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Tarlinton R, Tanasescu R, Shannon-Lowe C, Gran B. Ocrelizumab B cell depletion has no effect on HERV RNA expression in PBMC in MS patients. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2024; 86:105597. [PMID: 38598954 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2024.105597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epstein barr virus (EBV) infection of B cells is now understood to be one of the triggering events for the development of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a progressive immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system. EBV infection is also linked to expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) of the HERV-W group, a further risk factor for the development of MS. Ocrelizumab is a high-potency disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for MS, which depletes B cells by targeting CD20. OBJECTIVES We studied the effects of ocrelizumab on gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from paired samples from 20 patients taken prior to and 6 months after beginning ocrelizumab therapy. We hypothesised that EBV and HERV-W loads would be lower in post-treatment samples. METHODS Samples were collected in Paxgene tubes, subject to RNA extraction and Illumina paired end short read mRNA sequencing with mapping of sequence reads to the human genome using Salmon and differential gene expression compared with DeSeq2. Mapping was also performed separately to the HERV-D database of HERV sequences and the EBV reference sequence. RESULTS Patient samples were more strongly clustered by individual rather than disease type (relapsing/remitting or primary progressive), treatment (pre and post), age, or sex. Fourteen genes, all clearly linked to B cell function were significantly down regulated in the post treatment samples. Interestingly only one pre-treatment sample had detectable EBV RNA and there were no significant differences in HERV expression (of any group) between pre- and post-treatment samples. CONCLUSIONS While EBV and HERV expression are clearly linked to triggering MS pathogenesis, it does not appear that high level expression of these viruses is a part of the ongoing disease process or that changes in virus load are associated with ocrelizumab treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Tarlinton
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
| | - Radu Tanasescu
- Department of Neurology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, United Kingdom; School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Shannon-Lowe
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Gran
- Department of Neurology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, United Kingdom; School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Zhang D, Wu X, Xue X, Li W, Zhou P, Lv Z, Zhao K, Zhu F. Ancient dormant virus remnant ERVW-1 drives ferroptosis via degradation of GPX4 and SLC3A2 in schizophrenia. Virol Sin 2024; 39:31-43. [PMID: 37690733 PMCID: PMC10877354 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of retroviral infections in human germline cells from millions of years ago. Among these, ERVW-1 (also known as HERV-W-ENV, ERVWE1, or ENVW) encodes the envelope protein of the HERV-W family, which contributes to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Additionally, neuropathological studies have revealed cell death and disruption of iron homeostasis in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia. Here, our bioinformatics analysis showed that differentially expressed genes in the human prefrontal cortex RNA microarray dataset (GSE53987) were mainly related to ferroptosis and its associated pathways. Clinical data demonstrated significantly lower expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes, particularly Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2), in schizophrenia patients compared to normal controls. Further in-depth analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between ERVW-1 expression and the levels of GPX4/SLC3A2 in schizophrenia. Studies indicated that ERVW-1 increased iron levels, malondialdehyde (MDA), and transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1) expression while decreasing glutathione (GSH) levels and triggering the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, suggesting that ERVW-1 can induce ferroptosis. Ongoing research has shown that ERVW-1 reduced the expression of GPX4 and SLC3A2 by inhibiting their promoter activities. Moreover, Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), the ferroptosis inhibitor, reversed the iron accumulation and mitochondrial membrane potential loss, as well as restored the expressions of ferroptosis markers GSH, MDA, and TFR1 induced by ERVW-1. In conclusion, ERVW-1 could promote ferroptosis by downregulating the expression of GPX4 and SLC3A2, revealing a novel mechanism by which ERVW-1 contributes to neuronal cell death in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiulin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wenshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhao Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Kexin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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3
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Landy E, Varghese J, Dang V, Szymczak-Workman A, Kane LP, Canna SW. Complementary HLH susceptibility factors converge on CD8 T-cell hyperactivation. Blood Adv 2023; 7:6949-6963. [PMID: 37738167 PMCID: PMC10690564 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) are life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndromes. Familial HLH is caused by genetic impairment of granule-mediated cytotoxicity (eg, perforin deficiency). MAS is linked to excess activity of the inflammasome-activated cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18). Though individually tolerated, mice with dual susceptibility (Prf1⁻/⁻Il18tg; DS) succumb to spontaneous, lethal hyperinflammation. We hypothesized that understanding how these susceptibility factors synergize would uncover key pathomechanisms in the activation, function, and persistence of hyperactivated CD8 T cells. In IL-18 transgenic (Il18tg) mice, IL-18 effects on CD8 T cells drove MAS after a viral (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus), but not innate (toll like receptor 9), trigger. In vitro, CD8 T cells also required T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation to fully respond to IL-18. IL-18 induced but perforin deficiency impaired immunoregulatory restimulation-induced cell death (RICD). Paralleling hyperinflammation, DS mice displayed massive postthymic oligoclonal CD8 T-cell hyperactivation in their spleens, livers, and bone marrow as early as 3 weeks. These cells increased proliferation and interferon gamma production, which contrasted with increased expression of receptors and transcription factors associated with exhaustion. Broad-spectrum antibiotics and antiretrovirals failed to ameliorate the disease. Attempting to genetically "fix" TCR antigen-specificity instead demonstrated the persistence of spontaneous HLH and hyperactivation, chiefly on T cells that had evaded TCR fixation. Thus, drivers of HLH may preferentially act on CD8 T cells: IL-18 amplifies activation and demand for RICD, whereas perforin supplies critical immunoregulation. Together, these factors promote a terminal CD8 T-cell activation state, combining features of exhaustion and effector function. Therefore, susceptibility to hyperinflammation may converge on a unique, unrelenting, and antigen-dependent state of CD8 T-cell hyperactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Landy
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
- Graduate Program in Microbiology and Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jemy Varghese
- Rheumatology & Immune Dysregulation, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Vinh Dang
- Rheumatology & Immune Dysregulation, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Lawrence P. Kane
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Scott W. Canna
- Rheumatology & Immune Dysregulation, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Tovo PA, Galliano I, Parodi E, Calvi C, Gambarino S, Licciardi F, Dini M, Montanari P, Branca M, Ramenghi U, Bergallo M. Children with Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia Exhibit High Expression of Human Endogenous Retroviruses TRIM28 and SETDB1. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1569. [PMID: 37628621 PMCID: PMC10454145 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic immune thrombocytopenia (CITP) is an autoimmune disease whose underlying biologic mechanisms remain elusive. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) derive from ancestral infections and constitute about 8% of our genome. A wealth of clinical and experimental studies highlights their pivotal pathogenetic role in autoimmune diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as those modulated by TRIM28 and SETDB1, are involved in HERV activation and regulation of immune response. We assessed, through a polymerase chain reaction real-time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of pol genes of HERV-H, HERV-K, and HERV-W; env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1, SYN2, and HERV-W; as well as TRIM28 and SETDB1 in whole blood from 34 children with CITP and age-matched healthy controls (HC). The transcriptional levels of all HERV sequences, with the exception of HERV-W-env, were significantly enhanced in children with CITP as compared to HC. Patients on eltrombopag treatment exhibited lower expression of SYN1, SYN2, and HERV-W-env as compared to untreated patients. The mRNA concentrations of TRIM28 and SETDB1 were significantly higher and were positively correlated with those of HERVs in CITP patients. The over-expressions of HERVs and TRIM28/SETDB1 and their positive correlations in patients with CITP are suggestive clues of their contribution to the pathogenesis of the disease and support innovative interventions to inhibit HERV and TRIM28/SETDB1 expressions in patients unresponsive to standard therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier-Angelo Tovo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (P.-A.T.); (U.R.)
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Emilia Parodi
- Pediatric and Neonatology Unit, Ordine Mauriziano Hospital, Largo Filippo Turati 62, 10128 Turin, Italy;
| | - Cristina Calvi
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Stefano Gambarino
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Francesco Licciardi
- Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Maddalena Dini
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Paola Montanari
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
| | - Margherita Branca
- Postgraduate School of Pediatrics, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Ugo Ramenghi
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (P.-A.T.); (U.R.)
- Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy;
- Postgraduate School of Pediatrics, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospitalno, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (C.C.); (S.G.); (M.D.); (P.M.)
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5
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Wang Q, Shi Y, Bian Q, Zhang N, Wang M, Wang J, Li X, Lai L, Zhao Z, Yu H. Molecular mechanisms of syncytin-1 in tumors and placental development related diseases. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:104. [PMID: 37326913 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00702-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have evolved from exogenous retroviruses and account for approximately 8% of the human genome. A growing number of findings suggest that the abnormal expression of HERV genes is associated with schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, endometriosis, breast cancer, bladder cancer and other diseases. HERV-W env (syncytin-1) is a membrane glycoprotein which plays an important role in placental development. It includes embryo implantation, fusion of syncytiotrophoblasts and of fertilized eggs, and immune response. The abnormal expression of syncytin-1 is related to placental development-related diseases such as preeclampsia, infertility, and intrauterine growth restriction, as well as tumors such as neuroblastoma, endometrial cancer, and endometriosis. This review mainly focused on the molecular interactions of syncytin-1 in placental development-related diseases and tumors, to explore whether syncytin-1 can be an emerging biological marker and potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Shi
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Bian
- Collaborative Innovation Center, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pathophysiology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Naibin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianing Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Luhao Lai
- Collaborative Innovation Center, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhankui Zhao
- The Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining Medical University, 89 Guhuai Road, Jining, 272029, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Honglian Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, Jining Medical University, 133 Hehua Road, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272067, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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6
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Tovo PA, Marozio L, Abbona G, Calvi C, Frezet F, Gambarino S, Dini M, Benedetto C, Galliano I, Bergallo M. Pregnancy Is Associated with Impaired Transcription of Human Endogenous Retroviruses and of TRIM28 and SETDB1, Particularly in Mothers Affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030710. [PMID: 36992419 PMCID: PMC10051116 DOI: 10.3390/v15030710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence highlights the pathogenetic role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in eliciting and maintaining multiple sclerosis (MS). Epigenetic mechanisms, such as those regulated by TRIM 28 and SETDB1, are implicated in HERV activation and in neuroinflammatory disorders, including MS. Pregnancy markedly improves the course of MS, but no study explored the expressions of HERVs and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 during gestation. Using a polymerase chain reaction real-time Taqman amplification assay, we assessed and compared the transcriptional levels of pol genes of HERV-H, HERV-K, HERV-W; of env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1, SYN2, and multiple sclerosis associated retrovirus (MSRV); and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in peripheral blood and placenta from 20 mothers affected by MS; from 27 healthy mothers, in cord blood from their neonates; and in blood from healthy women of child-bearing age. The HERV mRNA levels were significantly lower in pregnant than in nonpregnant women. Expressions of all HERVs were downregulated in the chorion and in the decidua basalis of MS mothers compared to healthy mothers. The former also showed lower mRNA levels of HERV-K-pol and of SYN1, SYN2, and MSRV in peripheral blood. Significantly lower expressions of TRIM28 and SETDB1 also emerged in pregnant vs. nonpregnant women and in blood, chorion, and decidua of mothers with MS vs. healthy mothers. In contrast, HERV and TRIM28/SETDB1 expressions were comparable between their neonates. These results show that gestation is characterized by impaired expressions of HERVs and TRIM28/SETDB1, particularly in mothers with MS. Given the beneficial effects of pregnancy on MS and the wealth of data suggesting the putative contribution of HERVs and epigenetic processes in the pathogenesis of the disease, our findings may further support innovative therapeutic interventions to block HERV activation and to control aberrant epigenetic pathways in MS-affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier-Angelo Tovo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Luca Marozio
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Abbona
- Pathology Unit, Department Laboratory Medicine, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Calvi
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Frezet
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambarino
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Maddalena Dini
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Benedetto
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
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Tovo PA, Garazzino S, Savino F, Daprà V, Pruccoli G, Dini M, Filisetti G, Funiciello E, Galliano I, Bergallo M. Expressions of Type I and III Interferons, Endogenous Retroviruses, TRIM28, and SETDB1 in Children with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Bronchiolitis. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:1197-1217. [PMID: 36826024 PMCID: PMC9954910 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45020079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) play essential roles for the control of viral infections. Their expression in infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is poorly defined. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent 8% of our genome and modulate inflammatory and immune reactions. TRIM28 and SETDB1 participate in the epigenetic regulation of genes involved in the immune response, including IFNs and HERVs. No study has explored the expression of HERVs, TRIM28, and SETDB1 during RSV bronchiolitis. We assessed, through a PCR real-time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of six IFN-I ISGs, four IFNλs, the pol genes of HERV-H, -K, and -W families, the env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1 and SYN2, and of TRIM28/SETDB1 in whole blood from 37 children hospitalized for severe RSV bronchiolitis and in healthy children (HC). The expression of most IFN-I ISGs was significantly higher in RSV+ patients than in age-matched HC, but it was inhibited by steroid therapy. The mRNA concentrations of IFN-λs were comparable between patients and age-matched HC. This lack of RSV-driven IFN-III activation may result in the defective protection of the airway mucosal surface leading to severe bronchiolitis. The expression of IFN-III showed a positive correlation with age in HC, that could account for the high susceptibility of young children to viral respiratory tract infections. The transcription levels of every HERV gene were significantly lower in RSV+ patients than in HC, while the expressions of TRIM28/SETDB1 were overlapping. Given the negative impact of HERVs and the positive effects of TRIM28/SETDB1 on innate and adaptive immune responses, the downregulation of the former and the normal expression of the latter may contribute to preserving immune functions against infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier-Angelo Tovo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
| | - Silvia Garazzino
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Francesco Savino
- Early Infancy Special Care Unit, Department of Pediatric Care, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Valentina Daprà
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Pruccoli
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Maddalena Dini
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Giacomo Filisetti
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Early Infancy Special Care Unit, Department of Pediatric Care, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Elisa Funiciello
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Correspondence: Correspondence: (P.-A.T.); (M.B.)
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8
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Puranik N, Yadav D, Song M. Insight into Early Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis by Targeting Prognostic Biomarkers. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:2534-2544. [PMID: 37921136 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128247471231018053737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (CNS) immune-mediated disease that mainly strikes young adults and leaves them disabled. MS is an autoimmune illness that causes the immune system to attack the brain and spinal cord. The myelin sheaths, which insulate the nerve fibers, are harmed by our own immune cells, and this interferes with brain signal transmission. Numbness, tingling, mood swings, memory problems, exhaustion, agony, vision problems, and/or paralysis are just a few of the symptoms. Despite technological advancements and significant research efforts in recent years, diagnosing MS can still be difficult. Each patient's MS is distinct due to a heterogeneous and complex pathophysiology with diverse types of disease courses. There is a pressing need to identify markers that will allow for more rapid and accurate diagnosis and prognosis assessments to choose the best course of treatment for each MS patient. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an excellent source of particular indicators associated with MS pathology. CSF contains molecules that represent pathological processes such as inflammation, cellular damage, and loss of blood-brain barrier integrity. Oligoclonal bands, neurofilaments, MS-specific miRNA, lncRNA, IgG-index, and anti-aquaporin 4 antibodies are all clinically utilised indicators for CSF in MS diagnosis. In recent years, a slew of new possible biomarkers have been presented. In this review, we look at what we know about CSF molecular markers and how they can aid in the diagnosis and differentiation of different MS forms and treatment options, and monitoring and predicting disease progression, therapy response, and consequences during such opportunistic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Puranik
- Biological Sciences Department, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641046, India
| | - Dhananjay Yadav
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Korea
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Science, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Korea
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Wieland L, Schwarz T, Engel K, Volkmer I, Krüger A, Tarabuko A, Junghans J, Kornhuber ME, Hoffmann F, Staege MS, Emmer A. Epstein-Barr Virus-Induced Genes and Endogenous Retroviruses in Immortalized B Cells from Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223619. [PMID: 36429047 PMCID: PMC9688211 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be triggered by environmental factors in individuals with an unfavorable genetic predisposition. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a major risk factor for subsequent development of MS. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) can be activated by EBV, and might be a missing link between an initial EBV infection and the later onset of MS. In this study, we investigated differential gene expression patterns in EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid B cell lines (LCL) from MS-affected individuals (MSLCL) and controls by using RNAseq and qRT-PCR. RNAseq data from LCL mapped to the human genome and a virtual virus metagenome were used to identify possible biomarkers for MS or disease-relevant risk factors, e.g., the relapse rate. We observed that lytic EBNA-1 transcripts seemed to be negatively correlated with age leading to an increased expression in LCL from younger PBMC donors. Further, HERV-K (HML-2) GAG was increased upon EBV-triggered immortalization. Besides the well-known transactivation of HERV-K18, our results suggest that another six HERV loci are up-regulated upon stimulation with EBV. We identified differentially expressed genes in MSLCL, e.g., several HERV-K loci, ERVMER61-1 and ERV3-1, as well as genes associated with relapses. In summary, EBV induces genes and HERV in LCL that might be suitable as biomarkers for MS or the relapse risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Wieland
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tommy Schwarz
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Kristina Engel
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anna Krüger
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Alexander Tarabuko
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jutta Junghans
- Department of Neurology, Martha-Maria Hospital Halle-Dölau, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Malte E. Kornhuber
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Frank Hoffmann
- Department of Neurology, Martha-Maria Hospital Halle-Dölau, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin S. Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-34-5557-7280
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Garcia-Montojo M, Simula ER, Fathi S, McMahan C, Ghosal A, Berry JD, Cudkowicz M, Elkahloun A, Johnson K, Norato G, Jensen P, James T, Sechi LA, Nath A. Antibody Response to HML-2 May Be Protective in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2022; 92:782-792. [PMID: 36053951 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Reactivation of HERV-K(HML-2) has been found in subsets of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study examines the antibody response against HML-2 in ALS and analyzes its clinical relevance. METHODS Antibodies to HML-2 envelope (env) were analyzed using a peptide array for epitope mapping and by a peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 242 healthy donors, and 243 ALS and 85 multiple sclerosis (MS) individuals. Extracellular levels of HML-2 were analyzed by digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS Antibodies in the sera of ALS individuals recognized more HML-2 env peptides compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001). ALS individuals had higher levels of HML-2 than healthy donors (p = 0.02) and higher antibody levels against a select HML-2 env peptide compared to healthy donors or individuals with multiple sclerosis (p < 0.0001). 55.14% of ALS compared to 21.16% of healthy donors and 13.10% of MS individuals had antibodies against the HML-2 peptide (AUC = 0.769, p < 0.0001). Levels of extracellular HML-2 DNA in serum (p = 0.02) and the number of HML-2 env peptides recognized by ALS sera (p = 0.02) correlated with disease duration. Among ALS individuals, lower levels of HML-2 antibodies were associated with a definite diagnosis per EL Escorial criteria (p = 0.03), and with a lower predicted (p = 0.02) and observed survival (p = 0.03). INTERPRETATION There is a differential antibody response against specific epitopes of HML-2 env in ALS and controls, suggesting epitope spreading, likely due to persistent antigenic exposure following reactivation of the viral genes. Low levels of antibodies to HML-2 env in ALS are associated with poor prognosis and decreased survival probability. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:782-792.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Garcia-Montojo
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elena Rita Simula
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Microbiology and Virology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Saeed Fathi
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Cynthia McMahan
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Anubrata Ghosal
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and the Neurology Clinical Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James D Berry
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and the Neurology Clinical Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Merit Cudkowicz
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and the Neurology Clinical Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Abdel Elkahloun
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kory Johnson
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gina Norato
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter Jensen
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tony James
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Leonardo A Sechi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Microbiology and Virology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,Struttura Complessa Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Avindra Nath
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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11
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Beyond fusion: A novel role for ERVW-1 in trophoblast proliferation and type I interferon receptor expression. Placenta 2022; 126:150-159. [PMID: 35816776 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Throughout human pregnancy there is a delicate balance between the maintenance of a proliferative, trophoblast stem cell pool (TSC) and the differentiation from TSC to placental cell sub-lineages like the syncytiotrophoblast (STB). The STB is comprised of multinucleated cells that come into direct contact with maternal blood and provides the first line of defense to protect the fetus from maternal infections. The differentiation of TSC towards STB is primarily driven by human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), specifically Syncytin-1 (ERVW-1) and Syncytin-2 (ERVFRD-1). Beyond cell fusion, there is also evidence to suggest they can regulate cell proliferation and an antiviral response in other cell types. Therefore, we hypothesized that HERV can regulate cell proliferation as well as an antiviral response in TSCs. METHOD shRNA was used to knockdown ERVW-1 in TSCs and revealed reduction in cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell fusion. RT-qPCR and flow cytometry was used to measure other HERV and the presence of Type I and Type II interferon receptors. RESULTS ERVW-1 knockdown (KD) TSCs had a significantly longer cell doubling time and reduced expression of the proliferation marker Ki67. ERVW-1 KD cells also demonstrated a marked deficiency in the ability to differentiate. Interestingly, ERVFRD-1 was upregulated in both ERVW-1 KD TSC and STB cells compared to controls. Finally, we found that the Type I interferon receptors, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 were significantly increased in ERVW-1 KD STB cells. DISCUSSION These findings uncover critical HERV functions in the trophoblasts and a novel role for ERVW-1 during early human placental development.
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Enhanced Expression of Human Endogenous Retroviruses, TRIM28 and SETDB1 in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115964. [PMID: 35682642 PMCID: PMC9180946 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are relics of ancestral infections and represent 8% of the human genome. They are no longer infectious, but their activation has been associated with several disorders, including neuropsychiatric conditions. Enhanced expression of HERV-K and HERV-H envelope genes has been found in the blood of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, but no information is available on syncytin 1 (SYN1), SYN2, and multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MSRV), which are thought to be implicated in brain development and immune responses. HERV activation is regulated by TRIM28 and SETDB1, which are part of the epigenetic mechanisms that organize the chromatin architecture in response to external stimuli and are involved in neural cell differentiation and brain inflammation. We assessed, through a PCR realtime Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of pol genes of HERV-H, -K, and -W families, of env genes of SYN1, SYN2, and MSRV, as well as of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in the blood of 33 ASD children (28 males, median 3.8 years, 25–75% interquartile range 3.0–6.0 y) and healthy controls (HC). Significantly higher expressions of TRIM28 and SETDB1, as well as of all the HERV genes tested, except for HERV-W-pol, were found in ASD, as compared with HC. Positive correlations were observed between the mRNA levels of TRIM28 or SETDB1 and every HERV gene in ASD patients, but not in HC. Overexpression of TRIM28/SETDB1 and several HERVs in children with ASD and the positive correlations between their transcriptional levels suggest that these may be main players in pathogenetic mechanisms leading to ASD.
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Bu C, Wang Z, Ren Y, Chen D, Jiang SW. Syncytin-1 nonfusogenic activities modulate inflammation and contribute to preeclampsia pathogenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:290. [PMID: 35536515 PMCID: PMC11073204 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04294-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Maternal cellular and humoral immune responses to the allogeneic fetoplacental unit are a normal part of pregnancy adaptation. Overactive or dysregulated immune responses that often manifest as inflammation are considered a key element for the development of preeclampsia. Infiltration and activation of macrophages, nature killer cells, and T lymphocytes are frequently observed in the decidua and placenta associated with preeclampsia. In addition to local inflammation, systemic inflammatory changes including increased levels of TNF-α and interleukins (ILs) are detected in the maternal circulation. Syncytin-1 is an endogenous retroviral envelope protein that mediates the fusion of trophoblasts to form syncytiotrophoblasts, a cellular component carrying out most of placental barrier, exchange, and endocrine functions. In addition to these well-defined fusogenic functions that are known for their close association with preeclampsia, multiple studies indicated that syncytin-1 possesses nonfusogenic activities such as those for cell cycle and apoptosis regulation. Moreover, syncytin-1 expressed by trophoblasts and various types of immune cells may participate in regulation of inflammation in preeclamptic placenta and decidua. This review concentrates on the triangular relationship among inflammation, syncytin-1 nonfusogenic functions, and preeclampsia pathogenesis. Data regarding the reciprocal modulations of inflammation and poor vascularization/hypoxia are summarized. The impacts of syncytin-A (the mouse counterpart of human syncytin-1) gene knockout on placental vascularization and their implications for preeclampsia are discussed. Syncytin-1 expression in immune cells and its significance for inflammation are analyzed in the context of preeclampsia development. Finally, the involvements of syncytin-1 nonfusogenic activities in neuroinflammation and multiple sclerosis are compared to findings from preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaozhi Bu
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China
| | - Zhiwei Wang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China
- Center of Prenatal Diagnosis, Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, 222000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongwei Ren
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China
| | - Daozhen Chen
- Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China.
| | - Shi-Wen Jiang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Research Institute for Reproductive Health and Genetic Diseases, The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214002, China.
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14
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Tovo P, Monti G, Daprà V, Montanari P, Calvi C, Alliaudi C, Sardo A, Galliano I, Bergallo M. Enhanced expression of endogenous retroviruses and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in children with food allergy. Clin Transl Allergy 2022; 12:e12124. [PMID: 35344298 PMCID: PMC8967271 DOI: 10.1002/clt2.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent 8% of our genome. They originate from ancestral infections and although no longer contagious they can regulate transcription of adjacent cellular genes, produce viral RNAs sensed as non‐self by pattern recognition receptors, and encode viral proteins, such as Syncytin (SYN) 1 and 2, that exhibit potent immunomodulatory properties. Based on this, HERVs have been studied and proposed as relevant cofactors in several chronic inflammatory and immune‐mediated diseases. HERV transcription is regulated by host TRIM28 and SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1 (SETDB1), which in turn exert crucial regulatory functions on the host immune system. No studies explored the expression of HERVs, TRIM28, and SETDB1 in allergic patients. Methods We assessed, through a polymerase chain reaction real time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of pol genes of HERV‐H, HERV‐K, HERV‐W, and of env genes of SYN1 and SYN2, as well as of TRIM28 and SETDB1 in whole blood from 32 children with IgE‐mediated food allergy, 19 with food protein‐induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), and in healthy control children. Results The expression levels of pol genes of HERV‐H, ‐K, and ‐W were significantly enhanced in patients with IgE‐mediated FA or FPIES as compared to control subjects, while the mRNA concentrations of SYN1 and SYN2 were comparable in each group of children. Both TRIM28 and SETDB1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in allergic patients. Conclusions Given the influence of HERVs and of TRIM28 and SETDB1 on innate and adaptive immune responses, their transcriptional activation in children with food allergies suggest that they might play important roles in the development of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier‐Angelo Tovo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Giovanna Monti
- Pediatric Allergy Unit Regina Margherita Children's Hospital Turin Italy
| | - Valentina Daprà
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Paola Montanari
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Cristina Calvi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Carla Alliaudi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Allegra Sardo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
- Pediatric Laboratory Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health University of Turin Turin Italy
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15
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Yan Q, Wu X, Zhou P, Zhou Y, Li X, Liu Z, Tan H, Yao W, Xia Y, Zhu F. HERV-W Envelope Triggers Abnormal Dopaminergic Neuron Process through DRD2/PP2A/AKT1/GSK3 for Schizophrenia Risk. Viruses 2022; 14:v14010145. [PMID: 35062349 PMCID: PMC8777930 DOI: 10.3390/v14010145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have begun considering human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) as potential pathogenic phenomena. Our previous research suggests that HERV-W Envelope (HERV-W ENV), a HERV-W family envelope protein, is elevated in schizophrenia patients and contributes to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The dopamine (DA) hypothesis is the cornerstone in research and clinical practice related to schizophrenia. Here, we found that the concentration of DA and the expression of DA receptor D2 (DRD2) were significantly higher in schizophrenia patients than in healthy individuals. Intriguingly, there was a positive correlation between HERV-W ENV and DA concentration. Depth analyses showed that there was a marked consistency between HERV-W ENV and DRD2 in schizophrenia. Studies in vitro indicated that HERV-W ENV could increase the DA concentration by regulating DA metabolism and induce the expression of DRD2. Co-IP assays and laser confocal scanning microscopy indicated cellular colocalization and a direct interaction between DRD2 and HERV-W ENV. Additionally, HERV-W ENV caused structural and functional abnormalities of DA neurons. Further studies showed that HERV-W ENV could trigger the PP2A/AKT1/GSK3 pathway via DRD2. A whole-cell patch-clamp analysis suggested that HERV-W ENV enhanced sodium influx through DRD2. In conclusion, we uncovered a relationship between HERV-W ENV and the dopaminergic system in the DA neurons. Considering that GNbAC1, a selective monoclonal antibody to the MSRV-specific epitope, has been promised as a therapy for treating type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS) in clinical trials, understanding the precise function of HERV-W ENV in the dopaminergic system may provide new insights into the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Xiulin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Xuhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Zhongchun Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; (Z.L.); (H.T.)
| | - Huawei Tan
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; (Z.L.); (H.T.)
| | - Wei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yaru Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; (Q.Y.); (X.W.); (P.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.L.); (W.Y.); (Y.X.)
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Correspondence:
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Durnaoglu S, Lee SK, Ahnn J. Syncytin, envelope protein of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV): no longer 'fossil' in human genome. Anim Cells Syst (Seoul) 2022; 25:358-368. [PMID: 35059135 PMCID: PMC8765258 DOI: 10.1080/19768354.2021.2019109] [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: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are 'fossil viruses' that resulted from stable integrations of exogenous retroviruses throughout evolution. HERVs are defective and do not produce infectious viral particles. However, some HERVs retain a limited coding capacity and produce retroviral transcripts and proteins, which function in human developmental process and various pathologies, including many cancers and neurological diseases. Recently, it has been reported that HERVs are differently expressed in COVID-19 disease caused by infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this review, we discuss the molecular structure and function of HERV ENV proteins, particularly syncytins, and their conventional roles in human development and diseases, and potential involvement in COVID-19 regarding the newly reported mental symptoms. We also address COVID-19 vaccine-related infertility concerns arising from the similarity of syncytin with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which have been proved invalid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serpen Durnaoglu
- College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Kyung Lee
- College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohong Ahnn
- College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Latifi T, Zebardast A, Marashi SM. The role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in Multiple Sclerosis and the plausible interplay between HERVs, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and vitamin D. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2022; 57:103318. [PMID: 35158423 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the chronic inflammatory diseases with neurological disability in the central nervous system (CNS). Although the exact cause of MS is still largely unknown, both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role in disease risk. Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) are endogenous viral elements of the human genome whose expression is associated with MS. HERVs are normally silenced or expressed at low levels, although their expression is higher in MS than in the healthy population. Several studies highlighted the plausible interaction between HERVs and other MS risk factors, including viral infection like Epstein-Barr viruses and vitamin D deficiency which may lead to high expression of HERVs in these patients. Understanding how HERVs act in this scenario can improve our understanding towards MS etiology and may lead to the development of antiretroviral therapies in these patients. Here in this review, we try to examine the different HERVs expression implicated in MS and their association with EBV infection and vitamin D status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Latifi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arghavan Zebardast
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sayed Mahdi Marashi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Bowles H, Kabiljo R, Al Khleifat A, Jones A, Quinn JP, Dobson RJB, Swanson CM, Al-Chalabi A, Iacoangeli A. An assessment of bioinformatics tools for the detection of human endogenous retroviral insertions in short-read genome sequencing data. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:1062328. [PMID: 36845320 PMCID: PMC9945273 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.1062328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in the study of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) given the substantial body of evidence that implicates them in many human diseases. Although their genomic characterization presents numerous technical challenges, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has shown potential to detect HERV insertions and their polymorphisms in humans. Currently, a number of computational tools to detect them in short-read NGS data exist. In order to design optimal analysis pipelines, an independent evaluation of the available tools is required. We evaluated the performance of a set of such tools using a variety of experimental designs and datasets. These included 50 human short-read whole-genome sequencing samples, matching long and short-read sequencing data, and simulated short-read NGS data. Our results highlight a great performance variability of the tools across the datasets and suggest that different tools might be suitable for different study designs. However, specialized tools designed to detect exclusively human endogenous retroviruses consistently outperformed generalist tools that detect a wider range of transposable elements. We suggest that, if sufficient computing resources are available, using multiple HERV detection tools to obtain a consensus set of insertion loci may be ideal. Furthermore, given that the false positive discovery rate of the tools varied between 8% and 55% across tools and datasets, we recommend the wet lab validation of predicted insertions if DNA samples are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Bowles
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Renata Kabiljo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ahmad Al Khleifat
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Jones
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - John P. Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. B. Dobson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chad M. Swanson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurology, King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alfredo Iacoangeli
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Alfredo Iacoangeli,
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19
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Qiao S, Sun QY, Zhang SC, Zhang RR, Wu YJ, Wang ZH, Liu XW. Role of Increased Syncytin-1 Expression in Pathogenesis of Anti-N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:1535-1543. [PMID: 35937712 PMCID: PMC9346417 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s374798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Syncytin-1 may play a role in several neuropsychiatric disorders, but its function in anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible mechanism of action of syncytin-1 in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and eight controls were recruited. The protein levels of syncytin-1 in serum were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the transcript levels of syncytin-1 were determined using real-time quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used for peripheral blood lymphocyte subset detection. Further, the relationship between syncytin-1 levels and clinical features of anti-NMDAR encephalitis and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets was analyzed. RESULTS Compared with those in controls, higher syncytin-1 levels and percentage of B cells (CD3-CD19+) were observed in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Among anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients, the level of syncytin-1 positively correlated with the proportion of B cells and modified Rankin scale score at onset and after immunotherapy and negatively correlated with the proportion of CD3+ T cells. CONCLUSION An increased expression of Syncytin-1 is associated with the pathogenesis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, providing evidence for elucidating the pathogenesis of the disease and suggesting novel therapeutic targets. Further, this study clarifies the role of syncytin-1 in neuroimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Qiao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan-Ye Sun
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan-Chao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran-Ran Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Jiao Wu
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Wu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Epilepsy, Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China
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20
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Pérez-Pérez S, Domínguez-Mozo MI, García-Martínez MÁ, García-Frontini MC, Villarrubia N, Costa-Frossard L, Villar LM, Arroyo R, Álvarez-Lafuente R. Anti-Human Herpesvirus 6 A/B Antibodies Titers Correlate With Multiple Sclerosis-Associated Retrovirus Envelope Expression. Front Immunol 2021; 12:798003. [PMID: 34912348 PMCID: PMC8666430 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.798003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retrovirus W family envelope proteins (pHERV-W ENV/syncytin-1) have been repeatedly associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we have focused on the study of pHERV-W ENV/syncytin-1 expression levels in MS patients (relapsing and progressive forms) and in healthy donors (HD) and on exploring their possible relationship with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus-6A/B (HHV-6A/B). We included blood samples from 101 MS patients and 37 HD to analyze antiviral antibody titers by ELISA and pHERV-W ENV/syncytin-1 expression levels by flow cytometry as well as by qPCR. Patients with relapsing MS forms showed significantly higher pHERV-W ENV/syncytin-1 protein and gene expression levels than HD. Progressive MS patients also showed significantly higher protein and gene expression levels than both HD and relapsing MS patients. Regarding antiviral antibodies titers, anti-HHV-6A/B IgM levels were positively correlated with pHERV-W ENV/syncytin-1 protein expression levels in patients with relapsing MS, while in the progressive forms patients this correlation was found with anti-HHVA/B IgG levels. Therefore, pHERV-W ENV could be involved in MS pathogenesis, playing a role in relapsing and progressive forms. Besides, anti-HHV-6A/B antibodies positively correlated with pHERV-W ENV expression. Further studies are needed to better understand this possible relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pérez-Pérez
- Environmental Factors in Degenerative Diseases Research Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
| | - María I. Domínguez-Mozo
- Environmental Factors in Degenerative Diseases Research Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Ángel García-Martínez
- Environmental Factors in Degenerative Diseases Research Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Celeste García-Frontini
- Environmental Factors in Degenerative Diseases Research Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Villarrubia
- Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luisa M. Villar
- Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Arroyo
- Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario Quironsalud Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Álvarez-Lafuente
- Environmental Factors in Degenerative Diseases Research Group, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
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21
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Nali LH, Olival GS, Montenegro H, da Silva IT, Dias-Neto E, Naya H, Spangenberg L, Penalva-de-Oliveira AC, Romano CM. Human endogenous retrovirus and multiple sclerosis: A review and transcriptome findings. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2021; 57:103383. [PMID: 34922254 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease with an unknown etiology. Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to trigger MS autoimmunity. Among the environmental factors, infectious agents have been extensively investigated, and the Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs), especially HERV-W, are believed to be associated with MS pathogenesis. HERVs are derived from ancestral infections and comprise around 8% of the human genome. Although most HERVs are silenced, retroviral genes may be expressed with virion formation. There is extensive evidence of the relationship between HERV-W and MS, including higher levels of HERV-W expression in MS patients, HERV-W protein detection in MS plaques, and the HERV-W env protein inducing an inflammatory response in in vitro and in vivo models. Here we discuss possible links of HERVs and the pathogenesis of MS and present new data regarding the diversity of HERVs expression in samples derived from MS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz H Nali
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, LIM-52 (LIMHC) Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 470, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; Post-graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, Rua Prof. Enéas de Siqueira Neto, 340, São Paulo 04829-300, Brazil
| | - Guilherme S Olival
- Departamento de Neurologia Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, R. Dr. Cesário Mota Júnior, 112, São Paulo 01221-020 Brazil
| | | | - Israel T da Silva
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo 01525-001, Brazil
| | - Emmanuel Dias-Neto
- Laboratory of Medical Genomics, A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo 01525-001, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences (LIM-27), Institute of Psychiatry, São Paulo Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hugo Naya
- Unidad de Bioinformática Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay; Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Av. Gral. Eugenio Garzón 780, CP12900 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucia Spangenberg
- Unidad de Bioinformática Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Augusto C Penalva-de-Oliveira
- Departamento de Neurologia Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, R. Dr. Cesário Mota Júnior, 112, São Paulo 01221-020 Brazil; Departamento de Neurologia, Instituto de Infectologia Emilio Ribas, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 165, São Paulo 01246-900, Brazil
| | - Camila M Romano
- Laboratório de Virologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, LIM-52 (LIMHC) Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 470, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil; Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP (LIM52), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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22
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Meier UC, Cipian RC, Karimi A, Ramasamy R, Middeldorp JM. Cumulative Roles for Epstein-Barr Virus, Human Endogenous Retroviruses, and Human Herpes Virus-6 in Driving an Inflammatory Cascade Underlying MS Pathogenesis. Front Immunol 2021; 12:757302. [PMID: 34790199 PMCID: PMC8592026 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.757302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Roles for viral infections and aberrant immune responses in driving localized neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) are the focus of intense research. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), as a persistent and frequently reactivating virus with major immunogenic influences and a near 100% epidemiological association with MS, is considered to play a leading role in MS pathogenesis, triggering localized inflammation near or within the central nervous system (CNS). This triggering may occur directly via viral products (RNA and protein) and/or indirectly via antigenic mimicry involving B-cells, T-cells and cytokine-activated astrocytes and microglia cells damaging the myelin sheath of neurons. The genetic MS-risk factor HLA-DR2b (DRB1*1501β, DRA1*0101α) may contribute to aberrant EBV antigen-presentation and anti-EBV reactivity but also to mimicry-induced autoimmune responses characteristic of MS. A central role is proposed for inflammatory EBER1, EBV-miRNA and LMP1 containing exosomes secreted by viable reactivating EBV+ B-cells and repetitive release of EBNA1-DNA complexes from apoptotic EBV+ B-cells, forming reactive immune complexes with EBNA1-IgG and complement. This may be accompanied by cytokine- or EBV-induced expression of human endogenous retrovirus-W/-K (HERV-W/-K) elements and possibly by activation of human herpesvirus-6A (HHV-6A) in early-stage CNS lesions, each contributing to an inflammatory cascade causing the relapsing-remitting neuro-inflammatory and/or progressive features characteristic of MS. Elimination of EBV-carrying B-cells by antibody- and EBV-specific T-cell therapy may hold the promise of reducing EBV activity in the CNS, thereby limiting CNS inflammation, MS symptoms and possibly reversing disease. Other approaches targeting HHV-6 and HERV-W and limiting inflammatory kinase-signaling to treat MS are also being tested with promising results. This article presents an overview of the evidence that EBV, HHV-6, and HERV-W may have a pathogenic role in initiating and promoting MS and possible approaches to mitigate development of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute-Christiane Meier
- Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin, Klinikum der Universität München, München, Germany.,Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Abbas Karimi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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23
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Schroeter CB, Huntemann N, Bock S, Nelke C, Kremer D, Pfeffer K, Meuth SG, Ruck T. Crosstalk of Microorganisms and Immune Responses in Autoimmune Neuroinflammation: A Focus on Regulatory T Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:747143. [PMID: 34691057 PMCID: PMC8529161 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.747143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the major determinant of peripheral immune tolerance. Many Treg subsets have been described, however thymus-derived and peripherally induced Tregs remain the most important subpopulations. In multiple sclerosis, a prototypical autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system, Treg dysfunction is a pathogenic hallmark. In contrast, induction of Treg proliferation and enhancement of their function are central immune evasion mechanisms of infectious pathogens. In accordance, Treg expansion is compartmentalized to tissues with high viral replication and prolonged in chronic infections. In friend retrovirus infection, Treg expansion is mainly based on excessive interleukin-2 production by infected effector T cells. Moreover, pathogens seem also to enhance Treg functions as shown in human immunodeficiency virus infection, where Tregs express higher levels of effector molecules such as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, CD39 and cAMP and show increased suppressive capacity. Thus, insights into the molecular mechanisms by which intracellular pathogens alter Treg functions might aid to find new therapeutic approaches to target central nervous system autoimmunity. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of pathogens for Treg function in the context of autoimmune neuroinflammation. We discuss the mechanistic implications for future therapies and provide an outlook for new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina B Schroeter
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Niklas Huntemann
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bock
- Department of Neurology With Institute of Translational Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christopher Nelke
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - David Kremer
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Pfeffer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven G Meuth
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Ruck
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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24
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Tovo PA, Garazzino S, Daprà V, Pruccoli G, Calvi C, Mignone F, Alliaudi C, Denina M, Scolfaro C, Zoppo M, Licciardi F, Ramenghi U, Galliano I, Bergallo M. COVID-19 in Children: Expressions of Type I/II/III Interferons, TRIM28, SETDB1, and Endogenous Retroviruses in Mild and Severe Cases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7481. [PMID: 34299101 PMCID: PMC8303145 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have milder symptoms and a better prognosis than adult patients. Several investigations assessed type I, II, and III interferon (IFN) signatures in SARS-CoV-2 infected adults, however no data are available for pediatric patients. TRIM28 and SETDB1 regulate the transcription of multiple genes involved in the immune response as well as of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). Exogenous viral infections can trigger the activation of HERVs, which in turn can induce inflammatory and immune reactions. Despite the potential cross-talks between SARS-CoV-2 infection and TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs, information on their expressions in COVID-19 patients is lacking. We assessed, through a PCR real time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of six IFN-I stimulated genes, IFN-II and three of its sensitive genes, three IFN-lIIs, as well as of TRIM28, SETDB1, pol genes of HERV-H, -K, and -W families, and of env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1, SYN2, and multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MRSV) in peripheral blood from COVID-19 children and in control uninfected subjects. Higher expression levels of IFN-I and IFN-II inducible genes were observed in 36 COVID-19 children with mild or moderate disease as compared to uninfected controls, whereas their concentrations decreased in 17 children with severe disease and in 11 with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Similar findings were found for the expression of TRIM-28, SETDB1, and every HERV gene. Positive correlations emerged between the transcriptional levels of type I and II IFNs, TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs in COVID-19 patients. IFN-III expressions were comparable in each group of subjects. This preserved induction of IFN-λs could contribute to the better control of the infection in children as compared to adults, in whom IFN-III deficiency has been reported. The upregulation of IFN-I, IFN-II, TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs in children with mild symptoms, their declines in severe cases or with MIS-C, and the positive correlations of their transcription in SARS-CoV-2-infected children suggest that they may play important roles in conditioning the evolution of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier-Angelo Tovo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
| | - Silvia Garazzino
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (F.M.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Valentina Daprà
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giulia Pruccoli
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
| | - Cristina Calvi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Federica Mignone
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (F.M.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Carla Alliaudi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Marco Denina
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
| | - Carlo Scolfaro
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (F.M.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Marisa Zoppo
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (F.M.); (C.S.); (M.Z.)
| | - Francesco Licciardi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
| | - Ugo Ramenghi
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
| | - Ilaria Galliano
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Bergallo
- Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Turin, Italy; (G.P.); (C.C.); (C.A.); (M.D.); (F.L.); (U.R.); (I.G.)
- Pediatric Laboratory, Department of Pediatric Sciences and Public Health, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
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25
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Bello-Morales R, Andreu S, Ripa I, López-Guerrero JA. HSV-1 and Endogenous Retroviruses as Risk Factors in Demyelination. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115738. [PMID: 34072259 PMCID: PMC8199333 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus that can infect the peripheral and central nervous systems, and it has been implicated in demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can move from one genomic location to another. TEs have been linked to several diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease of unknown etiology influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Exogenous viral transactivators may activate certain retrotransposons or class I TEs. In this context, several herpesviruses have been linked to MS, and one of them, HSV-1, might act as a risk factor by mediating processes such as molecular mimicry, remyelination, and activity of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Several herpesviruses have been involved in the regulation of human ERVs (HERVs), and HSV-1 in particular can modulate HERVs in cells involved in MS pathogenesis. This review exposes current knowledge about the relationship between HSV-1 and human ERVs, focusing on their contribution as a risk factor for MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Bello-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Sabina Andreu
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Inés Ripa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Antonio López-Guerrero
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Garcia-Montojo M, Nath A. HERV-W envelope expression in blood leukocytes as a marker of disease severity of COVID-19. EBioMedicine 2021; 67:103363. [PMID: 33993053 PMCID: PMC8116818 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Garcia-Montojo
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Avindra Nath
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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27
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Epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis of chronic inflammatory diseases. Genes Genomics 2021; 43:227-236. [PMID: 33638813 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-021-01045-8] [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: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) have complex pathologies that result from aberrant and persistent immune responses. However, the precise triggers and mechanisms remain elusive. An important aspect of CID research focuses on epigenetics modifications, which regulate gene expression and provide a dynamic transcriptional response to inflammation. In recent years, mounting evidence has demonstrated an association between epigenomic and transcriptomic dysregulation and the phenotypes of CIDs. In particular, epigenetic changes at cis-regulatory elements have provided new insights for immune cell-specific alterations that contribute to disease etiology. Furthermore, the advancements in single-cell genomics provide novel solutions to cell type heterogeneity, which has long posed challenges for CID diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we discuss the current state of epigenomics research of CID and the insights derived from single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic studies.
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Gröger V, Emmer A, Staege MS, Cynis H. Endogenous Retroviruses in Nervous System Disorders. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14010070. [PMID: 33467098 PMCID: PMC7829834 DOI: 10.3390/ph14010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several nervous system disorders including multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The toxicity of HERV-derived RNAs and proteins for neuronal cells has been demonstrated. The involvement of HERV in the pathogenesis of currently incurable diseases might offer new treatment strategies based on the inhibition of HERV activities by small molecules or therapeutic antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Gröger
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany;
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany;
| | - Martin S. Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Correspondence: (M.S.S.); (H.C.); Tel.: +49-345-557-7280 (M.S.S.); +49-345-13142835 (H.C.)
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany;
- Correspondence: (M.S.S.); (H.C.); Tel.: +49-345-557-7280 (M.S.S.); +49-345-13142835 (H.C.)
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Serati M, Esposito CM, Grassi S, Bollati V, Barkin JL, Buoli M. The Association between Plasma ERVWE1 Concentrations and Affective Symptoms during Pregnancy: Is This a Friendly Alien? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17249217. [PMID: 33317172 PMCID: PMC7763945 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) comprise 8% of the human genome, and HERV DNA was reported to be essential in human embryonic development. Specifically, HERV-W encodes a protein, syncytin-1, alternatively known as ERVWE1 (Human Endogenous Retrovirus W EnvC7-1 Envelope Protein), participating in human placental morphogenesis and having a role in immune system regulation. Syncytin-1 activity is increased in neuropsychiatric disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. In our study, forty-four women in the third trimester of pregnancy were tested for ERVWE1 plasma levels. In concomitance with blood samples the following rating scales were administered to women: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), and Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI). We found that higher ERVWE1 protein plasma levels were significantly associated with higher PAI scores (p = 0.02), an earlier gestational age at the time of blood collection (p = 0.01), a longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.03), and fewer lifetime attempted suicides (p = 0.02). Our results seem to support the role of ERVWE1 in maintaining clinical psychiatric symptoms as a result of potential prolonged inflammation. At the same time, this protein may have a protective role in pregnant women by a reduction of suicidal behavior and a better mother-fetus relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Serati
- Department of Mental Health, ASST RHODENSE, 20024 Rho, Italy;
| | - Cecilia Maria Esposito
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (C.M.E.); (S.G.)
| | - Silvia Grassi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (C.M.E.); (S.G.)
| | - Valentina Bollati
- EPIGET-Epidemiology, Epigenetics and Toxicology Lab-Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy;
| | - Jennifer Lynn Barkin
- Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA 31207, USA;
| | - Massimiliano Buoli
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (C.M.E.); (S.G.)
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-55035983; Fax: +39-02-55033140
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30
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Tarlinton RE, Martynova E, Rizvanov AA, Khaiboullina S, Verma S. Role of Viruses in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis. Viruses 2020; 12:E643. [PMID: 32545816 PMCID: PMC7354629 DOI: 10.3390/v12060643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune inflammatory disease, where the underlying etiological cause remains elusive. Multiple triggering factors have been suggested, including environmental, genetic and gender components. However, underlying infectious triggers to the disease are also suspected. There is an increasing abundance of evidence supporting a viral etiology to MS, including the efficacy of interferon therapy and over-detection of viral antibodies and nucleic acids when compared with healthy patients. Several viruses have been proposed as potential triggering agents, including Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, John Cunningham virus and human endogenous retroviruses. These viruses are all near ubiquitous and have a high prevalence in adult populations (or in the case of the retroviruses are actually part of the genome). They can establish lifelong infections with periods of reactivation, which may be linked to the relapsing nature of MS. In this review, the evidence for a role for viral infection in MS will be discussed with an emphasis on immune system activation related to MS disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael E. Tarlinton
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK;
| | - Ekaterina Martynova
- Insititute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (E.M.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Albert A. Rizvanov
- Insititute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (E.M.); (A.A.R.)
| | | | - Subhash Verma
- School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA;
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