1
|
Ahmadi M, Soleimanifar N, Rostamian A, Sadr M, Mojtahedi H, Mazari A, Hossein Nicknam M, Assadiasl S. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor gene expression in ankylosing spondylitis and its correlation with interleukin-17, RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t expression, and disease activity indices. Arch Rheumatol 2024; 39:123-132. [PMID: 38774696 PMCID: PMC11104753 DOI: 10.46497/archrheumatol.2023.10203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Considering the role of T helper (Th)17 cells in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the aim of this study was to determine the correlation between aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene expression and the expression of Th17-related genes including interleukin (IL)-17 and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) transcription factor. Patients and methods Thirty patients with AS (26 males, 4 females; mean age: 36.1±8.1 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (26 males, 4 females; mean age: 36.2±14.6 years) were recruited for the case-control study between June 2021 and January 2022. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from peripheral blood cells and expression levels of AHR, IL-17, RORγt, and AHR repressor (AHRR) genes were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. The serum level of IL-17 was evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The results showed a nonsignificant elevation of AHR, IL-17, and RORγt gene expression in the patient group compared to the control. There was a direct correlation between AHR gene expression and IL-17 and RORγt genes and a negative correlation between AHR and AHRR expression. Moreover, AHR gene expression showed a weak correlation with disease activity indices, including Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Global Score, and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life. Moreover, the serum level of IL-17 was higher in AS patients compared to the healthy group (p=0.02). Conclusion Upregulated expression of the AHR gene in ankylosing spondylitis and its correlation with IL-17 and ROR-γ t gene expression suggests that it could be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for AS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ahmadi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narjes Soleimanifar
- Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolrahman Rostamian
- Department of Rheumatology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Sadr
- Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hanieh Mojtahedi
- Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abeda Mazari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Nicknam
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Assadiasl
- Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mortazavi-Jahromi SS, Aslani M. Dysregulated miRNAs network in the critical COVID-19: An important clue for uncontrolled immunothrombosis/thromboinflammation. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:109040. [PMID: 35839566 PMCID: PMC9271492 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Known as a pivotal immunohemostatic response, immunothrombosis is activated to restrict the diffusion of pathogens. This beneficial intravascular defensive mechanism represents the close interaction between the immune and coagulation systems. However, its uncontrolled form can be life-threatening to patients with the critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hyperinflammation and ensuing cytokine storm underlie the activation of the coagulation system, something which results in the provocation of more immune-inflammatory responses by the thrombotic mediators. This vicious cycle causes grave clinical complications and higher risks of mortality. Classified as an evolutionarily conserved family of the small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) serve as the fine-tuners of genes expression and play a key role in balancing the pro/anticoagulant and pro-/anti-inflammatory factors maintaining homeostasis. Therefore, any deviation from their optimal expression levels or efficient functions can lead to severe complications. Despite their extensive effects on the molecules and processes involved in uncontrolled immunothrombosis, some genetic agents and uncontrolled immunothrombosis-induced interfering factors (e.g., miRNA-single nucleotide polymorphysms (miR-SNPs), the complement system components, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) have apparently disrupted their expressions/functions. This review study aims to give an overview of the role of miRNAs in the context of uncontrolled immunothrombosis/thromboinflammation accompanied by some presumptive interfering factors affecting their expressions/functions in the critical COVID-19. Detecting, monitoring, and resolving these interfering agents mafy facilitate the design and development of the novel miRNAs-based therapeutic approaches to the reduction of complications incidence and mortality in patients with the critical COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Shahabeddin Mortazavi-Jahromi
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish, Iran.
| | - Mona Aslani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bagherian Z, Mirshafiey A, Mohsenzadegan M, Farajollahi MM. Evaluation of G2013 (α-L-guluronic acid) efficacy on PC-3 cells through inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2021; 49:254-263. [PMID: 34699087 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Given multiple treatment strategies for prostate cancer, its mortality rate is still high; therefore, novel treatment strategies seem necessary. G2013 or α-L-guluronic acid is a new patented drug with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to evaluate the property of G2013 on inflammatory molecules involved in tumorigenesis of prostate cancer. MTT assay was used to assess the effect of the drug on the proliferation of PC-3 cells. Expression of interleukin 8 (IL-8), Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MYD-88), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9 genes were studied in the PC-3 cells treated with 25 (low dose) or 50 (high dose) µg/mL of G2013 for 24 h using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) technique. Protein expression of NF-κB and protein activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assayed using flow cytometry and gelatin zymography, respectively. The expression of COX-2 (p = 0.007 at low dose), MMP-2 (p = 0.023 at low dose, p = 0.002 at high dose), NF-κB (p = 0.004 at low dose) and IL-8 (p < 0.0001 in both doses) genes, NF-κB protein (p < 0.0001 in both doses), and MMP-2 activity (p < 0.0001 in both doses) were significantly reduced in the presence of G2013 as compared to the control group. Cancer cell proliferation was also inhibited under 10-500 µg/mL G2013 treatment. Our results revealed that G2013 has the potential to inhibit PC-3 cell proliferation and reduce the expression of tumour-promoting mediators, COX-2, MMP-2, NF-κB, and IL-8 involved in the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Bagherian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Mirshafiey
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monireh Mohsenzadegan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad M Farajollahi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sadoughi A, Mansouri R, Nazeri S, Mirshafiey A. Evaluation of the oral administration of α-l-guluronic acid on COX-1 and COX-2 gene expression profile in ankylosing spondylitis patients. Drug Dev Res 2020; 82:296-301. [PMID: 33140463 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune arthritis disease with a genetic background, affecting the skeletal axis, sacroiliac, and peripheral joints. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first-line treatment for AS to alleviate the inflammation and pain. Despite the beneficial effect, their use is accompanied by a wide variety of possible side effects in the gastrointestinal and kidneys. The α-l-guluronic acid (G2013) is a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory patented (PCT/EP2017/067920) drug, which has shown its anti-inflammatory properties in the previous investigations. The present study revealed the oral administration effect of G2013 on COX-1 and COX-2 gene expression in AS patients. The blood samples of twelve 18-45 years old patients suffering AS and BASDAI >4, and BASFI >4, before and after 12 weeks of treatment with G2013 and 12 blood samples of healthy volunteers were collected and the effect of G2013 on the gene expression of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes were assessed by Real-Time PCR. The results indicate that G2013 is able to reduce the gene expression level of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes in treated AS patients compared to healthy control. Statistically significant differences were not observed between the treatment and the healthy control groups. According to the findings, G2013 might be categorized and introduced as a novel NSAID for the treatment of AS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Sadoughi
- Department of Immunology, International Campus, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Reza Mansouri
- Department of Immunology, International Campus, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Sepideh Nazeri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Mirshafiey
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Research center for Immunodeficiencies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hossein-Khannazer N, Shabani S, Farokhfar M, Azizi G, Asarzadegan F, Safarpour Lima B, Mirshafeiey A. Pivotal cytokines and their transcription factors are the targets of guluronic acid (G2013) for inhibiting the immunopathogenesis process of multiple sclerosis. Drug Dev Res 2020; 81:511-516. [PMID: 32103523 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The α-L-guluronic acid (G2013), is a novel immunosuppressive drug (PCT/EP2017/067920). One of the most popular ideas in designing drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) is to restrict the main inflammation-related lymphocytes and cytokines. The foremost problems with conventional drugs are their side effects and low efficacy. In order to rectify these problems, we examined the effect of two doses of G2013 on the gene expression of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-22, T-bet, RORC, and AHR, in MS patients PBMCs. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of 12 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 12 healthy volunteers and the effect of two doses of G2013 on the gene expression of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-22, T-bet, RORC, and AHR, were assessed by real-time PCR. Overall, the results show that G2013 is able to significantly reduce the gene expression of IL-22, AHR, RORC, and T-bet. Collectively, G2013 might be considered and studied as a new drug of possible use to MS patients due to its immunosuppressive property on some of the main inflammatory cytokine and transcription factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikoo Hossein-Khannazer
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Shabani
- Department of Neurology, Imam Hossein Medical and Educational Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohadeseh Farokhfar
- Department of Neurology, Imam Hossein Medical and Educational Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Azizi
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Farhad Asarzadegan
- Department of Neurology, Imam Hossein Medical and Educational Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behnam Safarpour Lima
- Department of Neurology, Imam Hossein Medical and Educational Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Mirshafeiey
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Research center for immunodeficiencies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|