomedical Research Building II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Cirzi C, Dyckow J, Legrand C, Schott J, Guo W, Perez Hernandez D, Hisaoka M, Parlato R, Pitzer C, van der Hoeven F, Dittmar G, Helm M, Stoecklin G, Schirmer L, Lyko F, Tuorto F. Queuosine-tRNA promotes sex-dependent learning and memory formation by maintaining codon-biased translation elongation speed. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112507. [PMID: 37609797 PMCID: PMC10548180 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Queuosine (Q) is a modified nucleoside at the wobble position of specific tRNAs. In mammals, queuosinylation is facilitated by queuine uptake from the gut microbiota and is introduced into tRNA by the QTRT1-QTRT2 enzyme complex. By establishing a Qtrt1 knockout mouse model, we discovered that the loss of Q-tRNA leads to learning and memory deficits. Ribo-Seq analysis in the hippocampus of Qtrt1-deficient mice revealed not only stalling of ribosomes on Q-decoded codons, but also a global imbalance in translation elongation speed between codons that engage in weak and strong interactions with their cognate anticodons. While Q-dependent molecular and behavioral phenotypes were identified in both sexes, female mice were affected more severely than males. Proteomics analysis confirmed deregulation of synaptogenesis and neuronal morphology. Together, our findings provide a link between tRNA modification and brain functions and reveal an unexpected role of protein synthesis in sex-dependent cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cansu Cirzi
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Julia Dyckow
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Interdisciplinary Center for NeurosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Carine Legrand
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, Biologie Cellulaire et Thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRSParisFrance
| | - Johanna Schott
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH)DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceHeidelbergGermany
- Division of Biochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Wei Guo
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH)DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceHeidelbergGermany
- Division of Biochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | | | - Miharu Hisaoka
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH)DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceHeidelbergGermany
- Division of Biochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Rosanna Parlato
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational NeurosciencesHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core (INBC), Medical Faculty HeidelbergHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | | | - Gunnar Dittmar
- Department of Infection and ImmunityLuxembourg Institute of HealthStrassenLuxembourg
- Department of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of LuxembourgLuxembourg
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Science (IPBS)Johannes Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Georg Stoecklin
- Faculty of BiosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH)DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceHeidelbergGermany
- Division of Biochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Lucas Schirmer
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Interdisciplinary Center for NeurosciencesHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience and Institute for Innate Immunoscience, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Frank Lyko
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Francesca Tuorto
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH)DKFZ‐ZMBH AllianceHeidelbergGermany
- Division of Biochemistry, Mannheim Institute for Innate Immunoscience (MI3), Mannheim Cancer Center (MCC), Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
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Alrashdan MS, Al-Rawi NH, Hassona Y, Al Kawas S, Cirillo N. Mechanisms underlying sex bias in oral immune-mediated conditions, an insight. J Oral Pathol Med 2023; 52:795-802. [PMID: 37452464 DOI: 10.1111/jop.13466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The predilection for women in systemic autoimmune diseases is well established. However, this sex bias in oral autoimmune diseases has been classically reported from an epidemiological perspective without any elaborate attempts to unveil the underlying mechanisms. The unique nature of the oral environment is likely to impose a combination of systemic and local factors that ultimately result in the sex bias in autoimmune diseases of the oral cavity. Variations of immune responses, target organ vulnerability, endocrine and genetic factors, sex chromosomes and modes of parental inheritance are potential systemic factors, while the oral microbiome, oral tolerance, saliva, and oral epithelial stem cells may account for local contributing factors. This review will discuss the preponderance of women in oral immune-mediated diseases, the potential systemic and local mechanisms underlying this predominance and highlight the crucial need for further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S Alrashdan
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Natheer H Al-Rawi
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yazan Hassona
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Periodontics, School of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sausan Al Kawas
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nicola Cirillo
- Melbourne Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
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11
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Nunamaker EA, Turner PV. Unmasking the Adverse Impacts of Sex Bias on Science and Research Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2792. [PMID: 37685056 PMCID: PMC10486396 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex bias in biomedical and natural science research has been prevalent for decades. In many cases, the female estrous cycle was thought to be too complex an issue to model for, and it was thought to be simpler to only use males in studies. At times, particularly when studying efficacy and safety of new therapeutics, this sex bias has resulted in over- and under-medication with associated deleterious side effects in women. Many sex differences have been recognized that are unrelated to hormonal variation occurring during the estrous cycle. Sex bias also creates animal welfare challenges related to animal over-production and wastage, insufficient consideration of welfare (and scientific) impact related to differential housing of male vs female animals within research facilities, and a lack of understanding regarding differential requirements for pain recognition and alleviation in male versus female animals. Although many funding and government agencies require both sexes to be studied in biomedical research, many disparities remain in practice. This requires further enforcement of expectations by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee when reviewing protocols, research groups when writing grants, planning studies, and conducting research, and scientific journals and reviewers to ensure that sex bias policies are enforced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Nunamaker
- Global Animal Welfare and Training, Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA;
| | - Patricia V. Turner
- Global Animal Welfare and Training, Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA 01887, USA;
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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12
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Earhart AP, Karasseva NG, Storey KM, Olthoff B, Sarker MB, Laffey KG, Lange MJ, Rector RS, Schulz LC, Gil D, Neuhauser CM, Schrum AG. Lower female survival from an opportunistic infection reveals progesterone-driven sex bias in trained immunity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113007. [PMID: 37590139 PMCID: PMC10528383 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113007] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune responses differ between females and males, although such sex-based variance is incompletely understood. Observing that bacteremia of the opportunistic pathogen Burkholderia gladioli caused many more deaths of female than male mice bearing genetic deficiencies in adaptive immunity, we determined that this was associated with sex bias in the innate immune memory response called trained immunity. Female attenuation of trained immunity varies with estrous cycle stage and correlates with serum progesterone, a hormone that decreases glycolytic capacity and recall cytokine secretion induced by antigen non-specific stimuli. Progesterone receptor antagonism rescues female trained immune responses and survival from controlled B. gladioli infection to magnitudes similar to those of males. These data demonstrate progesterone-dependent sex bias in trained immunity where attenuation of female responses is associated with survival outcomes from opportunistic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Earhart
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Natalia G Karasseva
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Kathryn M Storey
- Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Benjamin Olthoff
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Md Bodruzzaman Sarker
- Division of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Kimberly G Laffey
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Margaret J Lange
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - R Scott Rector
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Research Service, Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Laura C Schulz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women's Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Diana Gil
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Claudia M Neuhauser
- Division of Research, Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Adam G Schrum
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Division of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
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13
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Rrapaj A, Landau AM, Winterdahl M. Exploration of possible sex bias in acute social stress research: a semi-systematic review. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2023; 35:205-217. [PMID: 36876342 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2023.16] [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] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Stress can have a significant impact on the daily lives of individuals and can increase vulnerability to a number of medical conditions. This study aims to estimate the ratio of male to female participants in acute social stress research in healthy individuals. We examined original research articles published over the last 20 years. Each article was screened to determine the total number of female and male participants. We extracted data from 124 articles involving a total of 9539 participants. A total of 4221 (44.2%) participants were female, 5056 (53.0%) were male and 262 (2.7%) were unreported. Articles incorporating only females were significantly underrepresented compared to articles incorporating only males. Forty articles (63.5%) which presented data from both females and males, failed to analyse and interpret the results by sex, a significant methodological limitation. In conclusion, in the literature published over the last 20 years, female participants are significantly underrepresented. In the studies where females are represented, severe methodological limitations are apparent. Researchers should be conscious of sexual dimorphism, menstrual phase and use of hormonal contraception, which may impact the interpretation of their results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemida Rrapaj
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anne M Landau
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michael Winterdahl
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET-Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Ha TT, Burgess R, Newman M, Moey C, Mandelstam SA, Gardner AE, Ivancevic AM, Pham D, Kumar R, Smith N, Patel C, Malone S, Ryan MM, Calvert S, van Eyk CL, Lardelli M, Berkovic SF, Leventer RJ, Richards LJ, Scheffer IE, Gecz J, Corbett MA. Aicardi Syndrome Is a Genetically Heterogeneous Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1565. [PMID: 37628618 PMCID: PMC10454071 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aicardi Syndrome (AIC) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder recognized by the classical triad of agenesis of the corpus callosum, chorioretinal lacunae and infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. The diagnostic criteria of AIC were revised in 2005 to include additional phenotypes that are frequently observed in this patient group. AIC has been traditionally considered as X-linked and male lethal because it almost exclusively affects females. Despite numerous genetic and genomic investigations on AIC, a unifying X-linked cause has not been identified. Here, we performed exome and genome sequencing of 10 females with AIC or suspected AIC based on current criteria. We identified a unique de novo variant, each in different genes: KMT2B, SLF1, SMARCB1, SZT2 and WNT8B, in five of these females. Notably, genomic analyses of coding and non-coding single nucleotide variants, short tandem repeats and structural variation highlighted a distinct lack of X-linked candidate genes. We assessed the likely pathogenicity of our candidate autosomal variants using the TOPflash assay for WNT8B and morpholino knockdown in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos for other candidates. We show expression of Wnt8b and Slf1 are restricted to clinically relevant cortical tissues during mouse development. Our findings suggest that AIC is genetically heterogeneous with implicated genes converging on molecular pathways central to cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuong T. Ha
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Pathology, Centre for Cancer Biology, An Alliance between SA Pathology and the University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Rosemary Burgess
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (S.F.B.); (I.E.S.)
| | - Morgan Newman
- Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.L.)
| | - Ching Moey
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Simone A. Mandelstam
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Alison E. Gardner
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
| | - Atma M. Ivancevic
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Duyen Pham
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
| | - Raman Kumar
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
| | - Nicholas Smith
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
- Department of Neurology, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia
| | - Chirag Patel
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
| | - Stephen Malone
- Queensland Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
| | - Monique M. Ryan
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Neurology, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sophie Calvert
- Department of Neurosciences, Queensland Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia;
| | - Clare L. van Eyk
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
| | - Michael Lardelli
- Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.L.)
| | - Samuel F. Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (S.F.B.); (I.E.S.)
| | - Richard J. Leventer
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Neurology, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Linda J. Richards
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ingrid E. Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia (S.F.B.); (I.E.S.)
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Neurology, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jozef Gecz
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Mark A. Corbett
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia (M.A.C.)
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15
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Zeng PY, Tsai YH, Lee CL, Ma YK, Kuo TH. Minimal influence of estrous cycle on studies of female mouse behaviors. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1146109. [PMID: 37470056 PMCID: PMC10352621 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1146109] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Sex bias has been an issue in many biomedical fields, especially in neuroscience. In rodent research, many scientists only focused on male animals due to the belief that female estrous cycle gives rise to unacceptable, high levels of variance in the experiments. However, even though female sexual behaviors are well known to be regulated by estrous cycle, which effects on other non-sexual behaviors were not always consistent in previous reports. Recent reviews analyzing published literature even suggested that there is no evidence for larger variation in female than male in several phenotypes. Methods To further investigate the impact of estrous cycle on the variability of female behaviors, we conducted multiple behavioral assays, including the open field test, forced swimming test, and resident-intruder assay to assess anxiety-, depression-like behaviors, as well as social interaction respectively. We compared females in the estrus and diestrus stages across four different mouse strains: C57BL/6, BALB/c, C3H, and DBA/2. Results Our results found no significant difference in most behavioral parameters between females in these two stages. On the other hand, the differences in behaviors among certain strains are relatively consistent in both stages, suggesting a very minimal effect of estrous cycle for detecting the behavioral difference. Last, we compared the behavioral variation between male and female and found very similar variations in most behaviors between the two sexes. Discussion While our study successfully identified behavioral differences among strains and between the sexes, we did not find solid evidence to support the notion that female behaviors are influenced by the estrous cycle. Additionally, we observed similar levels of behavioral variability between males and females. Female mice, therefore, have no reason to be excluded in future behavioral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yun Zeng
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsuan Tsai
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Lin Lee
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Kai Ma
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Han Kuo
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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16
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Sengupta N, Sarode SC, Sarode GS, Anand R. Sex bias phenomenon in oral cancer: an insight. Future Oncol 2023; 19:1381-1384. [PMID: 37403625 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2023-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Sengupta
- Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411018, India
| | - Sachin C Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411018, India
| | - Gargi S Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411018, India
| | - Rahul Anand
- Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, 411018, India
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17
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Gärtner C, Fallmann J, Stadler PF, Kaiser T, Berkemer SJ. Toward a Systematic Assessment of Sex Differences in Cystic Fibrosis. J Pers Med 2023; 13:924. [PMID: 37373913 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060924] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease with well-documented clinical differences between female and male patients. However, this gender gap is very poorly studied at the molecular level. (2) Methods: Expression differences in whole blood transcriptomics between female and male CF patients are analyzed in order to determine the pathways related to sex-biased genes and assess their potential influence on sex-specific effects in CF patients. (3) Results: We identify sex-biased genes in female and male CF patients and provide explanations for some sex-specific differences at the molecular level. (4) Conclusion: Genes in key pathways associated with CF are differentially expressed between sexes, and thus may account for the gender gap in morbidity and mortality in CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Gärtner
- Neuromorphic Information Processing, Institute of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Augustusplatz 10, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Center of Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
- Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology and Pathobiochemistry, Medical School and University Medical Center East Westphalia-Lippe, Hospital Lippe, Bielefeld University, Röntgenstraße 18, D-32756 Detmold, Germany
| | - Jörg Fallmann
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Center of Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Institute of Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Center of Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thorsten Kaiser
- Academic Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology and Pathobiochemistry, Medical School and University Medical Center East Westphalia-Lippe, Hospital Lippe, Bielefeld University, Röntgenstraße 18, D-32756 Detmold, Germany
| | - Sarah J Berkemer
- LIX CNRS UMR 7161, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-I7E-318 Ookayama, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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18
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Fujimori T, Ohta R, Sano C. Diagnostic Errors in Japanese Community Hospitals and Related Factors: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11111539. [PMID: 37297679 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11111539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Diagnostic error has recently become a crucial clinical problem and an area of intense research. However, the reality of diagnostic errors in regional hospitals remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify the reality of diagnostic errors in regional hospitals in Japan. A 10-month retrospective cohort study was conducted from January to October 2021 at the emergency room of Oda Municipal Hospital in central Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Participants were divided into groups with or without diagnostic errors, and independent variables of patient, physician, and environmental factors were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, univariate (Student's t-test and Welch's t-test), and logistic regression analyses. Diagnostic errors accounted for 13.1% of all eligible cases. Remarkably, the proportion of patients treated without oxygen support and the proportion of male patients were significantly higher in the group with diagnostic errors. Sex bias was present. Additionally, cognitive bias, a major factor in diagnostic errors, may have occurred in patients who did not require oxygen support. Numerous factors contribute to diagnostic errors; however, it is important to understand the trends in the setting of each healthcare facility and plan and implement individualized countermeasures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taichi Fujimori
- Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
- Oda Municipal Hospital, 1428-3 Yoshinaga, Oda-cho, Oda 694-0063, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Ohta
- Community Care, Unnan City Hospital, 699-1221 96-1 Iida, Daito-cho, Unnan 699-1221, Japan
| | - Chiaki Sano
- Department of Community Medicine Management, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya cho, Izumo 693-8501, Japan
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Gutleb HNR, Gutleb AC. A Short History of the Consideration of Sex Differences in Biomedical Research - Lessons for the In Vitro Community from Animal Models and Human Clinical Trials. Altern Lab Anim 2023; 51:144-150. [PMID: 36751122 DOI: 10.1177/02611929231156720] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, it has become clear that in many fields - such as drug development, particularly with regard to drug dosage and specific disease treatment - the sex of a patient must be taken into consideration, in view of the fact that male and female physiology and pathophysiology show many differences of practical concern. While, in the last decade or so, considerable efforts have been undertaken to consider the sex of the animals during the planning of experiments, this topic has just started to be acknowledged in in vitro studies. Cells in such studies seem mainly to be used according to their availability, without considering the sex of the original donor. Even when such information is available, experimental data are reported without overtly detailing this information. In recent years, the increasing complexity of in vitro models (e.g. stem cell-based, 3-D cultures, organoids, or organ-on-a-chip technologies) has contributed to systems that better resemble the human in vivo situation. However, the issue of the sex of the experimental organisms being used has not yet been properly taken up by the cell culture community. Thus, alongside the increasing complexity of multicell-type models, we now see in vitro models that incorporate cells from both male and female origin - this representing, in fact, a genetic chimaera. Here, we aim to discuss where we are currently, with respect to considering the sex of any animals or humans used in experiments, and we try to identify what is lacking in the cell culture field, in order to help facilitate change.
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20
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Pfennig A, Lachance J. Challenges of accurately estimating sex-biased admixture from X chromosomal and autosomal ancestry proportions. Am J Hum Genet 2023; 110:359-367. [PMID: 36736293 PMCID: PMC9943719 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex-biased admixture can be inferred from ancestry-specific proportions of X chromosome and autosomes. In a paper published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, Micheletti et al.1 used this approach to quantify male and female contributions following the transatlantic slave trade. Using a large dataset from 23andMe, they concluded that African and European contributions to gene pools in the Americas were much more sex biased than previously thought. We show that the reported extreme sex-specific contributions can be attributed to unassigned genetic ancestry as well as the limitations of simple models of sex-biased admixture. Unassigned ancestry proportions in the study by Micheletti et al. ranged from ∼1% to 21%, depending on the type of chromosome and geographic region. A sensitivity analysis illustrates how this unassigned ancestry can create false patterns of sex bias and that mathematical models are highly sensitive to slight sampling errors when inferring mean ancestry proportions, making confidence intervals necessary. Thus, unassigned ancestry and the sensitivity of the models effectively prohibit the interpretation of estimated sex biases for many geographic regions in Micheletti et al. Furthermore, Micheletti et al. assumed models of a single admixture event. Using simulations, we find that violations of demographic assumptions, such as subsequent gene flow and/or sex-specific assortative mating, may have confounded the analyses of Micheletti et al., but unassigned ancestry was likely the more important confounding factor. Our findings underscore the importance of using complete ancestry information, sufficiently large sample sizes, and appropriate models when inferring sex-biased patterns of demography. This Matters Arising paper is in response to Micheletti et al.,1 published in American Journal of Human Genetics. See also the response by Micheletti et al.,2 published in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Pfennig
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Joseph Lachance
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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Gershengorn HB, Vranas KC, Ouyang D, Cheng S, Rogers AJ, Schweiger L, Cooke CR, Slatore CG. Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Author Sex and Manuscript Acceptance Rates among Pulmonary and Critical Care Journals. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2023; 20:215-25. [PMID: 35588358 DOI: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202203-277OC] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively affected women more than men and may influence the publication of non-COVID-19 research. Objectives: To evaluate whether the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with changes in manuscript acceptance rates among pulmonary/critical care journals and sex-based disparities in these rates. Methods: We analyzed first, senior, and corresponding author sex (female vs. male, identified by matching first names in a validated Genderize database) of manuscripts submitted to four pulmonary/critical care journals between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. We constructed interrupted time series regression models to evaluate whether the proportion of female first and senior authors of non-COVID-19 original research manuscripts changed with the pandemic. Next, we performed multivariable logistic regressions to evaluate the association of author sex with acceptance of original research manuscripts. Results: Among 8,332 original research submissions, women represented 39.9% and 28.3% of first and senior authors, respectively. We found no change in the proportion of female first or senior authors of non-COVID-19 or COVID-19 submitted research manuscripts during the COVID-19 era. Non-COVID-19 manuscripts submitted during the COVID-19 era had reduced odds of acceptance, regardless of author sex (first author adjusted OR [aOR], 0.46 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36-0.59]; senior author aOR, 0.46 [95% CI, 0.37-0.57]). Female senior authorship was associated with decreased acceptance of non-COVID-19 research manuscripts (crude rates, 14.4% [male] vs. 13.2% [female]; aOR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.99]). Conclusions: Although female author submissions were not disproportionately influenced by COVID-19, we found evidence suggesting sex disparities in manuscript acceptance rates. Journals may need to consider strategies to reduce this disparity, and academic institutions may need to factor our findings, including lower acceptance rates for non-COVID-19 manuscripts, into promotion decisions.
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22
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Tsukahara Y, Kamada H, Torii S, Yamasawa F, Macznik AK. Controlling Behavior, Sex Bias and Coaching Success in Japanese Track and Field. Sports (Basel) 2023; 11:sports11020032. [PMID: 36828317 PMCID: PMC9960089 DOI: 10.3390/sports11020032] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coaching athletes is a complex and lengthy process. Recently, attention has been given to coaches over-controlling behavior toward the athletes' personal lives and possible sex bias, but the impact of these behaviors on coaching success is unclear. An anonymous survey was answered by 412 track and field coaches (male: 369; female: 43), comprising questions regarding controlling behaviors, sex bias, and personal background. A Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to determine the factors related to the coach's characteristics and their success in coaching athletes (to national vs. non-national level). The results showed that controlling behaviors and sex-bias-related beliefs were present. The coaches who coached national-level athletes were more likely to be older, more experienced, and were national level athletes themselves. More national-level coaches reported controlling behaviors but fewer held sex bias beliefs than the non-national level coaches. However, the strength of these beliefs (scores for controlling behavior and sex bias) was not related to the coaching success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Tsukahara
- Department of Sports Medicine, Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education, Tokyo 1868668, Japan
- Medical Committee, Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), Tokyo 1600013, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-80-3688-6128
| | - Hiroshi Kamada
- Medical Committee, Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), Tokyo 1600013, Japan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 3058577, Japan
| | - Suguru Torii
- Medical Committee, Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), Tokyo 1600013, Japan
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa 3591192, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Yamasawa
- Medical Committee, Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF), Tokyo 1600013, Japan
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23
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Li M, Usui N, Shimada S. Prenatal Sex Hormone Exposure Is Associated with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032203. [PMID: 36768521 PMCID: PMC9916422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032203] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual differentiation is a major developmental process. Sex differences resulting from sexual differentiation have attracted the attention of researchers. Unraveling what contributes to and underlies sex differences will provide valuable insights into the development of neurodevelopmental disorders that exhibit sex biases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual's social interaction and communication abilities, and its male preponderance has been consistently reported in clinical studies. The etiology of male preponderance remains unclear, but progress has been made in studying prenatal sex hormone exposure. The present review examined studies that focused on the association between prenatal testosterone exposure and ASD development, as well as sex-specific behaviors in individuals with ASD. This review also included studies on maternal immune activation-induced developmental abnormalities that also showed striking sex differences in offspring and discussed its possible interacting roles in ASD so as to present a potential approach for future studies on sex biases in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwei Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-6-6879-3124
| | - Shoichi Shimada
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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24
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Koptekin D, Yüncü E, Rodríguez-Varela R, Altınışık NE, Psonis N, Kashuba N, Yorulmaz S, George R, Kazancı DD, Kaptan D, Gürün K, Vural KB, Gemici HC, Vassou D, Daskalaki E, Karamurat C, Lagerholm VK, Erdal ÖD, Kırdök E, Marangoni A, Schachner A, Üstündağ H, Shengelia R, Bitadze L, Elashvili M, Stravopodi E, Özbaşaran M, Duru G, Nafplioti A, Rose CB, Gencer T, Darbyshire G, Gavashelishvili A, Pitskhelauri K, Çevik Ö, Vuruşkan O, Kyparissi-Apostolika N, Büyükkarakaya AM, Oğuzhanoğlu U, Günel S, Tabakaki E, Aliev A, Ibrahimov A, Shadlinski V, Sampson A, Kılınç GM, Atakuman Ç, Stamatakis A, Poulakakis N, Erdal YS, Pavlidis P, Storå J, Özer F, Götherström A, Somel M. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in human mobility patterns in Holocene Southwest Asia and the East Mediterranean. Curr Biol 2023; 33:41-57.e15. [PMID: 36493775 PMCID: PMC9839366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.034] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We present a spatiotemporal picture of human genetic diversity in Anatolia, Iran, Levant, South Caucasus, and the Aegean, a broad region that experienced the earliest Neolithic transition and the emergence of complex hierarchical societies. Combining 35 new ancient shotgun genomes with 382 ancient and 23 present-day published genomes, we found that genetic diversity within each region steadily increased through the Holocene. We further observed that the inferred sources of gene flow shifted in time. In the first half of the Holocene, Southwest Asian and the East Mediterranean populations homogenized among themselves. Starting with the Bronze Age, however, regional populations diverged from each other, most likely driven by gene flow from external sources, which we term "the expanding mobility model." Interestingly, this increase in inter-regional divergence can be captured by outgroup-f3-based genetic distances, but not by the commonly used FST statistic, due to the sensitivity of FST, but not outgroup-f3, to within-population diversity. Finally, we report a temporal trend of increasing male bias in admixture events through the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilek Koptekin
- Department of Health Informatics, Graduate School of Informatics, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey,Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey,Corresponding author
| | - Eren Yüncü
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ricardo Rodríguez-Varela
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - N. Ezgi Altınışık
- Human-G Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nikolaos Psonis
- Ancient DNA Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-70013 Irakleio, Greece
| | - Natalia Kashuba
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Archaeology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sevgi Yorulmaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Robert George
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden,School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Sydney, Australia
| | - Duygu Deniz Kazancı
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey,Human-G Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Damla Kaptan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kanat Gürün
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kıvılcım Başak Vural
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hasan Can Gemici
- Department of Settlement Archaeology, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Despoina Vassou
- Ancient DNA Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-70013 Irakleio, Greece
| | - Evangelia Daskalaki
- Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cansu Karamurat
- Department of Settlement Archaeology, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Vendela K. Lagerholm
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ömür Dilek Erdal
- Husbio-L Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emrah Kırdök
- Department of Biotechnology, Mersin University, 33343 Yenişehir, Mersin, Turkey
| | | | - Andreas Schachner
- Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Inönü Cad. 10, Gümüşsuyu, 34437 İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Handan Üstündağ
- Department of Archaeology, Anadolu University, 26470 Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Ramaz Shengelia
- Department of the History of Medicine and Bioethics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | - Liana Bitadze
- Institute of History and Ethnology, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mikheil Elashvili
- Cultural Heritage and Environment Research Center, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Eleni Stravopodi
- Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology, Ministry of Culture and Sports, 11636 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Güneş Duru
- Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, 34134 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Argyro Nafplioti
- Ancient DNA Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-70013 Irakleio, Greece
| | - C. Brian Rose
- Department of Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tuğba Gencer
- Department of History of Medicine and Ethics, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Alexander Gavashelishvili
- Center of Biodiversity Studies, Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University, Cholokashvili Str. 5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
| | | | - Özlem Çevik
- Department of Archaeology, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
| | - Osman Vuruşkan
- Department of Archaeology, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
| | | | - Ali Metin Büyükkarakaya
- Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey,Human Behavioral Ecology and Archaeometry Laboratory (IDEA Lab), Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Umay Oğuzhanoğlu
- Department of Archaeology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Sevinç Günel
- Department of Archaeology, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Eugenia Tabakaki
- Ancient DNA Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-70013 Irakleio, Greece
| | - Akper Aliev
- Azerbaijan DNA Project, Family Tree DNA, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Adamantios Sampson
- Department of Mediterranean Studies, University of Aegean, Dimokratias st., 85100 Rhodes, Greece
| | - Gülşah Merve Kılınç
- Department of Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Çiğdem Atakuman
- Institute of Social Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Alexandros Stamatakis
- Computational Molecular Evolution Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, 69118 Heidelberg, Germany,Institute for Theoretical Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Nikos Poulakakis
- Ancient DNA Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), N. Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton, GR-70013 Irakleio, Greece,Natural History Museum of Crete, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Knossos Avenue, 71409 Irakleio, Greece,Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, 70013 Irakleio, Greece
| | - Yılmaz Selim Erdal
- Human-G Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey,Husbio-L Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Pavlos Pavlidis
- Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Jan Storå
- Osteoarchaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Füsun Özer
- Human-G Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Anders Götherström
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden,Corresponding author
| | - Mehmet Somel
- Department of Health Informatics, Graduate School of Informatics, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey,Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey,Corresponding author
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25
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Immonen E, Sayadi A, Stojković B, Savković U, Đorđević M, Liljestrand-Rönn J, Wiberg RAW, Arnqvist G. Experimental Life History Evolution Results in Sex-specific Evolution of Gene Expression in Seed Beetles. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 15:6948356. [PMID: 36542472 PMCID: PMC9830990 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac177] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterns of reproductive timing and senescence vary within and across species owing to differences in reproductive strategies, but our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of such variation is incomplete. This is perhaps particularly true for sex differences. We investigated the evolution of sex-specific gene expression associated with life history divergence in replicated populations of the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus, experimentally evolving under (E)arly or (L)ate life reproduction for >200 generations which has resulted in strongly divergent life histories. We detected 1,646 genes that were differentially expressed in E and L lines, consistent with a highly polygenic basis of life history evolution. Only 30% of differentially expressed genes were similarly affected in males and females. The evolution of long life was associated with significantly reduced sex differences in expression, especially in non-reproductive tissues. The expression differences were overall more pronounced in females, in accordance with their greater phenotypic divergence in lifespan. Functional enrichment analysis revealed differences between E and L beetles in gene categories previously implicated in aging, such as mitochondrial function and defense response. The results show that divergent life history evolution can be associated with profound changes in gene expression that alter the transcriptome in a sex-specific way, highlighting the importance of understanding the mechanisms of aging in each sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahmed Sayadi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Biljana Stojković
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia,Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Uroš Savković
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirko Đorđević
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - R Axel W Wiberg
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Arnqvist
- Animal Ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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26
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Crawford DR, Sinha S, Nair NU, Ryan BM, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Mount SM, Erez A, Aldape K, Castle PE, Rajagopal PS, Day CP, Schäffer AA, Ruppin E. Sex Biases in Cancer and Autoimmune Disease Incidence Are Strongly Positively Correlated with Mitochondrial Gene Expression across Human Tissues. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14. [PMID: 36497367 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer occurs more frequently in men while autoimmune diseases (AIDs) occur more frequently in women. To explore whether these sex biases have a common basis, we collected 167 AID incidence studies from many countries for tissues that have both a cancer type and an AID that arise from that tissue. Analyzing a total of 182 country-specific, tissue-matched cancer-AID incidence rate sex bias data pairs, we find that, indeed, the sex biases observed in the incidence of AIDs and cancers that occur in the same tissue are positively correlated across human tissues. The common key factor whose levels across human tissues are most strongly associated with these incidence rate sex biases is the sex bias in the expression of the 37 genes encoded in the mitochondrial genome.
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27
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Yin Y, Yu X, Feng R, Li Y, Zhao Y, Liu Z. Drug Repurposing Applications to Overcome Male Predominance via Targeting G2/M Checkpoint in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14. [PMID: 36497337 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is strongly characterized by a male predominance with higher mortality rates and worse responses to treatment in males versus females. Despite the role of sex hormones, other causes that may contribute to sex bias in ESCC remain largely unknown, especially as age increases and the hormone difference begins to diminish between sexes. In this study, we analyzed genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics from 663 ESCC patients and found that G2/M checkpoint pathway-related sex bias and age bias were significantly present in multi-omics data. In accordance with gene expression patterns across sexes, ten compounds were identified by applying drug repurposing from three drug sensitivity databases: The Connective Map (CMap), Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC), and The Cancer Therapeutic Response Portal (CTRP). MK1775 and decitabine showed better efficacy in two male ESCC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. The drugs' relevance to the transition between G2 and M was especially evident in male cell lines. In our study, we first validated the sex bias of the G2/M checkpoint pathway in ESCC and then determined that G2/M targets may be included in combination therapy for male patients to improve the efficacy of ESCC treatment.
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28
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Kouthouridis S, Robson E, Hartung A, Raha S, Zhang B. Se(XY) matters: the importance of incorporating sex in microphysiological models. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1284-1298. [PMID: 35597689 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The development of microphysiological models is currently at the forefront of preclinical research. Although these 3D tissue models are being developed to mimic physiological organ function and diseases, which are often sexually dimorphic, sex is usually neglected as a biological variable. For decades, national research agencies have required government-funded clinical trials to include both male and female participants as a means of eliminating male bias. However, this is not the case in preclinical trials, which have been shown to favor male rodents in animal studies and male cell types in in vitro studies. In this Opinion, we highlight the importance of considering sex as a biological variable and outline five approaches for incorporating sex-specific features into current microphysiological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Kouthouridis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Eleanor Robson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Alicia Hartung
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Sandeep Raha
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada; Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
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29
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Ana C. Anderson, Nandini Acharya. Steroid hormone regulation of immune responses in cancer. Immunometabolism (Cobham) 2022; 4. [PMID: 36337733 DOI: 10.1097/IN9.0000000000000012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol and can be classified into sex hormones (estrogens, androgens, progesterone) that are primarily synthesized in the gonads and adrenal hormones (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids) that are primarily synthesized in the adrenal gland. Although, it has long been known that steroid hormones have potent effects on the immune system, recent studies have led to renewed interest in their role in regulating anti-tumor immunity. Extra-glandular cells, such as epithelial cells and immune cells, have been shown to synthesize glucocorticoids and thereby modulate immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, new insight into the role of androgens on immune cell responses have shed light on mechanisms underpinning the observed sex bias in cancer survival outcomes. Here, we review the role of steroid hormones, specifically glucocorticoids and androgens, in regulating anti-tumor immunity and discuss how their modulation could pave the way for designing novel therapeutic strategies to improve anti-tumor immune responses.
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30
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Gunn CM, Pankowska M, Harris M, Helsing E, Battaglia TA, Bagley SM. The representation of females in clinical trials for substance use disorder conducted in the United States (2010-19). Addiction 2022; 117:2583-2590. [PMID: 35165969 PMCID: PMC10062729 DOI: 10.1111/add.15842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Women have historically been under-represented in clinical research, but the extent to which this is true for substance use disorder (SUD) trials is unknown. We aimed to determine the ratio of female:male participation in clinical trials for SUDs and describe the reporting of sex-specific outcomes from 2010 to 2019. DESIGN A retrospective cohort review of clinical trials involving people with SUD. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS Clinical trials including people with SUD registered in clinicaltrials.gov and completed between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019 were reviewed. Trials were excluded if they had < 30 participants, focused on SUD prevention, were conducted outside the United States and/or did not report data on participant sex or gender. MEASUREMENTS The following were extracted for each trial: primary outcome, number of participants enrolled, analytical sample size, percentage of participants who were female, inclusion of transgender participants, whether sex-based analyses were performed, funding source, type of SUD and type of intervention. Relative representation in trials was examined using the female:male ratio, reported using median ratios and by year of trial completion. The proportion of females participating was adjusted using the underlying disease prevalence among females using National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. FINDINGS A total of 316 trials met inclusion criteria: 274 were mixed-sex, 12 enrolled only males and 30 only females. In 274 mixed-sex trials, 40% of 57 544 participants were female. Only 22 trials (8%) reported any sex-specific analyses; four studies (1.5%) reported inclusion of transgender participants. Females represented 35% of participants in trials targeting illicit drug use disorder, 52% in nicotine use disorder and 29% in alcohol use disorder. Accounting for underlying disease prevalence revealed that women had the lowest relative enrollment in alcohol use disorder trials (median participation to prevalence ratio in 2017: 0.58; 95% confidence interval: 0.13, 0.91). CONCLUSIONS A review of 316 US clinical trials for alcohol, nicotine and illicit substance use disorders completed between 2010 and 2019 showed that females were enrolled at lower rates than males overall. Only 8% of the trials reviewed reported sex-specific analyses and 1.5% reported transgender participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Gunn
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Magda Pankowska
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miriam Harris
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emma Helsing
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tracy A Battaglia
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Women's Health Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah M Bagley
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Dhalech AH, Corn CM, Mangale V, Syed F, Condotta SA, Richer MJ, Robinson CM. Testosterone Promotes the Intestinal Replication and Dissemination of Coxsackievirus B3 in an Oral Inoculation Mouse Model. J Virol 2022; 96:e0123222. [PMID: 36037480 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01232-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteroviruses initiate infection in the gastrointestinal tract, and sex is often a biological variable that impacts pathogenesis. Previous data suggest that sex hormones can influence the intestinal replication of Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), an enterovirus in the Picornaviridae family. However, the specific sex hormone(s) that regulates intestinal CVB3 replication is poorly understood. To determine if testosterone promotes intestinal CVB3 replication, we orally inoculated male and female Ifnar-/- mice that were treated with either placebo or testosterone-filled capsules. Following oral inoculation, we found that the testosterone-treated male and female mice shed significantly more CVB3 in their feces than did the placebo-treated mice, indicating that testosterone enhances intestinal replication. Similarly, testosterone enhanced viral dissemination in both sexes, as we observed higher viral loads in peripheral tissues following infection. Further, the testosterone-treated male mice also had a higher mortality rate than did the testosterone-depleted male mice. Finally, we observed that testosterone significantly affected the immune response to CVB3. We found that testosterone broadly increased proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines while decreasing the number of splenic B cells and dendritic cells following CVB3 infection. Moreover, while testosterone did not affect the early CD4 T cell response to CVB3, testosterone reduced the activation of CD8 T cells. These data indicate that testosterone can promote intestinal CVB3 replication and dissemination while also impacting the subsequent viral immune response. IMPORTANCE Biological sex plays a significant role in the outcomes of various infections and diseases. The impact of sex hormones on the intestinal replication and dissemination of Coxsackievirus B3 remains poorly understood. Using an oral inoculation model, we found that testosterone enhances CVB3 shedding and dissemination in male and female mice. Further, testosterone can alter the immune response to CVB3. This work highlights the role of testosterone in CVB3 pathogenesis and suggests that sex hormones can impact the replication and dissemination of enteric viruses.
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Sun R, Van de Walle J, Patrick SC, Barbraud C, Weimerskirch H, Delord K, Jenouvrier S. Boldness predicts divorce rates in wandering albatrosses ( Diomedea exulans). Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220301. [PMID: 36099936 PMCID: PMC9470246 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0301] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality predicts divorce rates in humans, yet how personality traits affect divorce in wild animals remains largely unknown. In a male-skewed population of wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), we showed that personality predicts divorce; shyer males exhibited higher divorce rates than bolder males but no such relationship was found in females. We propose that divorce may be caused by the intrusion of male competitors and shyer males divorce more often because of their avoidance of territorial aggression, while females have easier access to mates regardless of their personality. Thus, personality may have important implications for the dynamics of social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijiao Sun
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joanie Van de Walle
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Samantha C. Patrick
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Nicholson Building, Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GP, UK
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize, CNRS-La Rochelle University UMR7372, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Stéphanie Jenouvrier
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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33
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Darici D, Schneider AYD, Missler M, Pfleiderer B. Are stereotypes in decline? The portrayal of female anatomy in e-learning. Anat Sci Educ 2022. [PMID: 35844161 DOI: 10.1002/ase.2211] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sex and gender bias in anatomy learning materials are considered a "hidden obstacle" to gender equity in medical curricula. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether quantitative sex and gender biases do exist in popular anatomy e-learning platforms and compare the results with those found in contemporary textbooks and atlases. A systematic content-analysis was performed on N = 3767 images published from 2008 to 2021 in which sex/gender could be identified by considering technical aspects of illustration and various intersectional categories. E-learning platforms took into account an appropriate representation of the female body and presented even more females (n = 932/1412; 66%), more frequently from a ventral/anterior (χ2 = 26, P < 0.001) and whole-body perspective (χ2 = 27, P < 0.001). This was in contrast to German anatomy books, where the results pointed to a significant sex and gender bias. For example, all books assessed underrepresented females (n = 707/2355; 30%) and placed them in stereotypical sex-specific context (χ2 = 348, P < 0.001), showing them more often from a caudal/inferior (χ2 = 99, P < 0.001) and internal (χ2 = 132, P < 0.001) perspective. Altogether, the visual representation of sex and gender in anatomical curricula is still biased and the stereotypical perceptions of human anatomy seem to be a global issue. However, the increasing use of electronic learning platforms, which gradually replace traditional books is changing the way the male and female body is depicted, which might offer new opportunities for reducing stereotypes in anatomy education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dogus Darici
- Institute of Anatomy and Molecular Neurobiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Markus Missler
- Institute of Anatomy and Molecular Neurobiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Bettina Pfleiderer
- Radiology Clinic, Medical Faculty, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
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34
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Vininski MS, Rajput S, Hobbs NJ, Dolence JJ. Understanding sex differences in the allergic immune response to food. AIMS Allergy Immunol 2022; 6:90-105. [PMID: 38314333 PMCID: PMC10836331 DOI: 10.3934/allergy.2022009] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Food allergies are of great public health concern due to their rising prevalence. Our understanding of how the immune system reacts to food remains incomplete. Allergic responses vary between individuals with food allergies. This variability could be caused by genetic, environmental, hormonal, or metabolic factors that impact immune responses mounted against allergens found in foods. Peanut (PN) allergy is one of the most severe and persistent of food allergies, warranting examination into how sensitization occurs to drive IgE-mediated allergic reactions. In recent years, much has been learned about the mechanisms behind the initiation of IgE-mediated food allergies, but additional questions remain. One unresolved issue is whether sex hormones impact the development of food allergies. Sex differences are known to exist in other allergic diseases, so this poses the question about whether the same phenomenon is occurring in food allergies. Studies show that females exhibit a higher prevalence of atopic conditions, such as allergic asthma and eczema, relative to males. Discovering such sex differences in allergic diseases provide a basis for investigating the mechanisms of how hormones influence the development of IgE-mediated reactions to foods. Analysis of existing food allergy demographics found that they occur more frequently in male children and adult females, which is comparable to allergic asthma. This paper reviews existing allergic mechanisms, sensitization routes, as well as how sex hormones may play a role in how the immune system reacts to common food allergens such as PN.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicholas J. Hobbs
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, 68849
| | - Joseph J. Dolence
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, 68849
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Gerussi A, Paraboschi EM, Cappadona C, Caime C, Binatti E, Cristoferi L, Asselta R, Invernizzi P. The Role of Epigenetics in Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094873. [PMID: 35563266 PMCID: PMC9105933 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094873] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is a rare autoimmune disease of the liver, affecting mostly females. There is evidence that epigenetic changes have a pathogenic role in PBC. Epigenetic modifications are related to methylation of CpG DNA islands, post-translational modifications of histone proteins, and non-coding RNAs. In PBC, there are data showing a dysregulation of all these levels, especially in immune cells. In addition, epigenetics seems to be involved in complex phenomena such as X monosomy or abnormalities in the process of X chromosome inactivation, which have been reported in PBC and appear to influence its sex imbalance and pathogenesis. We review here historical data on epigenetic modifications in PBC, present new data, and discuss possible links among X-chromosome abnormalities at a genetic and epigenetic level, PBC pathogenesis, and PBC sex imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Gerussi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.G.); (C.C.); (E.B.); (L.C.)
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Elvezia Maria Paraboschi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (E.M.P.); (C.C.); (R.A.)
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Claudio Cappadona
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (E.M.P.); (C.C.); (R.A.)
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Chiara Caime
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.G.); (C.C.); (E.B.); (L.C.)
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Eleonora Binatti
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.G.); (C.C.); (E.B.); (L.C.)
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Laura Cristoferi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.G.); (C.C.); (E.B.); (L.C.)
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Asselta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy; (E.M.P.); (C.C.); (R.A.)
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.G.); (C.C.); (E.B.); (L.C.)
- European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Women surgeons face numerous barriers to career advancement. Inequitable citation of surgical literature may represent a contributing factor to gender disparities in academic surgery. STUDY DESIGN This was a cross-sectional analysis of publications from 50 top-ranking surgery journals in 2017 and 2018, as defined by the 2019 InCites Journal Citation Reports. The citation rate of publications by women vs men first authors was compared. Similarly, the citation rate of publications by men vs women last authors was also compared. Adjusted regression analyses of citation rates accounted for the time interval since publication as well as the journal within which the article was published, among other potential confounding factors. RESULTS A total of 19,084 publications from 48 surgery journals with a median (interquartile range) of 8 (4 to 15) citations contributing to a median (interquartile range) Journal Impact Factor of 4.0 (3.4 to 4.6) were analyzed. Compared with man-first author publications, woman-first author publications demonstrated a 9% lower citation rate (incidence rate ratio 0.91, p < 0.001). Similarly, compared with publications by man-last authors, woman-last author publications demonstrated a 4% lower citation rate (incidence rate ratio 0.96, p = 0.03). These associations persisted after multivariable adjustment for additional confounding factors, however, not on sensitivity analysis of 24 of the highest-ranking journals. CONCLUSIONS Among top-tier surgical journals, publications by women-first and -last authors were less cited compared with publications by men-first and -last authors, but not among the highest-tier surgical journals. Gender bias may exist in the citation of surgical research, contributing to gender disparities in academic surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Kane
- From the Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA
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37
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Gerussi A, Caime C, Binatti E, Cristoferi L, Asselta R, Gershwin EM, Invernizzi P. X marks the spot in autoimmunity. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2022; 18:429-437. [PMID: 35349778 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2022.2060203] [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: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autoimmune diseases mostly affect females. Besides hormones, several factors related to chromosome X have been called in action to explain this sex predominance. AREAS COVERED This paper provides an overview on the role of chromosome X (chrX) in explaining why females have higher susceptibility to autoimmunity. The work outlines some essential concepts regarding chrX inactivation, escape from chrX inactivation and the evolutionary history of chrX. In addition, we will discuss the concept of gene escape in immune cells, with examples related to specific X-linked genes and autoimmune diseases. EXPERT OPINION There is growing evidence that many genes present on chrX escape inactivation, and some of them have significant immune-mediated functions. In immune cells of female individuals the escape of these genes is not constant, but the knowledge of the mechanisms controlling this plasticity are not completely understood. Future studies aimed at the characterization of these modifications at single-cell resolution, together with conformational 3D studies of the inactive X chromosome, will hopefully help to fill this gap of knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Gerussi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Chiara Caime
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Eleonora Binatti
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Laura Cristoferi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Asselta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy.,Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Eric M Gershwin
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
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38
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Hu H, Pan H, Li R, He K, Zhang H, Liu L. Increased Circulating Cytokines Have a Role in COVID-19 Severity and Death With a More Pronounced Effect in Males: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:802228. [PMID: 35237162 PMCID: PMC8883392 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.802228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a worldwide epidemic and claimed millions of lives. Accumulating evidence suggests that cytokines storms are closely associated to COVID-19 severity and death. Here, we aimed to explore the key factors related to COVID-19 severity and death, especially in terms of the male patients and those in western countries. Methods: To clarify whether inflammatory cytokines have role in COVID-19 severity and death, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library and Web of Science to identify related studies with the keywords “COVID-19″ and “cytokines”. The data were measured as the mean with 95% confidence interval (CI) by Review Manager 5.3 software. The risk of bias was assessed for each study using appropriate checklists. Results: We preliminarily screened 13,468 studies from the databases. A total of 77 articles with 13,468 patients were ultimately included in our study. The serum levels of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8 and IL-17 were higher in the severity or death group. Notably, we also found that the circulating levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-2R and TNF-α were significantly different between males and females. The serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-2R and TNF-α were much higher in males than in females, which implies that the increased mortality and severity in males was partly due to the higher level of these cytokines. Moreover, we found that in the severe and non-survivor groups, European patients had elevated levels of IL-6 compared with Asian patients. Conclusion: These large-scale data demonstrated that the circulating levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-2R, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-8 and IL-17 are potential risk factors for severity and high mortality in COVID-19. Simultaneously, the upregulation of these cytokines may be driving factors for the sex and region predisposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huating Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
| | - Hudan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China.,Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
| | - Runze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China.,Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
| | - Kancheng He
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuhai, China
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
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Salter-Volz AE, Oyasu A, Yeh C, Muhammad LN, Woitowich NC. Sex and Gender Bias in Covid-19 Clinical Case Reports. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:774033. [PMID: 34881381 PMCID: PMC8647159 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.774033] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical case reports circulate relevant information regarding disease presentation and describe treatment protocols, particularly for novel conditions. In the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, case reports provided key insights into the pathophysiology and sequelae associated with Covid-19 infection and described treatment mechanisms and outcomes. However, case reports are often subject to selection bias due to their singular nature. To better understand how selection biases may have influenced Covid-19-releated case reports, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of Covid-19-releated case reports published in high impact journals from January 1 to June 1, 2020. Case reports were coded for patient sex, country of institutional affiliation, physiological system, and first and last author gender. Of 494 total case reports, 45% (n = 221) of patients were male, 30% (n = 146) were female, and 25% (n = 124) included both sexes. Ratios of male-only to female-only case reports varied by physiological system. The majority of case reports had male first (61%, n = 302) and last (70%, n = 340) authors. Case reports with male last authors were more likely to describe male patients [X2 (2, n = 465) = 6.6, p = 0.037], while case reports with female last authors were more likely to include patients of both sexes [OR = 1.918 (95% CI = 1.163–3.16)]. Despite a limited sample size, these data reflect emerging research on sex-differences in the physiological presentation and impact of Covid-19 and parallel large-scale trends in authorship patterns. Ultimately, this work highlights potential biases in the dissemination of clinical information via case reports and underscores the inextricable influences of sex and gender biases within biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysha E Salter-Volz
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Abigail Oyasu
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Chen Yeh
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lutfiyya N Muhammad
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nicole C Woitowich
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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40
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Suteau V, Munier M, Briet C, Rodien P. Sex Bias in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12992. [PMID: 34884794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiated thyroid cancers are more frequent in women than in men. These different frequencies may depend on differences in patient's behavior and in thyroid investigations. However, an impact on sexual hormones is likely, although this has been insufficiently elucidated. Estrogens may increase the production of mutagenic molecules in the thyroid cell and favor the proliferation and invasion of tumoral cells by regulating both the thyrocyte enzymatic machinery and the inflammatory process associated with tumor growth. On the other hand, the worse prognosis of thyroid cancer associated with the male gender is poorly explained.
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41
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Rambaldi Migliore N, Colombo G, Capodiferro MR, Mazzocchi L, Chero Osorio AM, Raveane A, Tribaldos M, Perego UA, Mendizábal T, Montón AG, Lombardo G, Grugni V, Garofalo M, Ferretti L, Cereda C, Gagliardi S, Cooke R, Smith-Guzmán N, Olivieri A, Aram B, Torroni A, Motta J, Semino O, Achilli A. Weaving Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Variation in the Panamanian Genetic Canvas. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121921. [PMID: 34946870 PMCID: PMC8702192 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121921] [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: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Isthmus of Panama was a crossroads between North and South America during the continent’s first peopling (and subsequent movements) also playing a pivotal role during European colonization and the African slave trade. Previous analyses of uniparental systems revealed significant sex biases in the genetic history of Panamanians, as testified by the high proportions of Indigenous and sub-Saharan mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) and by the prevalence of Western European/northern African Y chromosomes. Those studies were conducted on the general population without considering any self-reported ethnic affiliations. Here, we compared the mtDNA and Y-chromosome lineages of a new sample collection from 431 individuals (301 males and 130 females) belonging to either the general population, mixed groups, or one of five Indigenous groups currently living in Panama. We found different proportions of paternal and maternal lineages in the Indigenous groups testifying to pre-contact demographic events and genetic inputs (some dated to Pleistocene times) that created genetic structure. Then, while the local mitochondrial gene pool was marginally involved in post-contact admixtures, the Indigenous Y chromosomes were differentially replaced, mostly by lineages of western Eurasian origin. Finally, our new estimates of the sub-Saharan contribution, on a more accurately defined general population, reduce an apparent divergence between genetic and historical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Rambaldi Migliore
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Giulia Colombo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Marco Rosario Capodiferro
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Lucia Mazzocchi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Ana Maria Chero Osorio
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Alessandro Raveane
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy
| | - Maribel Tribaldos
- Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, Panama City 0816-02593, Panama; (M.T.); (J.M.)
| | - Ugo Alessandro Perego
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
- Department of Math and Science, Southeastern Community College, West Burlington, IA 52655, USA
| | - Tomás Mendizábal
- Center for Historical, Anthropological and Cultural Research—AIP, Panama City 0816-07812, Panama;
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 0843-03092, Panama; (R.C.); (N.S.-G.)
| | - Alejandro García Montón
- Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Filosofía, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.G.M.); (B.A.)
| | - Gianluca Lombardo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Viola Grugni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Maria Garofalo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Luca Ferretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Cristina Cereda
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Stella Gagliardi
- Genomic and Post-Genomic Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (C.C.); (S.G.)
| | - Richard Cooke
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 0843-03092, Panama; (R.C.); (N.S.-G.)
- Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ciudad del Saber, Clayton 0816-02852, Panama
| | - Nicole Smith-Guzmán
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 0843-03092, Panama; (R.C.); (N.S.-G.)
- Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ciudad del Saber, Clayton 0816-02852, Panama
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Bethany Aram
- Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Filosofía, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain; (A.G.M.); (B.A.)
| | - Antonio Torroni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
| | - Jorge Motta
- Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, Panama City 0816-02593, Panama; (M.T.); (J.M.)
| | - Ornella Semino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
- Correspondence: (O.S.); (A.A.)
| | - Alessandro Achilli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (N.R.M.); (G.C.); (M.R.C.); (L.M.); (A.M.C.O.); (A.R.); (U.A.P.); (G.L.); (V.G.); (M.G.); (L.F.); (A.O.); (A.T.)
- Correspondence: (O.S.); (A.A.)
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Rødgaard E, Jensen K, Miskowiak KW, Mottron L. Autism comorbidities show elevated female-to-male odds ratios and are associated with the age of first autism diagnosis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2021; 144:475-486. [PMID: 34228813 PMCID: PMC9292172 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between the comorbidity rates in autism and sex, birth year and the age at which autism was first diagnosed and compare the relative impact of each. METHOD Using the Danish National Patient Registry, cumulative incidences up to the age of 16 for 11 comorbid conditions (psychosis, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, tic disorders, sleep disorders or intellectual disability) were calculated for individuals with autism (N = 16,126) and non-autism individuals (N = 654,977). Individuals were further stratified based on the age at the first autism diagnoses and comorbid diagnoses up to the age of 16 were compared. RESULTS Most comorbidities were significantly associated with birth year and sex. Female/male odds ratios for 8 of 11 comorbid conditions were up to 67% higher than the corresponding odds ratios in the non-autism population, including conditions that are generally more common in males than in females as well as conditions that are more common in females. All comorbidity rates were significantly associated with the age at the first autism diagnosis, which was a stronger predictor than sex and birth year for 8 conditions. CONCLUSIONS Comorbidity rates for females exceed what would be expected based on the sex ratios among non-autistic individuals, indicating that the association between autism and comorbidity is stronger in females. Comorbidity rates are also highly dependent on the age at the first autism diagnosis, which may contribute to autism heterogeneity in research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kristian Jensen
- Department of Psychiatry and AddictologyUniversité de MontréalMontrealQCCanada
| | - Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CopenhagenKøbenhavn KDenmark,Psychiatric Centre CopenhagenRigshospitaletKøbenhavn ØDenmark
| | - Laurent Mottron
- Department of Psychiatry and AddictologyUniversité de MontréalMontrealQCCanada,Centre de Recherche du CIUSSS‐NIMHôpital Rivière‐des‐PrairiesMontréalQCCanada
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Samad‐zada F, van Poorten BT, Harris S, Godbout L, Russello MA. Genome-wide analysis reveals demographic and life-history patterns associated with habitat modification in landlocked, deep-spawning sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13186-13205. [PMID: 34646462 PMCID: PMC8495803 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8040] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-mediated habitat fragmentation in freshwater ecosystems can negatively impact genetic diversity, demography, and life history of native biota, while disrupting the behavior of species that are dependent on spatial connectivity to complete their life cycles. In the Alouette River system (British Columbia, Canada), dam construction in 1928 impacted passage of anadromous sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), with the last records of migrants occurring in the 1930s. Since that time, O. nerka persisted as a resident population in Alouette Reservoir until experimental water releases beginning in 2005 created conditions for migration; two years later, returning migrants were observed for the first time in ~70 years, raising important basic and applied questions regarding life-history variation and population structure in this system. Here, we investigated the genetic distinctiveness and population history of Alouette Reservoir O. nerka using genome-wide SNP data (n = 7,709 loci) collected for resident and migrant individuals, as well as for neighboring anadromous sockeye salmon and resident kokanee populations within the Fraser River drainage (n = 312 individuals). Bayesian clustering and principal components analyses based on neutral loci revealed five distinct clusters, largely associated with geography, and clearly demonstrated that Alouette Reservoir resident and migrant individuals are genetically distinct from other O. nerka populations in the Fraser River drainage. At a finer level, there was no clear evidence for differentiation between Alouette Reservoir residents and migrants; although we detected eight high-confidence outlier loci, they all mapped to sex chromosomes suggesting that differences were likely due to uneven sex ratios rather than life history. Taken together, these data suggest that contemporary Alouette Reservoir O. nerka represents a landlocked sockeye salmon population, constituting the first reported instance of deep-water spawning behavior associated with this life-history form. This finding punctuates the need for reassessment of conservation status and supports ongoing fisheries management activities in Alouette Reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett T. van Poorten
- Applied Freshwater Ecology Research UnitBritish Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change StrategyVancouverBCCanada
- School of Resource and Environmental ManagementSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBCCanada
| | - Shannon Harris
- Applied Freshwater Ecology Research UnitBritish Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change StrategyVancouverBCCanada
| | - Lyse Godbout
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans CanadaNanaimoBCCanada
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Guéry JC. Sex Differences in Primary HIV Infection: Revisiting the Role of TLR7-Driven Type 1 IFN Production by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Women. Front Immunol 2021; 12:729233. [PMID: 34512664 PMCID: PMC8432934 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.729233] [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: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) produce type I interferon (IFN-I) during HIV-1 infection in response to TLR7 stimulation. However, IFN-I-signaling has been shown to play opposite effects in HIV-1 and SIV infection. TLR7-driven type I interferon production in pDCs is higher in women than in men due to the cell-intrinsic actions of estrogen and X-chromosome complement. Indeed, TLR7 is encoded on the X-chromosome, and the TLR7 gene escapes the X-chromosome inactivation in immune cells of women which express significantly higher levels of TLR7 protein than male cells. Following HIV infection, women have a lower viremia during acute infection and exhibit stronger antiviral responses than men, which has been attributed to the increased capacity of female pDCs to produce IFN-α upon TLR7-stimulation. However, a deleterious functional impact of an excessive TLR7 response on acute viremia in women has been recently revealed by the analysis of the frequent rs179008 c.32A>T SNP of TLR7. This SNP was identified as a sex-specific protein abundance quantitative trait locus (pQTL) causing a difference in the TLR7 protein dosage and effector function in females only. T allele expression was associated with a lower TLR7 protein synthesis, blunted production of IFN-α by pDCs upon TLR7 stimulation, and an unexpectedly lower viral load during primary HIV-1 infection in women. In the present review, the author will revisit the role of TLR7-driven pDC innate function in the context of HIV-1 infection to discuss at what stage of primary HIV-1 infection the TLR7 rs179008 T allele is likely to be protective in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Charles Guéry
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (INFINITY), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
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45
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Corrales WA, Silva JP, Parra CS, Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Aliaga E, Venegas-Zamora L, Avalos AM, Rojas PS, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Oakley RH, Cidlowski JA, Fiedler JL. Sex-Dependent Changes of miRNA Levels in the Hippocampus of Adrenalectomized Rats Following Acute Corticosterone Administration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2981-3001. [PMID: 34339164 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00762] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored sex-biased effects of the primary stress glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone on the miRNA expression profile in the rat hippocampus. Adult adrenalectomized (ADX) female and male rats received a single corticosterone (10 mg/kg) or vehicle injection, and after 6 h, hippocampi were collected for miRNA, mRNA, and Western blot analyses. miRNA profiling microarrays showed a basal sex-biased miRNA profile in ADX rat hippocampi. Additionally, acute corticosterone administration triggered a sex-biased differential expression of miRNAs derived from genes located in several chromosomes and clusters on the X and 6 chromosomes. Putative promoter analysis unveiled that most corticosterone-responsive miRNA genes contained motifs for either direct or indirect glucocorticoid actions in both sexes. The evaluation of transcription factors indicated that almost 50% of miRNA genes sensitive to corticosterone in both sexes was under glucocorticoid receptor regulation. Transcription factor-miRNA regulatory network analyses identified several transcription factors that regulate, activate, or repress miRNA expression. Validated target mRNA analysis of corticosterone-responsive miRNAs showed a more complex miRNA-mRNA interaction network in males compared to females. Enrichment analysis revealed that several hippocampal-relevant pathways were affected in both sexes, such as neurogenesis and neurotrophin signaling. The evaluation of selected miRNA targets from these pathways displayed a strong sex difference in the hippocampus of ADX-vehicle rats. Corticosterone treatment did not change the levels of the miRNA targets and their corresponding tested proteins. Our data indicate that corticosterone exerts a sex-biased effect on hippocampal miRNA expression, which may engage in sculpting the basal sex differences observed at higher levels of hippocampal functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Claudio S. Parra
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Department of Kinesiology and The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Leslye Venegas-Zamora
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Ana M. Avalos
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910060, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370149, Chile
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Robert H. Oakley
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jenny L. Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
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de Araújo Albuquerque LP, da Silva AM, de Araújo Batista FM, de Souza Sene I, Costa DL, Costa CHN. Influence of sex hormones on the immune response to leishmaniasis. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12874. [PMID: 34309860 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12874] [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: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The differences in morbidity and mortality patterns and life expectancy between the sexes are well established in different infectious and parasitic conditions, such as in leishmaniases, in which biological, genetic, sexual and hormonal variations can modulate the immune response indicating greater infectivity, prevalence and clinical severity in men. In this regard, in seeking the understanding of factors related to protection and susceptibility to infection, this review aimed to discuss the influence of sex hormones on the immune response to leishmaniases. In the literature, sex hormone variations promote differences in the innate, humoral and cell-mediated immune response, leading to greater susceptibility, mortality and complications in males. Epidemiological estimates confirm these results, showing a predominance of the disease, in its different clinical forms, in men and suggesting that sexual variations influence immunomodulatory mechanisms since the prevalence of cases comprises the post-puberty and adulthood period. In this perspective, the action of sex hormones has been investigated in different clinical models, highlighting the potential of testosterone in immunosuppression, given its association with greater susceptibility and poor control of parasite load and the induction of cell apoptosis and attenuation of pro-inflammatory signalling pathways. Therefore, hormonal variations influence the immune response among males and females against leishmaniases, in which androgens may present immunosuppressive potential, while steroids present immunomodulatory characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Miranda da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology, Northeast Network of Biotechnology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil.,Leishmaniasis Laboratory, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | | | | | - Dorcas Lamounier Costa
- Maternal and Child Department, Federal University of Piauí and Intelligence Center in Emerging and Neglected Tropical Conditions (CIATEN, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Carlos Henrique Nery Costa
- Community Medicine Department, Federal University of Piauí and Intelligence Center in Emerging and Neglected Tropical Conditions (CIATEN, Teresina, Brazil
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Liu X, Culbert EL, Brisson JA. Male-Biased microRNA Discovery in the Pea Aphid. Insects 2021; 12:533. [PMID: 34201015 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms modulate gene expression levels during development, shaping how a single genome produces a diversity of phenotypes. Here, we begin to explore the epigenetic regulation of sexual dimorphism in pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) by focusing on microRNAs. Previous analyses of microRNAs in aphids have focused solely on females, so we performed deep sequencing of a sample containing early-stage males. We used this sample, plus samples from Genbank, to find 207 novel pea aphid microRNA coding loci. We localized microRNA loci to a chromosome-level assembly of the pea aphid genome and found that those on the X chromosome have lower overall expression compared to those on autosomes. We then identified a set of 19 putative male-biased microRNAs and found them enriched on the X chromosome. Finally, we performed protein-coding RNA-Seq of first instar female and male pea aphids to identify genes with lower expression in males. 10 of these genes were predicted targets of the 19 male-biased microRNAs. Our study provides the most complete set of microRNAs in the pea aphid to date and serves as foundational work for future studies on the epigenetic control of sexual dimorphism.
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Wynne R, Archer LC, Hutton SA, Harman L, Gargan P, Moran PA, Dillane E, Coughlan J, Cross TF, McGinnity P, Colgan TJ, Reed TE. Alternative migratory tactics in brown trout ( Salmo trutta) are underpinned by divergent regulation of metabolic but not neurological genes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8347-8362. [PMID: 34188891 PMCID: PMC8216917 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7664] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of alternative morphs within populations is common, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Many animals, for example, exhibit facultative migration, where two or more alternative migratory tactics (AMTs) coexist within populations. In certain salmonid species, some individuals remain in natal rivers all their lives, while others (in particular, females) migrate to sea for a period of marine growth. Here, we performed transcriptional profiling ("RNA-seq") of the brain and liver of male and female brown trout to understand the genes and processes that differentiate between migratory and residency morphs (AMT-associated genes) and how they may differ in expression between the sexes. We found tissue-specific differences with a greater number of genes expressed differentially in the liver (n = 867 genes) compared with the brain (n = 10) between the morphs. Genes with increased expression in resident livers were enriched for Gene Ontology terms associated with metabolic processes, highlighting key molecular-genetic pathways underlying the energetic requirements associated with divergent migratory tactics. In contrast, smolt-biased genes were enriched for biological processes such as response to cytokines, suggestive of possible immune function differences between smolts and residents. Finally, we identified evidence of sex-biased gene expression for AMT-associated genes in the liver (n = 12) but not the brain. Collectively, our results provide insights into tissue-specific gene expression underlying the production of alternative life histories within and between the sexes, and point toward a key role for metabolic processes in the liver in mediating divergent physiological trajectories of migrants versus residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Wynne
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Louise C. Archer
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Stephen A. Hutton
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Luke Harman
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | | | - Peter A. Moran
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Present address:
Department of Ecological Science – Animal EcologyVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Eileen Dillane
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Jamie Coughlan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Thomas F. Cross
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Philip McGinnity
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Marine InstituteNewportIreland
| | - Thomas J. Colgan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Present address:
Institute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Thomas E. Reed
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
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Matz K, Emanuel J, Callison J, Gardner D, Rosenke R, Mercado-Hernandez R, Williamson BN, Feldmann H, Marzi A. Favipiravir (T-705) Protects IFNAR -/- Mice against Lethal Zika Virus Infection in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061178. [PMID: 34072604 PMCID: PMC8227069 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061178] [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: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is an important human pathogen that has caused epidemics in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. No licensed treatments for ZIKV disease are currently available. Favipiravir (T-705; 6-fluoro-3-hydroxy-2-pyrazinecarboxamide) and ribavirin (1-(β-D-Ribofuranosyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) are nucleoside analogs that have exhibited antiviral activity against a broad spectrum of RNA viruses, including some flaviviruses. In this study, we strengthened evidence for favipiravir and ribavirin inhibition of ZIKV replication in vitro. Testing in IFNAR−/− mice revealed that daily treatments of favipiravir were sufficient to provide protection against lethal ZIKV challenge in a dose-dependent manner but did not completely abrogate disease. Ribavirin, on the other hand, had no beneficial effect against ZIKV infection in this model and under the conditions examined. Combined treatment of ribavirin and favipiravir did not show improved outcomes over ribavirin alone. Surprisingly, outcome of favipiravir treatment was sex-dependent, with 87% of female but only 25% of male mice surviving lethal ZIKV infection. Since virus mutations were not associated with outcome, a sex-specific host response likely explains the observed sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keesha Matz
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Jackson Emanuel
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Julie Callison
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Don Gardner
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (D.G.); (R.R.)
| | - Rebecca Rosenke
- Rocky Mountain Veterinary Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (D.G.); (R.R.)
| | - Reinaldo Mercado-Hernandez
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Brandi N. Williamson
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
| | - Andrea Marzi
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA; (K.M.); (J.E.); (J.C.); (R.M.-H.), (B.N.W.), (H.F.)
- Correspondence:
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Angeloni B, Bigi R, Bellucci G, Mechelli R, Ballerini C, Romano C, Morena E, Pellicciari G, Reniè R, Rinaldi V, Buscarinu MC, Romano S, Ristori G, Salvetti M. A Case of Double Standard: Sex Differences in Multiple Sclerosis Risk Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073696. [PMID: 33918133 PMCID: PMC8037645 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073696] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is a complex, multifactorial, dysimmune disease prevalent in women. Its etiopathogenesis is extremely intricate, since each risk factor behaves as a variable that is interconnected with others. In order to understand these interactions, sex must be considered as a determining element, either in a protective or pathological sense, and not as one of many variables. In particular, sex seems to highly influence immune response at chromosomal, epigenetic, and hormonal levels. Environmental and genetic risk factors cannot be considered without sex, since sex-based immunological differences deeply affect disease onset, course, and prognosis. Understanding the mechanisms underlying sex-based differences is necessary in order to develop a more effective and personalized therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Angeloni
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Rachele Bigi
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence: (R.B.); (G.R.)
| | - Gianmarco Bellucci
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Rosella Mechelli
- San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy;
- Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare San Raffaele Pisana (IRCCS), 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Ballerini
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Carmela Romano
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Emanuele Morena
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Giulia Pellicciari
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Roberta Reniè
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Virginia Rinaldi
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Maria Chiara Buscarinu
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Silvia Romano
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Giovanni Ristori
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
- Neuroimmunology Unit, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), 00179 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (R.B.); (G.R.)
| | - Marco Salvetti
- Centre for Experimental Neurological Therapies (CENTERS), Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (B.A.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (C.R.); (E.M.); (G.P.); (R.R.); (V.R.); (M.C.B.); (S.R.); (M.S.)
- Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS), Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo (INM) Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
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