Response to fluoxetine in children and adolescents: a weighted gene co-expression network analysis of peripheral blood

The inconclusive and non-replicated results of pharmacogenetic studies of antidepressant response could be related to the lack of acknowledgement of its mechanism of action. In this scenario, gene expression studies provide and interesting framework to reveal new candidate genes for pharmacogenetic studies or peripheral biomarkers of fluoxetine response. We propose a system biology approach to analyse changes in gene expression induced by eight weeks of treatment with fluoxetine in peripheral blood. 21 naïve child and adolescents participated in the present study. Our analysis include the identification of gene co-expression modules, using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), followed by protein-protein interaction (PPi) network construction coupled with functional annotation. Our results revealed two modules of co-expression genes related to fluoxetine treatment. The constructed networks from these modules were enriched for biological processes related to cellular and metabolic processes, cell communication, immune system processes, cell death, response to stimulus and neurogenesis. Some of these processes, such as immune system, replicated previous findings in the literature, whereas, neurogenesis, a mechanism proposed to be involved in fluoxetine response, had been identified for first time using peripheral tissues. In conclusion, our study identifies several biological processes in relation to fluoxetine treatment in peripheral blood, offer new candidate genes for pharmacogenetic studies and valuable markers for peripheral moderator biomarkers discovery.

Association study of candidate genes with obesity and metabolic traits in antipsychotic-treated patients with first-episode psychosis over a 2-year period

AIMS

Patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) often display different metabolic disturbances even independently of drug therapy. However, antipsychotic (AP) treatment, especially with second-generation APs, is strongly linked to weight gain, which increases patients' risk of developing obesity and other metabolic diseases. There is an important genetic risk component that can contribute to the appearance of these disturbances. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of polymorphisms in selected candidate genes on obesity and other anthropometric and metabolic traits in 320 AP-treated FEP patients over the course of a 2-year follow-up.

METHODS

These patients were recruited in the multicentre PEPs study (Phenotype-genotype and environmental interaction; Application of a predictive model in first psychotic episodes). A total of 127 validated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 18 candidate genes were included in the genetic analysis.

RESULTS

After Bonferroni correction, SNPs in ADRA2A, FTO, CNR1, DRD2, DRD3, LEPR and BDNF were associated with obesity, abdominal circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and/or percentage of glycated haemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONS

Although our results should be interpreted as exploratory, they support previous evidence of the impact of these candidate genes on obesity and metabolic status. Further research is required to gain a better knowledge of the genetic variants that can be considered relevant metabolic risk factors. The ability to identify FEP patients at higher risk for these metabolic disturbances would enable clinicians to better select and control their AP treatment.

Transport and concentration of wealth: Modeling an amenities-based-theory

We derive a reaction-advection-diffusion equation based framework for analyzing the movement of wealth in urban environments. Gentrification is a core issue that affects many urban areas, and the dynamics of such are not fully understood. To understand the process using a few physically relevant variables, we develop an approach to model the interplay between local amenities and wealth from existing analyses of factors influencing gentrification. We conduct a linear stability analysis on model parameters that results in spatially homogeneous solutions and determine directions for parameter changes to induce instabilities. From these parameters, we determine quantities that lead to the formation of areas of wealth and amenity concentration in the long term on bounded and unbounded domains. We present a global bifurcation result in two dimensions, leading to the existence and stability of non-constant equilibrium solutions, which represents solutions with wealth and amenity hotspots. Finally, we present a theory for discerning the one-dimensional pattern formation in the transition between stability and instability and verify numerically through a weakly nonlinear analysis. The analysis provides a promising framework for further verification using publicly available geospatial data on the relevant variables.

Differential iron management in monocotyledon and dicotyledon plants from the Río Tinto basin

The study of plants adapted to an extreme environment with a high concentration of iron such as Río Tinto allowed the study of important elements for the development and control of plant growth including their localization, management, and storage. The absorption, transport, and accumulation of iron were studied in different species of dicotyledons (Sarcocornia pruinosa, Salicornia patula, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, and Halogeton sativus of the Chenopodiaceae family) and monocotyledons (Imperata cylindrica, Cynodon dactylon, and Panicum repens from the Poaceae family), all obtained from the Río Tinto banks in different sample collection campaigns. The results clearly show that phytoferritin is not observed in the chloroplast of monocotyledons, an important difference from what is observed in dicotyledons. The presence of plastids with a high concentration of iron in the sieve tubes of monocotyledons strongly suggests their possible role in the transport and accumulation of iron in these plants.

Irritable bowel syndrome in celiac disease - relationships to celiac disease antibodies and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines

BACKGROUND

Evidence indicates that low-grade inflammation can alter gastrointestinal motor and sensory function and might contribute to the genesis of symptoms in IBS.

OBJECTIVE

To examine relationships between IBS, disease antibodies and cytokine titers in celiac patients and a control group.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

IBS, CD activity and serum levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL12/23p40 were determined in celiac patients and controls.

RESULTS

123 celiac patients were included, 89% were female. 59% demonstrated disease activity and 32% met IBS criteria. Prevalence of IBS was not different between patients who adhered or did not adhere to GFD as well as between patients with or without positive antibodies. Celiac patients had increased levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL12/23p40 as compared to controls. Higher levels of cytokines were found in celiac patients with IBS than in those without IBS. No difference in levels of cytokines was found between patients with and without CD positive antibodies. A significant negative correlation between the mental component of QoL and IL-6 and IL12/23p40 levels was found, but not with IL-8.

CONCLUSION

Higher levels of inflammatory cytokines were found in CD patients with IBS than in either those without IBS or controls, indicating that IBS symptoms are associated with an increase in the inflammatory response and a decrease in quality of life of CD patients. These differences in cytokine levels were not related to CD antibodies status suggesting that IBS, in CD, is related to a different inflammatory process than that which is relevant to CD.

Dynamics of photosynthetic responses in 10 rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) clones in Colombian Amazon: Implications for breeding strategies

The rubber tree [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. Ex Adr. de Juss.) Muell.-Arg] is the main source of natural rubber in the world. However, in the Amazon region, its production is reduced by biotic and abiotic limitations, which have prompted breeding programs in order to identify desirable agronomic and physiological indicators. The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal dynamics of photosynthetic responses based on the parameters of leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence in 10 rubber tree clones during the immature phase (pre-tapping) in three large-scale clone trials, during daily cycles and under two climatic periods (dry and rainy) in the Caquetá region (Colombian Amazon). The variables A, LT, Φ_PSII, ETR and qP were significantly higher in the dry period, where the highest values of PAR, AT and VPD were seen. In San Vicente del Caguán and Florencia, the highest averages were estimated for A, E and g_s, as compared with Belén de los Andaquíes. In Florencia, the highest fluorescence parameters of chlorophyll a were recorded. At 9:00 h and 12:00 h, the highest means of A, E, Φ_PSII and ETR were observed. The majority of the clones displayed the highest F_v/F_m mean (0.82–0.84) in the dry period. The clones FX 4098, FDR 4575, MDF 180, GU198 and FDR 5788 represent genotypes with the best photosynthetic performance (greater photosynthetic rates and better ability of the photosynthetic apparatus to capture, use and dissipate light energy). These desirable genotypes constitute a promising gene pool for expanding the genetic resource of rubber trees in the Colombian Amazon.

Factors Involved in the Functional Motor Recovery of Rats with Cortical Ablation after GH and Rehabilitation Treatment: Cortical Cell Proliferation and Nestin and Actin Expression in the Striatum and Thalamus

Previously we demonstrated, in rats, that treatment with growth hormone (GH) and rehabilitation, carried out immediately after a motor cortical ablation, significantly improved the motor affectation produced by the lesion and induced the re-expression of nestin in the contralateral motor cortex. Here we analyze cortical proliferation after ablation of the frontal motor cortex and investigate the re-expression of nestin in the contralateral motor cortex and the role of the striatum and thalamus in motor recovery. The rats were subjected to ablation of the frontal motor cortex in the dominant hemisphere or sham-operated and immediately treated with GH or the vehicle (V), for five days. At 1 dpi (days post-injury), all rats received daily injections (for four days) of bromodeoxyuridine and five rats were sacrificed at 5 dpi. The other 15 rats (n = 5/group) underwent rehabilitation and were sacrificed at 25 dpi. GH induced the greatest number of proliferating cells in the perilesional cortex. GH and rehabilitation produced the functional recovery of the motor lesion and increased the expression of nestin in the striatum. In the thalamic ventral nucleus ipsilateral to the lesion, cells positive for nestin and actin were detected, but this was independent on GH. Our data suggest that GH-induced striatal nestin is involved in motor recovery.

Insights into intestinal regeneration signaling mechanisms

The cellular mechanisms underlying the amazing ability of sea cucumbers to regenerate their autotomized intestines have been widely described by us and others. However, the signaling pathways that control these mechanisms are unknown. Previous studies have shown that Wnt homologs are upregulated during early intestinal regenerative stages, suggesting that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is active during this process. Here, we used small molecules, putative disruptors of the Wnt pathway, to determine the potential role of the canonical Wnt pathway on intestine regeneration in the sea cucumber Holothuria glaberrima. We evaluated their effects in vivo by using histological analyses for cell dedifferentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. We found that iCRT14, an alleged Wnt pathway inhibitor, decreased the size of the regenerating intestine, while LiCl, a presumed Wnt pathway activator, increased its size. The possible cellular mechanisms by which signaling pathway disruptors affect the gut rudiment size were further studied in vitro, using cultures of tissue explants and additional pharmacological agents. Among the tested signaling activators, those that act through GSK-3 inhibition, LiCl, 1-Azakenpaullone, and CHIR99021 were found to increase muscle cell dedifferentiation, while the inhibitor iCRT14 blocked cell dedifferentiation. Differently, cell proliferation was reduced by all GSK-3 inhibitors, as well as by iCRT14 and C59, which interferes with Wnt ligand secretion. The in vivo temporal and spatial pattern of β-catenin activity was determined using an antibody against phosphorylated β-catenin and shown to correlate with cell proliferative activity. In vitro treatment using C59 decreased the number of cells immunostained for nuclear phosphorylated β-catenin. Our results showed that the cell dedifferentiation observed during intestinal regeneration can be decoupled from the cell proliferation event and that these cellular processes can be modulated by particular signaling pathway inhibitors and activators. These results open the door for future studies where the cellular signaling pathways involved at each regeneration stage can be determined.

Altered frequencies of Th17 and Treg cells in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder

OBJECTIVE

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder with an etiopathophysiology that seems to include immune alterations. Previous studies have suggested that variations in the levels of circulating T cell subpopulations may be involved in psychiatric diseases. However, the role of these cells in OCD remains unexplored. Hence, the present study aimed to examine the levels of T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells in patients with early-onset OCD and healthy controls.

METHODS

The assessment was performed in 99 children and adolescents with OCD and 46 control subjects. The percentages of circulating Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells were evaluated using flow cytometry.

RESULTS

OCD patients had significantly higher levels of Th17 cells and lower percentages of Treg cells than healthy controls (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). Furthermore, levels of Th17 cells progressively increased with the duration (p = 0.005) and severity of OCD (p = 0.008), whereas the percentages of Treg cells significantly declined with the duration of the disorder (p = 1.8 × 10^-5).

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide more evidence of the involvement of immune dysregulation, specifically an imbalance in the levels of circulating T helper and regulatory T cells, in the pathophysiology of early-onset OCD.

Genetic variability in the serotoninergic system and age of onset in anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder

The age of onset of some psychiatric disorders may have etiopathogenic and clinical effects and may influence outcome. Following on from previous work by our group where we showed that early onset anorexia nervosa (AN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) shared a common genetic background, the aim of the present study is to assess genetic pleiotropy related to the serotonergic system (SLC6A4, 5HTR2A, 5HTR2C, TPH2, SLC18A1), in a common phenotype such as very-early age of onset. One hundred and sixteen adolescents diagnosed with AN and 74 adolescents diagnosed with OCD participated in the present study. We confirmed the existence of a genetic overlap between OCD and AN. Specifically, we described genetic pleiotropy for age at onset across these disorders, associating two SNPs (rs6311, rs4942587) of the HTR2A with the very-early onset phenotype.

Further Support for the Involvement of Genetic Variants Related to the Serotonergic Pathway in the Antidepressant Response in Children and Adolescents After a 12-Month Follow-Up: Impact of the HTR2A rs7997012 Polymorphism

Objective: Fluoxetine is an effective and well-tolerated pharmacological treatment for children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, a high percentage of patients do not respond. There is a substantial genetic contribution to this variable clinical outcome. Based on previous genetic results of our group and given the lack of pharmacogenetics studies of antidepressant response with a long follow-up period, we evaluated the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to the serotonergic pathway on remission and recovery in children and adolescents diagnosed with MDD after 12 months of initiating fluoxetine treatment. Methods: The assessment was performed in 46 patients. All of them were visited at least once a month during the 12-month follow-up. Psychiatrists interviewed patients and their parents to explore clinical improvement. A total of 75 genotyped SNPs in 10 candidate genes were included in the genetic association analysis with remission and recovery. Bonferroni correction for multiple testing was applied to avoid false positive results. Results: The HTR2A rs7997012 SNP was significantly associated after Bonferroni correction with clinical improvement. Particularly, the homozygotes for the major allele (GG) showed the highest percentage of remitters and the highest score reductions on the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale. Moreover, although the results were on the border of statistical significance, the GG homozygotes also tended to experience fewer readmissions during the follow-up period Conclusions: These results provide more evidence of the involvement of genetic variants related to the serotonergic pathway in the antidepressant response. Studies with larger cohorts are needed to integrate all relevant variants into clinical predictors of antidepressant response.

High prevalence of S. Stercoralis infection among patients with Chagas disease: A retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

We evaluate the association between Trypanosoma cruzi infection and strongyloidiasis in a cohort of Latin American (LA) migrants screened for both infections in a non-endemic setting.

METHODOLOGY

Case-control study including LA individuals who were systematically screened for T. cruzi infection and strongyloidiasis between January 2013 and April 2015. Individuals were included as cases if they had a positive serological result for Strongyloides stercoralis. Controls were randomly selected from the cohort of individuals screened for T. cruzi infection that tested negative for S. stercoralis serology. The association between T. cruzi infection and strongyloidiasis was evaluated by logistic regression models.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

During the study period, 361 individuals were screened for both infections. 52 (14.4%) individuals had a positive serological result for strongyloidiasis (cases) and 104 participants with negative results were randomly selected as controls. 76 (48.7%) indiviuals had a positive serological result for T. cruzi. Factors associated with a positive T. cruzi serology were Bolivian origin (94.7% vs 78.7%; p = 0.003), coming from a rural area (90.8% vs 68.7%; p = 0.001), having lived in an adobe house (88.2% vs 70%; p = 0.006) and a referred contact with triatomine bugs (86.7% vs 63.3%; p = 0.001). There were more patients with a positive S. stercoralis serology among those who were infected with T. cruzi (42.1% vs 25%; p = 0.023). Epidemiological variables were not associated with a positive strongyloidiasis serology. T. cruzi infection was more frequent among those with strongyloidiasis (61.5% vs 42.3%; p = 0.023). In multivariate analysis, T. cruzi infection was associated with a two-fold increase in the odds of strongyloidiasis (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.07-4.64; p = 0.030).

CONCLUSIONS

T. cruzi infection was associated with strongyloidiasis in LA migrants attending a tropical diseases unit even after adjusting for epidemiological variables. These findings should encourage physicians in non-endemic settings to implement a systematic screening for both infections in LA individuals.

SiNoPsis: Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms selection and promoter profiling

MOTIVATION

The selection of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) using bibliographic methods can be a very time-consuming task. Moreover, a SNP selected in this way may not be easily visualized in its genomic context by a standard user hoping to correlate it with other valuable information. Here we propose a web form built on top of Circos that can assist SNP-centered screening, based on their location in the genome and the regulatory modules they can disrupt. Its use may allow researchers to prioritize SNPs in genotyping and disease studies.

RESULTS

SiNoPsis is bundled as a web portal. It focuses on the different structures involved in the genomic expression of a gene, especially those found in the core promoter upstream region. These structures include transcription factor binding sites (for promoter and enhancer signals), histones and promoter flanking regions. Additionally, the tool provides eQTL and linkage disequilibrium (LD) properties for a given SNP query, yielding further clues about other indirectly associated SNPs. Possible disruptions of the aforementioned structures affecting gene transcription are reported using multiple resource databases. SiNoPsis has a simple user-friendly interface, which allows single queries by gene symbol, genomic coordinates, Ensembl gene identifiers, RefSeq transcript identifiers and SNPs. It is the only portal providing useful SNP selection based on regulatory modules and LD with functional variants in both textual and graphic modes (by properly defining the arguments and parameters needed to run Circos).

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

SiNoPsis is freely available at https://compgen.bio.ub.edu/SiNoPsis/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Inflammatory dysregulation of monocytes in pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND

Although the exact etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is unknown, there is growing evidence of a role for immune dysregulation in the pathophysiology of the disease, especially in the innate immune system including the microglia. To test this hypothesis, we studied inflammatory markers in monocytes from pediatric patients with OCD and from healthy controls.

METHODS

We determined the percentages of total monocytes, CD16+ monocytes, and classical (CD14^highCD16-), intermediate (CD14^highCD16^low), and non-classical (CD14^lowCD16^high) monocyte subsets in 102 patients with early-onset OCD and in 47 healthy controls. Moreover, proinflammatory cytokine production (GM-CSF, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) was measured by multiplex Luminex analysis in isolated monocyte cultures, in basal conditions, after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate immune response or after exposure to LPS and the immunosuppressant dexamethasone.

RESULTS

OCD patients had significantly higher percentages of total monocytes and CD16+ monocytes than healthy controls, mainly due to an increase in the intermediate subset but also in the non-classical monocytes. Monocytes from OCD patients released higher amounts of GM-CSF, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α than healthy controls after exposure to LPS. However, there were no significant differences in basal cytokine production or the sensitivity of monocytes to dexamethasone treatment between both groups. Based on monocyte subset distribution and cytokine production after LPS stimulation, patients receiving psychoactive medications seem to have an intermediate inflammatory profile, that is, lower than non-medicated OCD individuals and higher than healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

These results strongly support the involvement of an enhanced proinflammatory innate immune response in the etiopathogenesis of early-onset OCD.

Clinical implications of the deregulated TP73 isoforms expression in cancer

TP73 is a member of the TP53 family whose expression has been observed altered in most human cancers and associated with the prognosis. TP73 translates into a complex number of isoforms with both oncogenic and tumour-suppressor functions and presents a complex cross-talk with other members of the family (TP53 and TP63). In this revision, we focus on the evidence that may support TP73 variants as prognostic markers in cancer. Nowadays, most publications in this topic highlight the association between overexpression of the oncogenic variants and failure to respond to chemotherapy and/or shorter survival. In addition, we comment on the putative possibilities that the detection through a liquid biopsy of TP73 variants may provide, and finally, the significance of determining the value of the combined alteration of the TP53 family members in the clinical setting.

Microarray gene-expression study in fibroblast and lymphoblastoid cell lines from antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a chronic psychiatric disorder whose onset of symptoms occurs in late adolescence and early adulthood. The etiology is complex and involves important gene-environment interactions. Microarray gene-expression studies on SZ have identified alterations in several biological processes. The heterogeneity in the results can be attributed to the use of different sample types and other important confounding factors including age, illness chronicity and antipsychotic exposure. The aim of the present microarray study was to analyze, for the first time to our knowledge, differences in gene expression profiles in 18 fibroblast (FCLs) and 14 lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and healthy controls. We used an analytical approach based on protein-protein interaction network construction and functional annotation analysis to identify the biological processes that are altered in SZ. Significant differences in the expression of 32 genes were found when LCLs were assessed. The network and gene set enrichment approach revealed the involvement of similar biological processes in FCLs and LCLs, including apoptosis and related biological terms such as cell cycle, autophagy, cytoskeleton organization and response to stress and stimulus. Metabolism and other processes, including signal transduction, kinase activity and phosphorylation, were also identified. These results were replicated in two independent cohorts using the same analytical approach. This provides more evidence for altered apoptotic processes in antipsychotic-naïve FES patients and other important biological functions such as cytoskeleton organization and metabolism. The convergent results obtained in both peripheral cell models support their usefulness for transcriptome studies on SZ.

Percutaneous Retrieval of a Knotted Provisional Pacemaker Using Proximal Electrode Cut off and Distal End Snaring

Although provisional pacemaker implantation can safely be done in many cases, a rare complication such as knotted electrode has been described, especially when the procedure is performed without fluoroscopy guidance. We describe a case of knot creation in a provisional pacemaker which was successfully retrieved using a snare after cutting the electrode proximally.

Transfection of bovine fetal fibroblast with polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoparticles: effect of particle size and presence of fetal bovine serum on transgene delivery and cytotoxicity

The development of efficient transfection protocols for livestock cells is crucial for implementation of cell-based transgenic methods to produce genetically modified animals. We synthetized fully deacylated linear 22, 87 and 217 kDa polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoparticles and compared their transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity to commercial branched 25 kDa PEI and linear 58 kDa poly(allylamine) hydrochloride. We studied the effect of PEI size and presence of serum on transfection efficiency on primary cultures of bovine fetal fibroblasts and established cells lines (HEK 293 and Hep G2). We found that transfection efficiency was affected mainly by polymer/pDNA ratio and DNA concentration and in less extent by PEI MW. In bovine fibroblast, preincubation of PEI nanoparticles with fetal bovine serum (FBS) greatly increased percentage of cells expressing the transgene (up to 82%) while significantly decreased the polymer cytotoxic effect. 87 and 217 kDa PEI rendered the highest transfection rates in HEK 293 and Hep G2 cell lines (>50% transfected cells) with minimal cell toxicity. In conclusion, our results indicate that fully deacylated PEI of 87 and 217 kDa are useful DNA vehicles for non-viral transfection of primary cultures of bovine fetal fibroblast and HEK 293 and Hep G2 cell lines.