51
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Harley IT, Sawalha AH. Systemic lupus erythematosus as a genetic disease. Clin Immunol 2022; 236:108953. [PMID: 35149194 PMCID: PMC9167620 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.108953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus is the prototypical systemic autoimmune disease, as it is characterized both by protean multi-organ system manifestations and by the uniform presence of pathogenic autoantibodies directed against components of the nucleus. Prior to the modern genetic era, the diverse clinical manifestations of SLE suggested to many that SLE patients were unlikely to share a common genetic risk basis. However, modern genetic studies have revealed that SLE usually arises when an environmental exposure occurs in an individual with a collection of genetic risk variants passing a liability threshold. Here, we summarize the current state of the field aimed at: (1) understanding the genetic architecture of this complex disease, (2) synthesizing how this genetic risk architecture impacts cellular and molecular disease pathophysiology, (3) providing illustrative examples that highlight the rich complexity of the pathobiology of this prototypical autoimmune disease and (4) communicating this complex etiopathogenesis to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac T.W. Harley
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA,Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Initiative (HI3), Department of Immunology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA,Rocky Mountain Regional Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (VAMC), Medicine Service, Rheumatology Section, Aurora, CO, USA,Corresponding author at: Isaac TW Harley, MD, PhD, MS, Division of Rheumatology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Barbara Davis Center, Mail Stop B115, 1775 Aurora Court, Aurora, CO 80045, USA, (I.T.W. Harley)
| | - Amr H. Sawalha
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Lupus Center of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Corresponding author at: Amr H. Sawalha, MD, University of Pittsburgh, 7123 Rangos Research Center, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA, (A.H. Sawalha)
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52
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Janssens I, Campillo Davó D, Van den Bos J, De Reu H, Berneman ZN, Wens I, Cools N. Engineering of regulatory T cells by means of mRNA electroporation in a GMP-compliant manner. Cytotherapy 2022; 24:659-672. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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53
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Long non-coding RNA Xist contribution in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Immunol 2022; 236:108937. [PMID: 35114365 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.108937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence points towards the role of the long non-coding (lnc)-RNA Xist expressed in female cells as a predominant key actor for the sex bias observed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Indeed, in female cells, lnc-Xist controls transcription directly by spreading across the inactivated X chromosome (Xi) and indirectly by sequestring miRNAs as a sponge. The inactivation process at Xi is altered in lymphocytes from SLE women and associated with important variations in ribonucleoproteins (RNP) associated with lnc-Xist. In fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and osteoclasts from RA women, proinflammatory and proliferative pathways are upregulated due to the sequestration effect exerted by lnc-Xist overexpression on miRNAs. The key role played by lnc-Xist in SLE and RA is further supported by it's knock down that recapitulates the SLE B cell extrafollicular profile and controls RA associated FLS proinflammatory cytokine production and proliferation.
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54
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Wu C, Fang S, Zhang H, Li X, Du Y, Zhang Y, Lin X, Wang L, Ma X, Xue Y, Guan M. Long noncoding RNA XIST regulates brown preadipocytes differentiation and combats high-fat diet induced obesity by targeting C/EBPα. Mol Med 2022; 28:6. [PMID: 35062859 PMCID: PMC8781062 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-022-00434-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) increases energy expenditure, which makes it an attractive therapeutic strategy for obesity. LncRNAs play an important role in adipocyte differentiation and regulation. Here we assessed the effect of lncRNA XIST on brown preadipocytes differentiation and metabolic regulation. METHODS XIST expression levels were detected in human perirenal (peri-N) and subcutaneous adipose tissues (sub-Q), brown preadipocytes and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. XIST overexpression and knockdown experiments were performed in brown preadipocytes. XIST overexpression mouse model was established by plasmid injection through tail vein. RESULTS In human adipose tissues, XIST expression was significantly higher in female than in male individuals. In vitro, XIST expression was significantly up-regulated during brown adipocyte differentiation. XIST knockdown inhibited differentiation of brown preadipocytes, while overexpression of XIST promotes brown preadipocytes to fully differentiation. RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiment revealed that XIST could directly bind to C/EBPα. In vivo, XIST overexpression prevents high-fat diet induced obesity and improves metabolic dysorder in male mice. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that XIST combats obesity through BAT activation at least partly by combination with transcription factor C/EBPα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Wu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Shu Fang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Huijian Zhang
- Department of Urology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Li
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yuejun Du
- Department of Urology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yudan Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xiaochun Lin
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xiaoqin Ma
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yaoming Xue
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Meiping Guan
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Morrison TA, Hudson WH, Chisolm DA, Kanno Y, Shih HY, Ahmed R, Henao-Mejia J, Hafner M, O'Shea JJ. Evolving Views of Long Noncoding RNAs and Epigenomic Control of Lymphocyte State and Memory. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a037952. [PMID: 34001528 PMCID: PMC8725624 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a037952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Not simply an attribute of the adaptive immune system, immunological memory can be viewed on multiple levels. Accordingly, the molecular basis of memory comprises multiple mechanisms. The advent of new sequencing technologies has greatly enhanced the understanding of gene regulation and lymphocyte specification, and improved measurement of chromatin states affords new insights into the epigenomic and transcriptomic programs that underlie memory. Beyond canonical genes, the involvement of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is becoming increasingly apparent, and it appears that there are more than two to three times as many lncRNAs as protein-coding genes. lncRNAs can directly interact with DNA, RNA, and proteins, and a single lncRNA can contain multiple modular domains and thus interact with different classes of molecules. Yet, most lncRNAs have not been tested for function, and even fewer knockout mice have been generated. It is therefore timely to consider new potential mechanisms that may contribute to immune memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasha A Morrison
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - William H Hudson
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Danielle A Chisolm
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Yuka Kanno
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Han-Yu Shih
- Neuro-Immune Regulome Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Rafi Ahmed
- Emory Vaccine Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Jorge Henao-Mejia
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Markus Hafner
- Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - John J O'Shea
- Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, Molecular Immunology and Inflammation Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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56
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Tsverava L, Chitadze N, Chanturia G, Kekelidze M, Dzneladze D, Imnadze P, Gamkrelidze A, Lagani V, Khuchua Z, Solomonia R. Antibody profiling reveals gender differences in response to SARS-COVID-2 infection. AIMS ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3934/allergy.2022002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
<abstract>
<p>The recent emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and public health crisis. Detailed study of human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is the important topic for a successful treatment of this disease. Our study was aimed to characterize immune response on the level of antibody profiling in convalescent plasma of patients in Georgia. Antibodies against the following SARS-CoV-2 proteins were studied: nucleocapsid and various regions of spike (S) protein: S1, S2 and receptor binding domain (RBD). Convalescent plasma of patients 6–8 weeks after initial confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection were tested. Nearly 80% out of 162 patients studied showed presence of antibodies against nucleocapsid protein. The antibody response to three fragments of S protein was significantly less and varied in the range of 20–30%. Significantly more females as compared to males were producing antibodies against S1 fragment, whereas the difference between genders by the antibodies against nucleocapsid protein and RBD was statistically significant only by one-tailed Fisher exact test. There were no differences between the males and females by antibodies against S2 fragment. Thus, immune response against some viral antigens is stronger in females and we suggest that it could be one of the factors of less female fatality after SARS-CoV-2 infection.</p>
</abstract>
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Abstract
The last decade has seen an enormous increase in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) research within rheumatology. LncRNAs are arbitrarily classed as non-protein encoding RNA transcripts that exceed 200 nucleotides in length. These transcripts have tissue and cell specific patterns of expression and are implicated in a variety of biological processes. Unsurprisingly, numerous lncRNAs are dysregulated in rheumatoid conditions, correlating with disease activity and cited as potential biomarkers and targets for therapeutic intervention. In this chapter, following an introduction into each condition, we discuss the lncRNAs involved in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. These inflammatory joint conditions share several inflammatory signalling pathways and therefore not surprisingly many commonly dysregulated lncRNAs are shared across these conditions. In the interest of translational research only those lncRNAs which are strongly conserved have been addressed. The lncRNAs discussed here have diverse roles in regulating inflammation, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Understanding the molecular basis of lncRNA function in rheumatology will be crucial in fully determining the inflammatory mechanisms that drive these conditions.
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58
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X-chromosome reactivation: a concise review. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2797-2805. [PMID: 34821360 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian females (XX) silence transcription on one of the two X chromosomes to compensate the expression dosage with males (XY). This process - named X-chromosome inactivation - entails a variety of epigenetic modifications that act synergistically to maintain silencing and make it heritable through cell divisions. Genes along the inactive X chromosome are, indeed, refractory to reactivation. Nonetheless, X-chromosome reactivation can occur alongside with epigenome reprogramming or by perturbing multiple silencing pathways. Here we review the events associated with X-chromosome reactivation during in vivo and in vitro reprogramming and highlight recent efforts in inducing Xi reactivation by molecular perturbations. This provides us with a first understanding of the mechanisms underlying X-chromosome reactivation, which could be tackled for therapeutic purposes.
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59
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Ha N, Ding N, Hong R, Liu R, Roca X, Luo Y, Duan X, Wang X, Ni P, Wu H, Zhang LF, Chen L. The lupus autoantigen La/Ssb is an Xist-binding protein involved in Xist folding and cloud formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:11596-11613. [PMID: 34723322 PMCID: PMC8599922 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the programmable RNA-sequence binding domain of the Pumilio protein, we FLAG-tagged Xist (inactivated X chromosome specific transcript) in live mouse cells. Affinity pulldown coupled to mass spectrometry was employed to identify a list of 138 candidate Xist-binding proteins, from which, Ssb (also known as the lupus autoantigen La) was validated as a protein functionally critical for X chromosome inactivation (XCI). Extensive XCI defects were detected in Ssb knockdown cells, including chromatin compaction, death of female mouse embryonic stem cells during in vitro differentiation and chromosome-wide monoallelic gene expression pattern. Live-cell imaging of Xist RNA reveals the defining XCI defect: Xist cloud formation. Ssb is a ubiquitous and versatile RNA-binding protein with RNA chaperone and RNA helicase activities. Functional dissection of Ssb shows that the RNA chaperone domain plays critical roles in XCI. In Ssb knockdown cells, Xist transcripts are unstable and misfolded. These results show that Ssb is critically involved in XCI, possibly as a protein regulating the in-cell structure of Xist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Ha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Nan Ding
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ru Hong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Rubing Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Xavier Roca
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
| | - Yingyuan Luo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiaowei Duan
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Peiling Ni
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Haiyang Wu
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd., Guangdong, China
| | - Li-Feng Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551
- TCRCure Biological Technology Co Ltd., Guangdong, China
| | - Lingyi Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tianjin for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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60
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Barreto VM, Kubasova N, Alves-Pereira CF, Gendrel AV. X-Chromosome Inactivation and Autosomal Random Monoallelic Expression as "Faux Amis". Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:740937. [PMID: 34631717 PMCID: PMC8495168 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.740937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) and random monoallelic expression of autosomal genes (RMAE) are two paradigms of gene expression regulation where, at the single cell level, genes can be expressed from either the maternal or paternal alleles. X-chromosome inactivation takes place in female marsupial and placental mammals, while RMAE has been described in mammals and also other species. Although the outcome of both processes results in random monoallelic expression and mosaicism at the cellular level, there are many important differences. We provide here a brief sketch of the history behind the discovery of XCI and RMAE. Moreover, we review some of the distinctive features of these two phenomena, with respect to when in development they are established, their roles in dosage compensation and cellular phenotypic diversity, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their initiation and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasco M Barreto
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, CEDOC, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nadiya Kubasova
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre, CEDOC, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Clara F Alves-Pereira
- Department of Genetics, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anne-Valerie Gendrel
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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61
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Deng H, Yan X, Yuan L. Human genetic basis of coronavirus disease 2019. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:344. [PMID: 34545062 PMCID: PMC8450706 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. COVID-19 incidence, severity, and mortality rates differ greatly between populations, genders, ABO blood groups, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes, ethnic groups, and geographic backgrounds. This highly heterogeneous SARS-CoV-2 infection is multifactorial. Host genetic factors such as variants in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE), the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2), the transmembrane protease serine 2 gene (TMPRSS2), along with HLA genotype, and ABO blood group help to explain individual susceptibility, severity, and outcomes of COVID-19. This review is focused on COVID-19 clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, and genetic findings, with particular attention on genetic diversity and variants. The human genetic basis could provide scientific bases for disease prediction and targeted therapy to address the COVID-19 scourge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Deng
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Health Management Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Disease Genome Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xue Yan
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Health Management Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Disease Genome Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lamei Yuan
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Health Management Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Disease Genome Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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62
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Differences in Heart Graft Survival by Recipient Sex. Transplant Direct 2021; 7:e749. [PMID: 34514105 PMCID: PMC8425832 DOI: 10.1097/txd.0000000000001110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. We aimed to characterize patterns of differences in heart graft failure rates by recipient sex, accounting for modifying effects of donor sex and recipient age.
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63
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Zhang Y, Li X, Gibson A, Edberg J, Kimberly RP, Absher DM. Skewed allelic expression on X chromosome associated with aberrant expression of XIST on systemic lupus erythematosus lymphocytes. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2523-2534. [PMID: 32628254 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A common feature of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an increased prevalence in women. However, the molecular basis for sex disparity in SLE remains poorly understood. To examine the role of X-linked transcription in SLE adaptive immune cells, we performed RNA-seq in T cell and B cell subsets from either healthy donors or patients with SLE. Analyses of allelic expression (AE) profiles identified a pattern of increased allelic imbalance across the entire X chromosome in SLE lymphocytes. X-linked genes exhibiting AE in SLE had an extensive overlap with genes known to escape X chromosome inactivation (XCI). XIST RNA was overexpressed in SLE patients. Differential XIST expression correlated with AE profiles more positively at X-linked genes than the genome-wide background. Analysis of three independent RNA-seq data verified the XIST-associated skewed AE on X chromosome in SLE. Integrative analyses of DNA methylation profiles showed an increased variability of DNA methylation levels at these AE-related X-linked genes. In cultured lymphoblastic cells, knockdown of XIST specifically altered allelic imbalance patterns between X chromosomes. Our study provides genetic evidence that upregulation of XIST accompanied with more skewed allelic expression on X chromosome is associated with the pathogenesis of SLE and may provide mechanistic insights into the increased incidence of SLE in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfeng Zhang
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - Xinrui Li
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Andrew Gibson
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeffrey Edberg
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Robert P Kimberly
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Devin M Absher
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
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64
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Sauteraud R, Stahl JM, James J, Englebright M, Chen F, Zhan X, Carrel L, Liu DJ. Inferring genes that escape X-Chromosome inactivation reveals important contribution of variable escape genes to sex-biased diseases. Genome Res 2021; 31:1629-1637. [PMID: 34426515 PMCID: PMC8415373 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275677.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The X Chromosome plays an important role in human development and disease. However, functional genomic and disease association studies of X genes greatly lag behind autosomal gene studies, in part owing to the unique biology of X-Chromosome inactivation (XCI). Because of XCI, most genes are only expressed from one allele. Yet, ∼30% of X genes “escape” XCI and are transcribed from both alleles, many only in a proportion of the population. Such interindividual differences are likely to be disease relevant, particularly for sex-biased disorders. To understand the functional biology for X-linked genes, we developed X-Chromosome inactivation for RNA-seq (XCIR), a novel approach to identify escape genes using bulk RNA-seq data. Our method, available as an R package, is more powerful than alternative approaches and is computationally efficient to handle large population-scale data sets. Using annotated XCI states, we examined the contribution of X-linked genes to the disease heritability in the United Kingdom Biobank data set. We show that escape and variable escape genes explain the largest proportion of X heritability, which is in large part attributable to X genes with Y homology. Finally, we investigated the role of each XCI state in sex-biased diseases and found that although XY homologous gene pairs have a larger overall effect size, enrichment for variable escape genes is significantly increased in female-biased diseases. Our results, for the first time, quantitate the importance of variable escape genes for the etiology of sex-biased disease, and our pipeline allows analysis of larger data sets for a broad range of phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Sauteraud
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Jill M Stahl
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Jesica James
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Marisa Englebright
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Fang Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.,Institute for Personalized Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhan
- Department of Clinical Science, Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8821, USA
| | - Laura Carrel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
| | - Dajiang J Liu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.,Institute for Personalized Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
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65
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Fang H, Deng X, Disteche CM. X-factors in human disease: Impact of gene content and dosage regulation. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R285-R295. [PMID: 34387327 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene content of the X and Y chromosomes has dramatically diverged during evolution. The ensuing dosage imbalance within the genome of males and females has led to unique chromosome-wide regulatory mechanisms with significant and sex-specific impacts on X-linked gene expression. X inactivation or silencing of most genes on one X chromosome chosen at random in females profoundly affects the manifestation of X-linked diseases, as males inherit a single maternal allele, while females express maternal and paternal alleles in a mosaic manner. An additional complication is the existence of genes that escape X inactivation and thus are ubiquitously expressed from both alleles in females. The mosaic nature of X-linked gene expression and the potential for escape can vary between individuals, tissues, cell types, and stages of life. Our understanding of the specialized nature of X-linked genes and of the multilayer epigenetic regulation that influence their expression throughout the organism has been helped by molecular studies conducted by tissue-specific and single-cell-specific approaches. In turn, the definition of molecular events that control X silencing has helped develop new approaches for the treatment of some X-linked disorders. This review focuses on the peculiarities of the X chromosome genetic content and epigenetic regulation in shaping the manifestation of congenital and acquired X-linked disorders in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
| | | | - Christine M Disteche
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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66
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Xing E, Billi AC, Gudjonsson JE. Sex Bias and Autoimmune Diseases. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 142:857-866. [PMID: 34362556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex bias in immune function has been well-described, and women have been shown to counter immunologically stimulating phenomena such as infection, malignancy, and trauma with more protective responses than men. Heightened immunity in women may also result in a predisposition for loss of self-tolerance and development of autoimmunity, reflected by the overwhelming female sex bias of patients with autoimmune diseases. In this review, we discuss the postulated evolutionary etiologies for sexual dimorphism in immunity. We also review the molecular mechanisms underlying divergent immune responses in men and women, including sex hormone effects, X chromosome dosage, and autosomal sex-biased genes. With increasing evidence that autoimmune disease susceptibility is influenced by numerous hormonal and genetic factors, a comprehensive understanding of these topics may facilitate the development of much-needed targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enze Xing
- Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Allison C Billi
- Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Johann E Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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67
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Methylation of Host Genes Associated with Coronavirus Infection from Birth to 26 Years. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081198. [PMID: 34440372 PMCID: PMC8392033 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns over time at 1146 CpGs on coronavirus-related genes were assessed to understand whether the varying differences in susceptibility, symptoms, and the outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and young adults could be explained through epigenetic alterations in a host cell’s transcriptional apparatus to coronaviruses. DNAm data from the Isle of Wight birth cohort (IOWBC) at birth, 10, 18, and 26 years of age were included. Linear mixed models with repeated measurements stratified by sex were used to examine temporal patterns, and cluster analysis was performed to identify CpGs following similar patterns. CpGs on autosomes and sex chromosomes were analyzed separately. The association of identified CpGs and expression of their genes were evaluated. Pathway enrichment analyses of the genes was conducted at FDR = 0.05. DNAm at 635 of the 1146 CpGs on autosomes showed statistically significant time effects (FDR = 0.05). The 635 CpGs were classified into five clusters with each representing a unique temporal pattern of DNAm. Of the 29 CpGs on sex chromosomes, DNAm at seven CpGs in males and eight CpGs in females showed time effects (FDR = 0.05). Sex-specific and non-specific associations of DNAm with gene expression were found at 24 and 93 CpGs, respectively. Genes which mapped the 643 CpGs represent 460 biological processes. We suggest that the observed variability in DNAm with advancing age may partially explain differing susceptibility, disease severity, and mortality of coronavirus infections among different age groups.
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68
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Gay L, Melenotte C, Lakbar I, Mezouar S, Devaux C, Raoult D, Bendiane MK, Leone M, Mège JL. Sexual Dimorphism and Gender in Infectious Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:698121. [PMID: 34367158 PMCID: PMC8339590 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.698121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies and clinical observations show evidence of sexual dimorphism in infectious diseases. Women are at less risk than men when it comes to developing most infectious diseases. However, understanding these observations requires a gender approach that takes into account an analysis of both biological and social factors. The host’s response to infection differs in males and females because sex differences have an impact on hormonal and chromosomal control of immunity. Estradiol appears to confer protective immunity, while progesterone and testosterone suppress anti-infectious responses. In addition, genetic factors, including those associated with sex chromosomes, also affect susceptibility to infections. Finally, differences in occupational activities, lifestyle, and comorbidities play major roles in exposure to pathogens and management of diseases. Hence, considering sexual dimorphism as a critical variable for infectious diseases should be one of the steps taken toward developing personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Gay
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Cléa Melenotte
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Ines Lakbar
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Soraya Mezouar
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Christian Devaux
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Marc-Karim Bendiane
- Aix-Marseille Univ, INSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Economy and Social Science, Health Care Systems and Societies, Marseille, France
| | - Marc Leone
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.,Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Louis Mège
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Braithwaite T, Subramanian A, Petzold A, Galloway J, Adderley NJ, Mollan SP, Plant GT, Nirantharakumar K, Denniston AK. Trends in Optic Neuritis Incidence and Prevalence in the UK and Association With Systemic and Neurologic Disease. JAMA Neurol 2021; 77:1514-1523. [PMID: 33017023 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.3502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Importance Epidemiologic data on optic neuritis (ON) incidence and associations with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are sparse. Objective To estimate 22-year trends in ON prevalence and incidence and association with IMIDs in the United Kingdom. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study analyzed data from The Health Improvement Network from January 1, 1995, to September 1, 2019. The study included 10 937 511 patients 1 year or older with 75.2 million person-years' follow-up. Annual ON incidence rates were estimated yearly (January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2018), and annual ON prevalence was estimated by performing sequential cross-sectional studies on data collected on January 1 each year for the same period. Data for 1995, 1996, and 2019 were excluded as incomplete. Risk factors for ON were explored in a cohort analysis from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2018. Matched case-control and retrospective cohort studies were performed using data from January 1, 1995, to September 1, 2019, to explore the odds of antecedent diagnosis and hazard of incident diagnosis of 66 IMIDs in patients compared with controls. Exposures Optic neuritis. Main Outcomes and Measures Annual point prevalence and incidence rates of ON, adjusted incident rate ratios (IRRs) for risk factors, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for 66 IMIDs. Results A total of 10 937 511 patients (median [IQR] age at cohort entry, 32.6 [18.0-50.4] years; 5 571 282 [50.9%] female) were studied. A total of 1962 of 2826 patients (69.4%) with incident ON were female and 1192 of 1290 92.4%) were White, with a mean (SD) age of 35.6 (15.6) years. Overall incidence across 22 years was stable at 3.7 (95% CI, 3.6-3.9) per 100 000 person-years. Annual point prevalence (per 100 000 population) increased with database maturity, from 69.3 (95% CI, 57.2-81.3) in 1997 to 114.8 (95% CI, 111.0-118.6) in 2018. The highest risk of incident ON was associated with female sex, obesity, reproductive age, smoking, and residence at higher latitude, with significantly lower risk in South Asian or mixed race/ethnicity compared with White people. Patients with ON had significantly higher odds of prior multiple sclerosis (MS) (OR, 98.22; 95% CI, 65.40-147.52), syphilis (OR, 5.76; 95% CI, 1.39-23.96), Mycoplasma (OR, 3.90; 95% CI, 1.09-13.93), vasculitis (OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.68-8.15), sarcoidosis (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.21-5.18), Epstein-Barr virus (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.80-2.92), Crohn disease (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.13-3.43), and psoriasis (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03-1.58). Patients with ON had a significantly higher hazard of incident MS (HR, 284.97; 95% CI, 167.85-483.81), Behçet disease (HR, 17.39; 95% CI, 1.55-195.53), sarcoidosis (HR, 14.80; 95% CI, 4.86-45.08), vasculitis (HR, 4.89; 95% CI, 1.82-13.10), Sjögren syndrome (HR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.38-8.76), and herpetic infection (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.24-2.28). Conclusions and Relevance The UK incidence of ON is stable. Even though predominantly associated with MS, ON has numerous other associations with IMIDs. Although individually rare, together these associations outnumber MS-associated ON and typically require urgent management to preserve sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasanee Braithwaite
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,The Medical Eye Unit, Guys' and St Thomas' Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anuradhaa Subramanian
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Petzold
- Neuro-Ophthalmology Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Neuro-Ophthalmology Department, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom.,Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Biomedical Research Centre (Moorfields Eye Hospital/University College London), London, United Kingdom
| | - James Galloway
- Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J Adderley
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Susan P Mollan
- Birmingham Neuro-Ophthalmology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon T Plant
- The Medical Eye Unit, Guys' and St Thomas' Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Neuro-Ophthalmology Department, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Neuro-Ophthalmology Department, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom.,Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Health Data Research UK, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair K Denniston
- Biomedical Research Centre (Moorfields Eye Hospital/University College London), London, United Kingdom.,Health Data Research UK, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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70
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The dynamic epigenetic regulation of the inactive X chromosome in healthy human B cells is dysregulated in lupus patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024624118. [PMID: 34103397 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024624118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a female-predominant disease characterized by autoimmune B cells and pathogenic autoantibody production. Individuals with two or more X chromosomes are at increased risk for SLE, suggesting that X-linked genes contribute to the observed sex bias of this disease. To normalize X-linked gene expression between sexes, one X in female cells is randomly selected for transcriptional silencing through X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), resulting in allele-specific enrichment of epigenetic modifications, including histone methylation and the long noncoding RNA XIST/Xist on the inactive X (Xi). As we have previously shown that epigenetic regulation of the Xi in female lymphocytes from mice is unexpectedly dynamic, we used RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence to profile epigenetic features of the Xi at the single-cell level in human B cell subsets from pediatric and adult SLE patients and healthy controls. Our data reveal that abnormal XCI maintenance in B cells is a feature of SLE. Using single-cell and bulk-cell RNA sequencing datasets, we found that X-linked immunity genes escape XCI in specific healthy human B cell subsets and that human SLE B cells exhibit aberrant expression of X-linked genes and XIST RNA interactome genes. Our data reveal that mislocalized XIST RNA, coupled with a dramatic reduction in heterochromatic modifications at the Xi in SLE, predispose for aberrant X-linked gene expression from the Xi, thus defining a genetic and epigenetic pathway that affects X-linked gene expression in human SLE B cells and likely contributes to the female bias in SLE.
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71
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Delshad M, Tavakolinia N, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Safaroghli-Azar A, Bagheri N, Bashash D. The contributory role of lymphocyte subsets, pathophysiology of lymphopenia and its implication as prognostic and therapeutic opportunity in COVID-19. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 95:107586. [PMID: 33765611 PMCID: PMC7969831 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has brought daunting complications for people as well as physicians around the world. An ever-increasing number of studies investigating the characteristics of the disease, day by day, is shedding light on a new feature of the virus with the hope that eventually these efforts lead to the proper treatment. SARS-CoV-2 activates antiviral immune responses, but in addition may overproduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, causing uncontrolled inflammatory responses in patients with severe COVID-19. This condition may lead to lymphopenia and lymphocyte dysfunction, which in turn, predispose patients to further infections, septic shock, and severe multiple organ dysfunction. Therefore, accurate knowledge in this issue is important to guide clinical management of the disease and the development of new therapeutic strategies in patients with COVID-19. In this review, we provide a piece of valuable information about the alteration of each subtype of lymphocytes and important prognostic factors associated with these cells. Moreover, through discussing the lymphopenia pathophysiology and debating some of the most recent lymphocyte- or lymphopenia-related treatment strategies in COVID-19 patients, we tried to brightening the foreseeable future for COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahda Delshad
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Naeimeh Tavakolinia
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ava Safaroghli-Azar
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nader Bagheri
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author at: Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Motosugi N, Okada C, Sugiyama A, Kawasaki T, Kimura M, Shiina T, Umezawa A, Akutsu H, Fukuda A. Deletion of lncRNA XACT does not change expression dosage of X-linked genes, but affects differentiation potential in hPSCs. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109222. [PMID: 34107248 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Female human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) regularly show erosion of X chromosome inactivation featured by the loss of the long non-coding (lnc) RNA XIST and the accumulation of lncXACT. Here, we report that a common mechanism for the initiation of erosion depends on XIST loss but not XACT accumulation on inactive X chromosomes. We further demonstrate that XACT deletion does not affect X-linked gene dosage in eroded hPSCs and that aberrant XIST RNA diffusion induced by the CRISPR activation system is independent of the presence of XACT RNA. In contrast, the deletion of XACT results in the upregulation of neuron-related genes, facilitating neural differentiation in both male and eroded female hPSCs. XACT RNA repression by CRIPSR inhibition results in the same phenotype. Our study finds that XACT is dispensable for maintaining the erosion of X-lined gene repression on inactive X chromosomes but affects neural differentiation in hPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nami Motosugi
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chisa Okada
- Support Center for Medical Research and Education, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akiko Sugiyama
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Kawasaki
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minoru Kimura
- The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Isehara, Japan
| | - Takashi Shiina
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akihiro Umezawa
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidenori Akutsu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Fukuda
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan; The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Isehara, Japan; Micro/Nano Technology Center, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan; Center for Regenerative Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
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73
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Dirsipam K, Ponnala D, Madduru D, Bonu R, Jahan P. Association of FOXP3 rs3761548 polymorphism and its reduced expression with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions: A South Indian study. Am J Reprod Immunol 2021; 86:e13431. [PMID: 33882185 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Fork Head Box Protein 3 (FOXP3) is an X-linked gene, codes for a master transcription regulatory protein that controls the development and function of immunosuppressive T regulatory (Treg) cells. They are crucial mediators of maternal foetal tolerance and successful pregnancy outcome. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association of FOXP3 rs3761548 functional polymorphism and to assess the serum concentrations of full-length FOXP3 protein in Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions (URSA) patients of Southern India. METHOD OF STUDY The study included blood samples from 150 URSA patients and 150 healthy, pregnant parous women. Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism was done for rs3761548 FOXP3 genotyping. Serum concentrations of full-length FOXP3 protein were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS The frequencies of mutant A allele, CA and AA genotypes of rs3761548 functional polymorphism were significantly elevated in patients compared to healthy, pregnant parous women and exhibited a two, three and twofold increased risk respectively towards URSA. Serum concentrations of full-length FOXP3 protein were high in controls compared to patients (10.14 ± .30 vs. 8.84 ± 1.73 ng/ml; p < .05). CONCLUSION Our results advocate an association of FOXP3 rs3761548 polymorphism and reduced expression of full-length FOXP3 protein with URSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kethora Dirsipam
- Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Deepika Ponnala
- Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Dhatri Madduru
- Department of Biochemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rajeswari Bonu
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad, India
| | - Parveen Jahan
- School of Sciences, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, India
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trans-Acting Factors and cis Elements Involved in the Human Inactive X Chromosome Organization and Compaction. Genet Res (Camb) 2021; 2021:6683460. [PMID: 34035662 PMCID: PMC8121581 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6683460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During X chromosome inactivation, many chromatin changes occur on the future inactive X chromosome, including acquisition of a variety of repressive covalent histone modifications, heterochromatin protein associations, and DNA methylation of promoters. Here, we summarize trans-acting factors and cis elements that have been shown to be involved in the human inactive X chromosome organization and compaction.
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75
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Zeni PF, Mraz M. LncRNAs in adaptive immunity: role in physiological and pathological conditions. RNA Biol 2021; 18:619-632. [PMID: 33094664 PMCID: PMC8078528 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1838783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive immune system is responsible for generating immunological response and immunological memory. Regulation of adaptive immunity including B cell and T cell biology was mainly understood from the protein and microRNA perspective. However, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that influence key factors in lymphocyte biology such as NOTCH, PAX5, MYC and EZH2. LncRNAs were described to modulate lymphocyte activation by regulating pathways such as NFAT, NFκB, MYC, interferon and TCR/BCR signalling (NRON, NKILA, BCALM, GAS5, PVT1), and cell effector functions (IFNG-AS1, TH2-LCR). Here we review lncRNA involvement in adaptive immunity and the implications for autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis) and T/B cell leukaemias and lymphomas (CLL, MCL, DLBCL, T-ALL). It is becoming clear that lncRNAs are important in adaptive immune response and provide new insights into its orchestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Faria Zeni
- Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Mraz
- Molecular Medicine, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Brenes AJ, Yoshikawa H, Bensaddek D, Mirauta B, Seaton D, Hukelmann JL, Jiang H, Stegle O, Lamond AI. Erosion of human X chromosome inactivation causes major remodeling of the iPSC proteome. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109032. [PMID: 33910018 PMCID: PMC8097692 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is a dosage compensation mechanism in female mammals whereby transcription from one X chromosome is repressed. Analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from female donors identified that low levels of XIST RNA correlated strongly with erosion of XCI. Proteomic analysis, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and polysome profiling showed that XCI erosion resulted in amplified RNA and protein expression from X-linked genes, providing a proteomic characterization of skewed dosage compensation. Increased protein expression was also detected from autosomal genes without an mRNA increase, thus altering the protein-RNA correlation between the X chromosome and autosomes. XCI-eroded lines display an ∼13% increase in total cell protein content, with increased ribosomal proteins, ribosome biogenesis and translation factors, and polysome levels. We conclude that XCI erosion in iPSCs causes a remodeling of the proteome, affecting the expression of a much wider range of proteins and disease-linked loci than previously realized. iPSCs with eroded XCI show defective dosage compensation at the protein level iPSCs with eroded XCI display elevated total protein content iPSCs with eroded XCI show increased ribosome and polysome levels Eroded XCI increases protein but not mRNA expression for 21% of autosomal genes
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro J Brenes
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Cell Signalling & Immunology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
| | - Harunori Yoshikawa
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Division of Cell Signalling, Fujii Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Dalila Bensaddek
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Biosciences Core Labs, Proteomics, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bogdan Mirauta
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Daniel Seaton
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Jens L Hukelmann
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Immatics Biotechnologies, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Hao Jiang
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK; European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetic, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angus I Lamond
- Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St., Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
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77
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Yu B, Qi Y, Li R, Shi Q, Satpathy AT, Chang HY. B cell-specific XIST complex enforces X-inactivation and restrains atypical B cells. Cell 2021; 184:1790-1803.e17. [PMID: 33735607 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XIST establishes X chromosome inactivation (XCI) in female cells in early development and thereafter is thought to be largely dispensable. Here, we show XIST is continually required in adult human B cells to silence a subset of X-linked immune genes such as TLR7. XIST-dependent genes lack promoter DNA methylation and require continual XIST-dependent histone deacetylation. XIST RNA-directed proteomics and CRISPRi screen reveal distinctive somatic cell-type-specific XIST complexes and identify TRIM28 that mediates Pol II pausing at promoters of X-linked genes in B cells. Single-cell transcriptome data of female patients with either systemic lupus erythematosus or COVID-19 infection revealed XIST dysregulation, reflected by escape of XIST-dependent genes, in CD11c+ atypical memory B cells (ABCs). XIST inactivation with TLR7 agonism suffices to promote isotype-switched ABCs. These results indicate cell-type-specific diversification and function for lncRNA-protein complexes and suggest expanded roles for XIST in sex-differences in biology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingfei Yu
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yanyan Qi
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rui Li
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Quanming Shi
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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78
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Alwani M, Yassin A, Al-Zoubi RM, Aboumarzouk OM, Nettleship J, Kelly D, Al-Qudimat AR, Shabsigh R. Sex-based differences in severity and mortality in COVID-19. Rev Med Virol 2021; 31:e2223. [PMID: 33646622 PMCID: PMC8014761 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The current coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has a male bias in severity and mortality. This is consistent with previous coronavirus pandemics such as SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV, and viral infections in general. Here, we discuss the sex‐disaggregated epidemiological data for COVID‐19 and highlight underlying differences that may explain the sexual dimorphism to help inform risk stratification strategies and therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Alwani
- Surgical Research Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,Jordan University of Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Aksam Yassin
- Surgical Research Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Division of Urology/Andrology & Men's Health, Doha, Qatar.,Center of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany
| | - Raed M Al-Zoubi
- Surgical Research Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Chemistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Omar M Aboumarzouk
- Department of Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.,College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,College of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Joanne Nettleship
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Daniel Kelly
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Biomolecular Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Ridwan Shabsigh
- Department of Urology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
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79
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Rodriguez C, de Prost N, Fourati S, Lamoureux C, Gricourt G, N’debi M, Canoui-Poitrine F, Désveaux I, Picard O, Demontant V, Trawinski E, Lepeule R, Surgers L, Vindrios W, Lelièvre JD, Mongardon N, Langeron O, Cohen JL, Mekontso-Dessap A, Woerther PL, Pawlotsky JM. Viral genomic, metagenomic and human transcriptomic characterization and prediction of the clinical forms of COVID-19. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009416. [PMID: 33780519 PMCID: PMC8032121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is characterized by respiratory symptoms of various severities, ranging from mild upper respiratory signs to acute respiratory failure/acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with a high mortality rate. However, the pathophysiology of the disease is largely unknown. Shotgun metagenomics from nasopharyngeal swabs were used to characterize the genomic, metagenomic and transcriptomic features of patients from the first pandemic wave with various forms of COVID-19, including outpatients, patients hospitalized not requiring intensive care, and patients in the intensive care unit, to identify viral and/or host factors associated with the most severe forms of the disease. Neither the genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, nor the detection of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites were associated with the severity of pulmonary disease. Severe pneumonia was associated with overexpression of cytokine transcripts activating the CXCR2 pathway, whereas patients with benign disease presented with a T helper "Th1-Th17" profile. The latter profile was associated with female gender and a lower mortality rate. Our findings indicate that the most severe cases of COVID-19 are characterized by the presence of overactive immune cells resulting in neutrophil pulmonary infiltration which, in turn, could enhance the inflammatory response and prolong tissue damage. These findings make CXCR2 antagonists, in particular IL-8 antagonists, promising candidates for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Viruses, Hepatology, Cancer”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Nicolas de Prost
- Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- CARMAS Clinical Research Group, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Slim Fourati
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Viruses, Hepatology, Cancer”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Claudie Lamoureux
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Guillaume Gricourt
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Viruses, Hepatology, Cancer”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Melissa N’debi
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Viruses, Hepatology, Cancer”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Florence Canoui-Poitrine
- Université Paris-Est-Créteil, INSERM, IMRB, Créteil, France
- Public Health and Clinical Research Unit, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Isaac Désveaux
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Oriane Picard
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Vanessa Demontant
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Elisabeth Trawinski
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Raphaël Lepeule
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Laure Surgers
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - William Vindrios
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Jean-Daniel Lelièvre
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Nicolas Mongardon
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - Olivier Langeron
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
| | - José L. Cohen
- Center for Clinical Investigation and Biotherapies, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Immunoregulation and biotherapies”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Armand Mekontso-Dessap
- Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- CARMAS Clinical Research Group, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Paul-Louis Woerther
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team DYNAMIC, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
| | - Jean-Michel Pawlotsky
- Department of Microbiology, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Créteil, France
- Team “Viruses, Hepatology, Cancer”, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (IMRB), INSERM U955, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France
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80
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Caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques des patients COVID-19 admis en réanimation à l’hôpital Donka de Conakry, Guinée : étude descriptive des 140 premiers cas hospitalisés. ANESTHÉSIE & RÉANIMATION 2021. [PMCID: PMC7859622 DOI: 10.1016/j.anrea.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Objectif Décrire les caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques des patients COVID-19 admis au service de réanimation. Méthodes Il s’agissait d’une étude prospective observationnelle de 4 mois (12 mars au 12 juillet) réalisée au service de réanimation du Centre de Traitement COVID-19 de l’Hôpital national Donka. Résultats Durant la période d’étude, 6044 malades ont été testés positifs au SARS-CoV-2 ; 140 parmi eux ont été admis en réanimation, soit une prévalence de 2,3 %. L’âge moyen des patients était de 59 ± 14 ans. La majorité des patients (79 %) était de sexe masculin. Concernant les comorbidités, 77 % des patients avaient au moins une comorbidité médicale, dont l’hypertension artérielle (55 %) et le diabète (38 %). Les signes cliniques les plus fréquents étaient la dyspnée, (81 %), l’asthénie physique (64 %) et la toux (60 %). La majorité de nos patients (91 %) a bénéficié d’une oxygénothérapie classique. Le syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë (SDRA) était la complication la plus représentée (38 %). Le taux de létalité était de 25 % sur l’ensemble des patients admis en réanimation. Conclusion Une faible proportion de patients COVID-19 ont été admis en réanimation. Ces patients étaient principalement des personnes âgées et de sexe masculin, ayant au moins une comorbidité. La symptomatologie était dominée par la dyspnée et les complications par le SDRA. La létalité était comparable en Europe et aux États-Unis.
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81
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Gotluru C, Roach A, Cherry SH, Runowicz CD. Sex, Hormones, Immune Functions, and Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Related Morbidity. Obstet Gynecol 2021; 137:423-429. [PMID: 33543899 PMCID: PMC7884090 DOI: 10.1097/aog.0000000000004275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), uses two primary receptors, type II transmembrane serine protease and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, for priming and cellular invasion, respectively. Both proteins have been demonstrated to be present in different concentrations in females and males, which may explain a mechanism for the reported higher case-fatality rate in males. Despite the known sex difference in COVID-19 disease mortality, preliminary data suggest there are certain female populations, including pregnant and menopausal women and possibly polycystic ovarian syndrome patients who are more susceptible to COVID-19-related morbidity. This commentary analyzes the interplay between sex differences, hormones, and the immune function in each of these populations with respect to the risk and severity of COVID-19 and proposes biological rationales to explain these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitra Gotluru
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Allison Roach
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Sheldon H. Cherry
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Carolyn D. Runowicz
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida
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82
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Wray S, Arrowsmith S. The Physiological Mechanisms of the Sex-Based Difference in Outcomes of COVID19 Infection. Front Physiol 2021; 12:627260. [PMID: 33633588 PMCID: PMC7900431 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.627260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The scale of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has thrust a spotlight on the sex-based differences in response to viral diseases; morbidity and mortality are greater in men than women. We outline the mechanisms by which being female offers a degree of protection from COVID19, that persists even when confounders such as comorbidities are considered. The physiological and immunological mechanisms are fascinating and range from incomplete X chromosome inactivation of immune genes, a crucial role for angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and regulation of both immune activity and ACE2 by sex steroids. From this flows understanding of why lung and other organs are more susceptible to COVID19 damage in men, and how their distinct immunological landscapes need to be acknowledged to guide prognosis and treatment. Pregnancy, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy bring changed hormonal environments and the need for better stratification in COVID19 studies. We end by noting clinical trials based on increasing estrogens or progesterone or anti-testosterone drugs; excellent examples of translational physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Wray
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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83
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Identification of hub lncRNA ceRNAs in multiple sclerosis based on ceRNA mechanisms. Mol Genet Genomics 2021; 296:423-435. [PMID: 33507382 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-020-01750-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, and the pathogenesis is influenced by genetic susceptibility. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles in complex diseases, including acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, the functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs acting as ceRNAs in MS are still unclear. In this study, we identified hub lncRNA ceRNAs in MS based on ceRNA mechanisms and annotated their functions. The lncRNA-associated ceRNA network (LACN) was constructed by integrating the expression profiles of lncRNA/mRNA and miRNA in MS and normal samples, and the experimentally validated interactions of lncRNA-miRNA and mRNA-miRNA. We found three hub lncRNA ceRNAs (XIST, OIP5-AS1, and CTB-89H12.4) using the network analysis and obtained 96 lncRNA-mediated competing triplets (LCTs, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA) with the hub lncRNA ceRNAs, which constituted 3 hub ceRNA modules. The functional analysis identified 12 pathways enriched by the 3 hub lncRNA ceRNAs, of which 6 were confirmed to be related to MS. For example, XIST was enriched in the 'spliceosome' and 'RNA transport' related to the typing of MS, and CTB-89H12.4 was enriched in the 'mTOR signaling pathway,' a potential therapeutic target for MS. We dissected the expression patterns of the 96 LCTs in MS individually. LCT XIST-miR-326-HNRNPA1, for which the expression pattern in MS revealed that XIST and HNRNPA1 were up-regulated and miR-326 was down-regulated, consisted of risk RNAs for MS that were validated by other research. Therefore, XIST-miR-326-HNRNPA1 might play a central role in the pathogenesis of MS. These results will contribute to the discovery of novel biomarkers and the development of new therapeutic methods for MS.
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84
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Youness A, Miquel CH, Guéry JC. Escape from X Chromosome Inactivation and the Female Predominance in Autoimmune Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031114. [PMID: 33498655 PMCID: PMC7865432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Women represent 80% of people affected by autoimmune diseases. Although, many studies have demonstrated a role for sex hormone receptor signaling, particularly estrogens, in the direct regulation of innate and adaptive components of the immune system, recent data suggest that female sex hormones are not the only cause of the female predisposition to autoimmunity. Besides sex steroid hormones, growing evidence points towards the role of X-linked genetic factors. In female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is randomly inactivated during embryonic development, resulting in a cellular mosaicism, where about one-half of the cells in a given tissue express either the maternal X chromosome or the paternal one. X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is however not complete and 15 to 23% of genes from the inactive X chromosome (Xi) escape XCI, thereby contributing to the emergence of a female-specific heterogeneous population of cells with bi-allelic expression of some X-linked genes. Although the direct contribution of this genetic mechanism in the female susceptibility to autoimmunity still remains to be established, the cellular mosaicism resulting from XCI escape is likely to create a unique functional plasticity within female immune cells. Here, we review recent findings identifying key immune related genes that escape XCI and the relationship between gene dosage imbalance and functional responsiveness in female cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Youness
- Infinity-Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, 31300 Toulouse, France; (A.Y.); (C.-H.M.)
| | - Charles-Henry Miquel
- Infinity-Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, 31300 Toulouse, France; (A.Y.); (C.-H.M.)
- Arthritis R&D, 92200 Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France
| | - Jean-Charles Guéry
- Infinity-Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, 31300 Toulouse, France; (A.Y.); (C.-H.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-5-62-74-83-78; Fax: +33-5-62-74-45-58
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85
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Sex bias of females in survival from cancer and infections. Is X the answer? Br J Cancer 2021; 124:1184-1186. [PMID: 33469152 PMCID: PMC7813969 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Major differences in survival of men and women from infectious diseases and cancers have been highlighted by death rates from COVID-19 infections. In cancer, attention has been focussed on differences in gene expression from X chromosomes in men and women with a preponderance of genes involved in immune responses being expressed in women. Important findings have been that some of the genes are important epigenetic regulators that play fundamental roles in immune responses.
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86
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Yu B, Qi Y, Li R, Shi Q, Satpathy A, Chang HY. B cell-specific XIST complex enforces X-inactivation and restrains atypical B cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33442682 PMCID: PMC7805439 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.03.425167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) XIST establishes X chromosome inactivation (XCI) in female cells in early development and thereafter is thought to be largely dispensable. Here we show XIST is continually required in adult human B cells to silence a subset of X-linked immune genes such as TLR7 . XIST-dependent genes lack promoter DNA methylation and require continual XIST-dependent histone deacetylation. XIST RNA-directed proteomics and CRISPRi screen reveal distinctive somatic cell-specific XIST complexes, and identify TRIM28 that mediates Pol II pausing at promoters of X-linked genes in B cells. XIST dysregylation, reflected by escape of XIST-dependent genes, occurs in CD11c+ atypical memory B cells across single-cell transcriptome data in patients with female-biased autoimmunity and COVID-19 infection. XIST inactivation with TLR7 agonism suffices to promote isotype-switched atypical B cells. These results suggest cell-type-specific diversification of lncRNA-protein complexes increase lncRNA functionalities, and expand roles for XIST in sex-differences in biology and medicine. HIGHLIGHTS XIST prevents escape of genes with DNA hypomethylated promoters in B cells.XIST maintains X-inactivation through continuous deacetylation of H3K27ac.XIST ChIRP-MS and allelic CRISPRi screen reveal a B cell-specific XIST cofactor TRIM28.XIST loss and TLR7 stimulation promotes CD11c+ atypical B cell formation.
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87
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Salciccia S, Del Giudice F, Eisenberg ML, Mastroianni CM, De Berardinis E, Ricciuti GP, Viscuso P, Zingaropoli A, Pasculli P, Ciardi MR, Sciarra A, Maggi M. Testosterone target therapy: focus on immune response, controversies and clinical implications in patients with COVID-19 infection. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab 2021; 12:20420188211010105. [PMID: 34104394 PMCID: PMC8072920 DOI: 10.1177/20420188211010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pandemic acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) named COVID-19 is causing a severe health emergency, and an individual's hormonal milieu may play an important role in both susceptibility to infection and severity of clinical course. We analyzed the role of testosterone in the immune response, and we hypothesized possible mechanisms to explain the high incidence of COVID-19 infection and a worse clinical course in elderly male patients. Testosterone may impair the immune response, and this effect could explain the greater susceptibility of men to infection. Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) plays a crucial role in the entry of the virus into the respiratory epithelial cells, leading to COVID-19 disease. It is crucial to emphasize that testosterone levels and chemical castration (e.g. by androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer) may have contrasting roles in the phases of COVID-19 infection. Whereas low testosterone levels may be protective against the initial susceptibility (due to a restoration of immunological functions and a block of TMPRSS2), low testosterone may stimulate a worse clinical course in the advanced COVID-19 infection as it could exacerbate or activate the cytokine storm. If testosterone levels play these different roles, it is necessary to carefully identify patients for any indicated testosterone manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Del Giudice
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael L. Eisenberg
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Claudio M. Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Ettore De Berardinis
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Gian Piero Ricciuti
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Viscuso
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Zingaropoli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pasculli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Ciardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sciarra
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Maggi
- Department of Maternal-Infant and Urological Sciences, Prostate Cancer Unit, “Sapienza” Rome University, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Rome, Italy
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88
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Dudek KA, Dion‐Albert L, Kaufmann FN, Tuck E, Lebel M, Menard C. Neurobiology of resilience in depression: immune and vascular insights from human and animal studies. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:183-221. [PMID: 31421056 PMCID: PMC7891571 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and recurrent psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood, social isolation and anhedonia. It will affect 20% of individuals with considerable economic impacts. Unfortunately, 30-50% of depressed individuals are resistant to current antidepressant treatments. MDD is twice as prevalent in women and associated symptoms are different. Depression's main environmental risk factor is chronic stress, and women report higher levels of stress in daily life. However, not every stressed individual becomes depressed, highlighting the need to identify biological determinants of stress vulnerability but also resilience. Based on a reverse translational approach, rodent models of depression were developed to study the mechanisms underlying susceptibility vs resilience. Indeed, a subpopulation of animals can display coping mechanisms and a set of biological alterations leading to stress resilience. The aetiology of MDD is multifactorial and involves several physiological systems. Exacerbation of endocrine and immune responses from both innate and adaptive systems are observed in depressed individuals and mice exhibiting depression-like behaviours. Increasing attention has been given to neurovascular health since higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is found in MDD patients and inflammatory conditions are associated with depression, treatment resistance and relapse. Here, we provide an overview of endocrine, immune and vascular changes associated with stress vulnerability vs. resilience in rodents and when available, in humans. Lack of treatment efficacy suggests that neuron-centric treatments do not address important causal biological factors and better understanding of stress-induced adaptations, including sex differences, could contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies including personalized medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Laurence Dion‐Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Ellen Tuck
- Smurfit Institute of GeneticsTrinity CollegeDublinIreland
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
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89
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Panda A, Zylicz JJ, Pasque V. New Insights into X-Chromosome Reactivation during Reprogramming to Pluripotency. Cells 2020; 9:E2706. [PMID: 33348832 PMCID: PMC7766869 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation between the sexes results in one X chromosome being inactivated during female mammalian development. Chromosome-wide transcriptional silencing from the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in mammalian cells is erased in a process termed X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), which has emerged as a paradigm for studying the reversal of chromatin silencing. XCR is linked with germline development and induction of naive pluripotency in the epiblast, and also takes place upon reprogramming somatic cells to induced pluripotency. XCR depends on silencing of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (Xist) and is linked with the erasure of chromatin silencing. Over the past years, the advent of transcriptomics and epigenomics has provided new insights into the transcriptional and chromatin dynamics with which XCR takes place. However, multiple questions remain unanswered about how chromatin and transcription related processes enable XCR. Here, we review recent work on establishing the transcriptional and chromatin kinetics of XCR, as well as discuss a model by which transcription factors mediate XCR not only via Xist repression, but also by direct targeting of X-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitesh Panda
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Jan J. Zylicz
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Vincent Pasque
- Laboratory of Cellular Reprogramming and Epigenetic Regulation, Department of Development and Regeneration, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
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90
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Peckham H, de Gruijter NM, Raine C, Radziszewska A, Ciurtin C, Wedderburn LR, Rosser EC, Webb K, Deakin CT. Male sex identified by global COVID-19 meta-analysis as a risk factor for death and ITU admission. Nat Commun 2020. [PMID: 33298944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19741-6.pmid:33298944;pmcid:pmc7726563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, exhibits differences in morbidity and mortality between sexes. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 3,111,714 reported global cases to demonstrate that, whilst there is no difference in the proportion of males and females with confirmed COVID-19, male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit (ITU) admission (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 2.06, 3.92) and higher odds of death (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.47) compared to females. With few exceptions, the sex bias observed in COVID-19 is a worldwide phenomenon. An appreciation of how sex is influencing COVID-19 outcomes will have important implications for clinical management and mitigation strategies for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Peckham
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nina M de Gruijter
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Charles Raine
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Anna Radziszewska
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Coziana Ciurtin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Lucy R Wedderburn
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth C Rosser
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Kate Webb
- Department of Paediatric Rheumatology, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- The Francis Crick Institute, Crick African Network, London, UK.
| | - Claire T Deakin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
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91
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Peckham H, de Gruijter NM, Raine C, Radziszewska A, Ciurtin C, Wedderburn LR, Rosser EC, Webb K, Deakin CT. Male sex identified by global COVID-19 meta-analysis as a risk factor for death and ITU admission. Nat Commun 2020. [PMID: 33298944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467‐020‐19741‐6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, exhibits differences in morbidity and mortality between sexes. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 3,111,714 reported global cases to demonstrate that, whilst there is no difference in the proportion of males and females with confirmed COVID-19, male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit (ITU) admission (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 2.06, 3.92) and higher odds of death (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.47) compared to females. With few exceptions, the sex bias observed in COVID-19 is a worldwide phenomenon. An appreciation of how sex is influencing COVID-19 outcomes will have important implications for clinical management and mitigation strategies for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Peckham
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nina M de Gruijter
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Charles Raine
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Anna Radziszewska
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Coziana Ciurtin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Lucy R Wedderburn
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth C Rosser
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.,Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Kate Webb
- Department of Paediatric Rheumatology, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,The Francis Crick Institute, Crick African Network, London, UK.
| | - Claire T Deakin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK. .,Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK. .,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
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92
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Mousavi MJ, Mahmoudi M, Ghotloo S. Escape from X chromosome inactivation and female bias of autoimmune diseases. Mol Med 2020; 26:127. [PMID: 33297945 PMCID: PMC7727198 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-020-00256-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Generally, autoimmune diseases are more prevalent in females than males. Various predisposing factors, including female sex hormones, X chromosome genes, and the microbiome have been implicated in the female bias of autoimmune diseases. During embryogenesis, one of the X chromosomes in the females is transcriptionally inactivated, in a process called X chromosome inactivation (XCI). This equalizes the impact of two X chromosomes in the females. However, some genes escape from XCI, providing a basis for the dual expression dosage of the given gene in the females. In the present review, the contribution of the escape genes to the female bias of autoimmune diseases will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Mousavi
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Mahmoudi
- Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Somayeh Ghotloo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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93
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Peckham H, de Gruijter NM, Raine C, Radziszewska A, Ciurtin C, Wedderburn LR, Rosser EC, Webb K, Deakin CT. Male sex identified by global COVID-19 meta-analysis as a risk factor for death and ITU admission. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6317. [PMID: 33298944 PMCID: PMC7726563 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19741-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 833] [Impact Index Per Article: 208.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Anecdotal evidence suggests that Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, exhibits differences in morbidity and mortality between sexes. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 3,111,714 reported global cases to demonstrate that, whilst there is no difference in the proportion of males and females with confirmed COVID-19, male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring intensive treatment unit (ITU) admission (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 2.06, 3.92) and higher odds of death (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.47) compared to females. With few exceptions, the sex bias observed in COVID-19 is a worldwide phenomenon. An appreciation of how sex is influencing COVID-19 outcomes will have important implications for clinical management and mitigation strategies for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Peckham
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Nina M de Gruijter
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Charles Raine
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Anna Radziszewska
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Coziana Ciurtin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Lucy R Wedderburn
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth C Rosser
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK
- Centre for Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, UCL, London, UK
| | - Kate Webb
- Department of Paediatric Rheumatology, School of Child and Adolescent Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- The Francis Crick Institute, Crick African Network, London, UK.
| | - Claire T Deakin
- Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology Versus Arthritis at UCL, UCLH, GOSH, London, UK.
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
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94
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Hagen SH, Henseling F, Hennesen J, Savel H, Delahaye S, Richert L, Ziegler SM, Altfeld M. Heterogeneous Escape from X Chromosome Inactivation Results in Sex Differences in Type I IFN Responses at the Single Human pDC Level. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108485. [PMID: 33296655 PMCID: PMC7833293 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune responses differ between women and men, and type I interferon (IFN) responses following Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) stimulation are higher in women. The precise mechanisms driving these sex differences in immunity are unknown. To investigate possible genetic factors, we quantify escape from X chromosome inactivation (XCI) for TLR7 and four other genes (RPS6KA3, CYBB, BTK, and IL13RA1) at the single plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) level. We observe escape from XCI for all investigated genes, leading to biallelic expression patterns. pDCs with biallelic gene expression have significantly higher mRNA levels of the respective genes. Unstimulated pDCs with biallelic TLR7 expression exhibit significantly higher IFNα/β mRNA levels, and IFNα exposure results in significantly increased IFNα/β protein production by pDCs. These results identify unanticipated heterogeneity in escape from XCI of several genes in pDCs and highlight the important contribution of X chromosome factors to sex differences in type I IFN responses, which might explain observed sex differences in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Hendrik Hagen
- Research Department Virus Immunology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20251, Germany
| | - Florian Henseling
- Research Department Virus Immunology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20251, Germany
| | - Jana Hennesen
- Technology Platform Flow Cytometry/FACS, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20251, Germany
| | - Hélène Savel
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR1219 and Inria, team SISTM, Bordeaux, France
| | - Solenne Delahaye
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR1219 and Inria, team SISTM, Bordeaux, France
| | - Laura Richert
- University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR1219 and Inria, team SISTM, Bordeaux, France
| | - Susanne Maria Ziegler
- Research Department Virus Immunology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20251, Germany
| | - Marcus Altfeld
- Research Department Virus Immunology, Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg 20251, Germany.
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95
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Bienvenu LA, Noonan J, Wang X, Peter K. Higher mortality of COVID-19 in males: sex differences in immune response and cardiovascular comorbidities. Cardiovasc Res 2020; 116:2197-2206. [PMID: 33063089 PMCID: PMC7665363 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The high mortality rate of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a critical concern of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Strikingly, men account for the majority of COVID-19 deaths, with current figures ranging from 59% to 75% of total mortality. However, despite clear implications in relation to COVID-19 mortality, most research has not considered sex as a critical factor in data analysis. Here, we highlight fundamental biological differences that exist between males and females, and how these may make significant contributions to the male-biased COVID-19 mortality. We present preclinical evidence identifying the influence of biological sex on the expression and regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the main receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to enter cells. However, we note that there is a lack of reports showing that sexual dimorphism of ACE2 expression exists and is of functional relevance in humans. In contrast, there is strong evidence, especially in the context of viral infections, that sexual dimorphism plays a central role in the genetic and hormonal regulation of immune responses, both of the innate and the adaptive immune system. We review evidence supporting that ineffective anti-SARS-CoV-2 responses, coupled with a predisposition for inappropriate hyperinflammatory responses, could provide a biological explanation for the male bias in COVID-19 mortality. A prominent finding in COVID-19 is the increased risk of death with pre-existing cardiovascular comorbidities, such as hypertension, obesity, and age. We contextualize how important features of sexual dimorphism and inflammation in COVID-19 may exhibit a reciprocal relationship with comorbidities, and explain their increased mortality risk. Ultimately, we demonstrate that biological sex is a fundamental variable of critical relevance to our mechanistic understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the pursuit of effective COVID-19 preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Bienvenu
- Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan Noonan
- Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Deparment of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Immunobiology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Karlheinz Peter
- Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Deparment of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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96
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Trans- and cis-acting effects of Firre on epigenetic features of the inactive X chromosome. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6053. [PMID: 33247132 PMCID: PMC7695720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19879-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Firre encodes a lncRNA involved in nuclear organization. Here, we show that Firre RNA expressed from the active X chromosome maintains histone H3K27me3 enrichment on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in somatic cells. This trans-acting effect involves SUZ12, reflecting interactions between Firre RNA and components of the Polycomb repressive complexes. Without Firre RNA, H3K27me3 decreases on the Xi and the Xi-perinucleolar location is disrupted, possibly due to decreased CTCF binding on the Xi. We also observe widespread gene dysregulation, but not on the Xi. These effects are measurably rescued by ectopic expression of mouse or human Firre/FIRRE transgenes, supporting conserved trans-acting roles. We also find that the compact 3D structure of the Xi partly depends on the Firre locus and its RNA. In common lymphoid progenitors and T-cells Firre exerts a cis-acting effect on maintenance of H3K27me3 in a 26 Mb region around the locus, demonstrating cell type-specific trans- and cis-acting roles of this lncRNA.
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97
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Differences in Liver Graft Survival by Recipient Sex. Transplant Direct 2020; 6:e629. [PMID: 33204827 PMCID: PMC7665259 DOI: 10.1097/txd.0000000000001084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. We aimed to characterize patterns of differences in liver graft failure rates by recipient sex, accounting for the modifying effects of donor sex and recipient age.
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98
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Linher-Melville K, Shah A, Singh G. Sex differences in neuro(auto)immunity and chronic sciatic nerve pain. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:62. [PMID: 33183347 PMCID: PMC7661171 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00339-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain occurs with greater frequency in women, with a parallel sexually dimorphic trend reported in sufferers of many autoimmune diseases. There is a need to continue examining neuro-immune-endocrine crosstalk in the context of sexual dimorphisms in chronic pain. Several phenomena in particular need to be further explored. In patients, autoantibodies to neural antigens have been associated with sensory pathway hyper-excitability, and the role of self-antigens released by damaged nerves remains to be defined. In addition, specific immune cells release pro-nociceptive cytokines that directly influence neural firing, while T lymphocytes activated by specific antigens secrete factors that either support nerve repair or exacerbate the damage. Modulating specific immune cell populations could therefore be a means to promote nerve recovery, with sex-specific outcomes. Understanding biological sex differences that maintain, or fail to maintain, neuroimmune homeostasis may inform the selection of sex-specific treatment regimens, improving chronic pain management by rebalancing neuroimmune feedback. Given the significance of interactions between nerves and immune cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, this review focuses on sex differences and possible links with persistent autoimmune activity using sciatica as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Linher-Melville
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anita Shah
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gurmit Singh
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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99
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X-chromosome regulation and sex differences in brain anatomy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:28-47. [PMID: 33171144 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans show reproducible sex-differences in cognition and psychopathology that may be contributed to by influences of gonadal sex-steroids and/or sex-chromosomes on regional brain development. Gonadal sex-steroids are well known to play a major role in sexual differentiation of the vertebrate brain, but far less is known regarding the role of sex-chromosomes. Our review focuses on this latter issue by bridging together two literatures that have to date been largely disconnected. We first consider "bottom-up" genetic and molecular studies focused on sex-chromosome gene content and regulation. This literature nominates specific sex-chromosome genes that could drive developmental sex-differences by virtue of their sex-biased expression and their functions within the brain. We then consider the complementary "top down" view, from magnetic resonance imaging studies that map sex- and sex chromosome effects on regional brain anatomy, and link these maps to regional gene-expression within the brain. By connecting these top-down and bottom-up approaches, we emphasize the potential role of X-linked genes in driving sex-biased brain development and outline key goals for future work in this field.
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100
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Acheampong DO, Barffour IK, Boye A, Aninagyei E, Ocansey S, Morna MT. Male predisposition to severe COVID-19: Review of evidence and potential therapeutic prospects. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 131:110748. [PMID: 33152916 PMCID: PMC7480230 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe form of COVID-19 has significant sex disparities, with high fatalities commonly reported among males than females. The incidence of COVID-19 has also been higher in males compared with their female counterparts. This trend could be attributed to a better responsive and robust immune system in females. Cytokine storm is one of the pathophysiological features of severe COVID-19, and it occurs as a result of over-activation of immune cells leading to severe inflammation and tissue damage. Nevertheless, it is well modulated in females compared to their male counterparts. Severe inflammation in males is reported to facilitate progression of mild to severe COVID-19. The sex hormones, estrogens and androgens which exist in varying functional levels respectively in females and males are cited as the underlying cause for the differential immune response to COVID-19. Evidence abounds that estrogen modulate the immune system to protect females from severe inflammation and for that matter severe COVID-19. On the contrary, androgen has been implicated in over-activation of immune cells, cytokine storm and the attendant severe inflammation, which perhaps predispose males to severe COVID-19. In this review efforts are made to expand understanding and explain the possible roles of the immune system, the sex hormones and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) systems in male bias to severe COVID-19. Also, this review explores possible therapeutic avenues including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), estrogen-based therapy, and ACE inhibitors for consideration in the fight against COVID-19.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Androgen Antagonists/pharmacology
- Androgen Antagonists/therapeutic use
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Betacoronavirus/physiology
- COVID-19
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Coronavirus Infections/complications
- Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy
- Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology
- Coronavirus Infections/immunology
- Coronavirus Infections/therapy
- Disease Susceptibility
- Female
- Gonadal Steroid Hormones/physiology
- Humans
- Immunity, Innate
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Inflammation
- Male
- Mice
- Middle Aged
- Pandemics
- Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/physiology
- Pneumonia, Viral/complications
- Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology
- Pneumonia, Viral/immunology
- Pneumonia, Viral/therapy
- Prostatic Neoplasms/complications
- Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Protein Disulfide-Isomerases/physiology
- Receptors, Cell Surface/physiology
- Receptors, Virus/physiology
- SARS-CoV-2
- Sex Distribution
- Smoking/adverse effects
- Young Adult
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
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Affiliation(s)
- Desmond Omane Acheampong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
| | - Isaac Kyei Barffour
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Alex Boye
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Enoch Aninagyei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Allied Health Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Stephen Ocansey
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Martin Tangnaa Morna
- Department of Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
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