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Xie Y, Fan K, Guan S, Hu Y, Gao Y, Zhou W. LECT2: A pleiotropic and promising hepatokine, from bench to bedside. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:3598-3607. [PMID: 35656863 PMCID: PMC9258709 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
LECT2 (leucocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2) is a 16-kDa protein mainly produced by hepatocytes. It was first isolated in PHA-activated human T-cell leukaemia SKW-3 cells and originally identified as a novel neutrophil chemotactic factor. However, many lines of studies suggested that LECT2 was a pleiotropic protein, it not only functioned as a cytokine to exhibit chemotactic property, but also played multifunctional roles in some physiological conditions and pathological abnormalities, involving liver regeneration, neuronal development, HSC(haematopoietic stem cells) homeostasis, liver injury, liver fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, metabolic disorders, inflammatory arthritides, systemic sepsis and systemic amyloidosis. Among the above studies, it was discovered that LECT2 could be a promising molecular biomarker and therapeutic target. This review summarizes LECT2-related receptors and pathways, basic and clinical researches, primarily in mice and human, for a better comprehension and management of these diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Xie
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative MedicineZhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of General Surgery IIThe First People's Hospital of ZhaoqingZhaoqingChina
| | - Kai‐Wei Fan
- Department of Cerebrovascular DiseaseThe First People's Hospital of ZhaoqingZhaoqingChina
| | - Shi‐Xing Guan
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical SciencesSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical SciencesSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Yi Gao
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative MedicineZhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Wei‐Jie Zhou
- General Surgery Center, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Organ and Tissue Engineering, Guangzhou Clinical Research and Transformation Center for Artificial Liver, Institute of Regenerative MedicineZhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical SciencesSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of General Surgery & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, First Clinical Medical CollegeSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
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Kong M, Xiang B. Identifying Biomarkers to Predict the Prognosis of Biliary Atresia by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis. Front Genet 2021; 12:760182. [PMID: 34899846 PMCID: PMC8656673 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.760182] [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: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of children with biliary atresia (BA) after Kasai operation remains difficult to predict, and liver fibrosis is closely related to the prognosis of children with BA. We aimed to find biomarkers for native liver survival (NLS) prediction by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The biological processes and signal pathways that biomarkers involved in were further analyzed by bioinformatics. Quantitative Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect biomarkers expression. The relationship of biomarkers with clinicopathological characteristics of BA was also investigated. LECT2 was overexpressed or knockdown in LX-2 cells, and the expression of fibrogenic genes such as a-SMA and COL1A1 was quantified. We found that LECT2 mRNA expression was higher in BA liver tissues compared with normal liver tissues. Bioinformatics showed that LECT2 mainly played a fibrosis-promoting role in the development in BA by regulating bile acid metabolism and promoting inflammatory response. LECT2 immunohistochemistry scores of BA children were higher than control group (p = 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that LECT2 high expression is an unfavorable prognostic factor for native liver survival in BA patients. Additionally, the high LECT2 expression was an independent prognostic factor affecting native liver survival (HR 3.702, 95%CI:2.085–6.575, p = 0.001). LECT2 modulates TGF-β mediated a-SMA and COL1A1 expression in LX-2 cells. siRNA-LECT2 inhibits the expression of a-SMA and COL1A1 in LX-2 cells. Overexpression of LECT2 resulted in an increase in a-SMA and COL1A1 expression. Knockdown of LECT2 inhibits the proliferation and increase apoptosis in activated LX-2 cells. LECT2 may act as a new prognostic biomarker for native liver survival in BA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Kong
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Xiang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Xu H, Li X, Wu Z, Zhao L, Shen J, Liu J, Qin J, Shen Y, Ke J, Wei Y, Li J, Gao Y. LECT2, A Novel and Direct Biomarker of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With CHB. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:749648. [PMID: 34631799 PMCID: PMC8492992 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.749648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with severe liver fibrosis would be more likely to progress to a poorer prognosis. Treatment is considered once the liver fibrosis reaches significant liver fibrosis (≥S2). Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2 (LECT2) has been shown to contribute to liver fibrosis progression. No research has focused on the role of LECT2 in liver fibrosis in CHB patients. This study enrolled 227 CHB patients and divided them into the training group (n = 147) and validation group (n = 80), respectively. The expression of LECT2 in serum, protein and mRNA of the human liver tissues was detected to analyze the possible associations between LECT2 and liver fibrosis. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to estimate the efficacy of LECT2 for predicting liver fibrosis. The data showed that there was a positive relationship between LECT2 and the progression of liver fibrosis. In the training group, LECT2 was demonstrated to have better effectiveness than APRI and FIB-4. The AUC was 0.861, 0.698, and 0.734 for significant liver fibrosis, and 0.855, 0.769, and 0.752 for advanced liver fibrosis. Besides, the efficacy of LECT2 in different statuses of patients with CHB was examined and the effectiveness of LECT2 had also been confirmed in the validation group. All the results confirmed that LECT2 could act as a perfect predictor and thus offers a novel and direct biomarker to estimate liver fibrosis more accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghai Xu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xutong Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zihao Wu
- Department of Pathology, The Forth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Linyan Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiapei Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiaying Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiangfeng Qin
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanlong Shen
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Ke
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wei
- Department of Hospital Infection Prevention and Control, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiabin Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yufeng Gao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Li Q, Zhang Z, Fan W, Huang Y, Niu J, Luo G, Liu X, Huang Y, Jian J. LECT2 Protects Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) Against Streptococcus agalatiae Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:667781. [PMID: 34093564 PMCID: PMC8174566 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.667781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a multifunctional cytokine that especially plays an important role in innate immune. However, the roles of LECT2 in the immune response of the economically important fish Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) against bacterial infection remains unclear. In this study, a lect2 gene from Nile tilapia (On-lect2) was identified, and its roles in the fish’s immune response against bacterial infection were determined and characterised. On-lect2 contains an open reading frame of 456 bp that encodes a peptide of 151 amino acids, as well as the conservative peptidase M23 domain. On-LECT2 is 62%–84% identical to other fish species and about 50% identical to mammals. The highest transcriptional level of On-lect2 was detected in the liver, whereas the lowest levels were detected in the other tissues. Moreover, the On-LECT2 protein is located mainly in the brain and head kidney. The transcriptional levels of On-lect2 substantially increased in the head kidney, brain, liver and spleen after Streptococcus agalactiae infection. Knockdown On-lect2 led to higher mortality due to liver necrosis or haemorrhage and splenomegaly. In vitro analysis indicated that the recombinant protein of On-LECT2 improved phagocytic activity of head kidney-derived macrophages. In vivo challenge experiments revealed several functions of On-LECT2 in the immune response of Nile tilapia against bacterial infection, including promotion of inflammation, reduction of tissue damages and improvement of survival rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Weiqi Fan
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yongxiong Huang
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jinzhong Niu
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Guoling Luo
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xinchao Liu
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yu Huang
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jichang Jian
- College of Fishery, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology and Epidemiology for Aquatic Economic Animal, Key Laboratory of Control for Disease of Aquatic Animals of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animal Health Assessment, Shenzhen, China
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Rasineni K, Lee SML, McVicker BL, Osna NA, Casey CA, Kharbanda KK. Susceptibility of Asialoglycoprotein Receptor-Deficient Mice to Lps/Galactosamine Liver Injury and Protection by Betaine Administration. BIOLOGY 2020; 10:biology10010019. [PMID: 33396223 PMCID: PMC7823640 DOI: 10.3390/biology10010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Work from our laboratory has shown that the ethanol-induced increase in apoptotic hepatocellular death is closely related to the impairment in the ability of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) to remove neighboring apoptotic cells. In this study, we assessed the role of ASGP-R in fulminant liver failure and investigated whether prior treatment with betaine (a naturally occurring tertiary amine) is protective. METHODS Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50 μg/kg BW) and galactosamine (GalN; 350 mg/kg BW) were injected together to wild-type and ASGP-R-deficient mice that were treated for two weeks prior with or without 2% betaine in drinking water. The mice were sacrificed 1.5, 3, or 4.5 h post-injection, and tissue samples were collected. RESULTS LPS/GalN injection generate distinct molecular processes, which includes increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), thus causing apoptosis as evident by increased caspase-3 activity. ASGP-R deficient animals showed increased liver caspase activities, serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels, as well as more pronounced liver damage compared with the wild-type control animals after intraperitoneal injection of LPS/GalN. In addition, prior administration of betaine was found to significantly attenuate the LPS/GalN-induced increases in liver injury parameters. CONCLUSION Our work underscores the importance of normal functioning of ASGP-R in preventing severe liver damage and signifies a therapeutic role of betaine in prevention of liver injuries from toxin-induced fulminant liver failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karuna Rasineni
- Research Service, Veterans’ Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA; (K.R.); (B.L.M.); (N.A.O.); (C.A.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Serene M. L. Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Benita L. McVicker
- Research Service, Veterans’ Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA; (K.R.); (B.L.M.); (N.A.O.); (C.A.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Natalia A. Osna
- Research Service, Veterans’ Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA; (K.R.); (B.L.M.); (N.A.O.); (C.A.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
| | - Carol A. Casey
- Research Service, Veterans’ Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA; (K.R.); (B.L.M.); (N.A.O.); (C.A.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Kusum K. Kharbanda
- Research Service, Veterans’ Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA; (K.R.); (B.L.M.); (N.A.O.); (C.A.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-402-995-3752; Fax: +1-402-995-4600
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Greenow KR, Zverev M, May S, Kendrick H, Williams GT, Phesse T, Parry L. Lect2 deficiency is characterised by altered cytokine levels and promotion of intestinal tumourigenesis. Oncotarget 2018; 9:36430-36443. [PMID: 30559928 PMCID: PMC6284865 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (Lect2) is a chemokine-like chemotactic factor that has been identified as a downstream target of the Wnt signalling pathway. Whilst the primary function of Lect2 is thought to be in modulating the inflammatory process, it has recently been implicated as a potential inhibitor of the Wnt pathway. Deregulation of the Wnt pathway, often due to loss of the negative regulator APC, is found in ~80% of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we have used the ApcMin/+Lect2-/- mouse model to characterise the role of Lect2 in Wnt-driven intestinal tumourigenesis. Histopathological, immunohistochemical, PCR and flow cytometry analysis were employed to identify the role of Lect2 in the intestine. The ApcMin/+Lect2-/- mice had a reduced mean survival and a significantly increased number of adenomas in the small intestine with increased severity. Analysis of Lect2 loss indicated it had no effect on the Wnt pathway in the intestine but significant differences were observed in circulating inflammatory markers, CD4+ T cells, and T cell lineage-specification factors. In summary, in the murine intestine loss of Lect2 promotes the initiation and progression of Wnt-driven colorectal cancer. This protection is performed independently of the Wnt signalling pathway and is associated with an altered inflammatory environment during Wnt-driven tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty R. Greenow
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Matthew Zverev
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Stephanie May
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Howard Kendrick
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Toby Phesse
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lee Parry
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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