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Metabolic Profiling Reveals Changes in Serum Predictive of Venous Ulcer Healing. Ann Surg 2023; 277:e467-e474. [PMID: 35916649 PMCID: PMC9831039 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004933] [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] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify potential biomarkers predictive of healing or failure to heal in a population with venous leg ulceration. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Venous leg ulceration presents important physical, psychological, social and financial burdens. Compression therapy is the main treatment, but it can be painful and time-consuming, with significant recurrence rates. The identification of a reliable biochemical signature with the ability to identify nonhealing ulcers has important translational applications for disease prognostication, personalized health care and the development of novel therapies. METHODS Twenty-eight patients were assessed at baseline and at 20 weeks. Untargeted metabolic profiling was performed on urine, serum, and ulcer fluid, using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS A differential metabolic phenotype was identified in healing (n = 15) compared to nonhealing (n = 13) venous leg ulcer patients. Analysis of the assigned metabolites found ceramide and carnitine metabolism to be relevant pathways. In this pilot study, only serum biofluids could differentiate between healing and nonhealing patients. The ratio of carnitine to ceramide was able to differentiate between healing phenotypes with 100% sensitivity, 79% specificity, and 91% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS This study reports a metabolic signature predictive of healing in venous leg ulceration and presents potential translational applications for disease prognostication and development of targeted therapies.
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Xu Q, Li S, Tang W, Yan J, Wei X, Zhou M, Diao H. The Effect of Ellagic Acid on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidant Activity in Mice. Front Physiol 2021; 12:751501. [PMID: 34690819 PMCID: PMC8529006 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.751501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the imbalance of lipid metabolism and antioxidant capacity leads to damage to liver. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ellagic acid (EA), a phenolic compound, on hepatic lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity in mice. In our study, 24 C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: (1) control (CON); (2) basal diet+0.1% EA (EA1); and (3) basal diet+0.3% EA (EA2). After the 14-day experiment, the liver was sampled for analysis. The results showed that 0.3% EA administration increased the liver weight. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol activities decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol activity increased by EA supplementation. Meanwhile, dietary supplementation with EA dose-dependently decreased the acetyl-CoA carboxylase protein abundance and increased the phospho-hormone-sensitive lipase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha protein abundances. Moreover, EA supplementation reduced the malonaldehyde concentration and increased the superoxide dismutase and catalase concentrations. The protein abundances of phospho-nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1, and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 increased by EA supplementation in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, EA supplementation promoted the lipid metabolism and antioxidant capacity to maintain the liver health in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuying Xu
- Sichuan Nursing Vocational College, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuwei Li
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Animtech Biology Development Co., Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenjie Tang
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China.,Livestock and Poultry Biological Products Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Animtche Feed Co. Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiayou Yan
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China.,Livestock and Poultry Biological Products Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Animtche Feed Co. Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolan Wei
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China.,Livestock and Poultry Biological Products Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Animtche Feed Co. Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengjia Zhou
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China.,Livestock and Poultry Biological Products Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Animtche Feed Co. Ltd, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Diao
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Animal Science, Chengdu, China
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Gu S, Fu X, Ye G, Chen C, Li X, Zhong S, Tang L, Chen H, Jiang D, Hou J, Li Y. High L-Carnitine Levels Impede Viral Control in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:649197. [PMID: 34234772 PMCID: PMC8255973 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.649197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent antigen exposure during chronic hepatitis B infection leads to exhausted immune responses, thus impeding viral control. In recent years, immunometabolism opens new therapeutic possibilities for the modulation of immune responses. Herein, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of L-carnitine (L-Cn) on immune cells in chronic HBV infection. In this study, 141 treatment-naïve patients with chronic HBV infection, 38 patients who achieved HBsAg loss following antiviral treatment, and 47 patients who suffered from HBV-related HCC from real-life clinical practice were recruited. The plasma L-Cn levels were measured by ELISA. RNA sequencing was conducted to define the transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after L-Cn stimulation. In vitro assays were performed to assess the effect of L-Cn on immune cells; the frequencies and function of immune cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. We found that compared with patients with HBsAg loss, patients with HBsAg positivity and patients who suffered from HBV-related HCC had higher levels of L-Cn, and the plasma levels of L-Cn in the HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis patients who had elevated ALT were significantly higher than that of HBeAg-negative chronic infection and HBsAg loss groups. Moreover, a positive correlation between plasma levels of L-Cn and HBsAg levels was found. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that L-Cn altered the transcriptional profiles related to immune response. In vitro assays revealed that L-Cn suppressed the proliferation of and IFN-γ production by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. It also down-regulated the proliferation and IgG production of B cells. Notably, L-Cn enhanced IL-10 secretion from regulatory T cells and up-regulated the expression of inhibitory receptors on T cells. Moreover, a variant in CPT2 (rs1799821) was confirmed to be associated with L-Cn levels as well as complete response in CHB patients following Peg-IFNα antiviral therapy. Taken together, the immunosuppressive properties of L-Cn may hinder the control of HBV in chronic HBV infection, implicating that L-Cn manipulation might influence the prognosis of patients with HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqin Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guofu Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengcong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shihong Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libo Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Deke Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinlin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Hishida A, Watanabe R, Hattori Y, Okugawa Y, Shirai Y, Miki C. Polymorphisms in CPT1B and CPT2 have no significant effect on plasma carnitine levels in Japanese cancer patients. NAGOYA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2019; 81:477-487. [PMID: 31579338 PMCID: PMC6728200 DOI: 10.18999/nagjms.81.3.477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with L-carnitine (LC) supplementation is becoming increasingly popular in the clinic. The present study aimed to examine the possible effects of polymorphisms in CPT1B and CPT2 (CPT1B G320D, S427C, c.282-18 C>T, and p.E531K, and CPT2 V368I) on the plasma concentration of carnitine in humans. The subjects were the 218 participants of the Iga Cohort Study. Differences in plasma-free carnitine levels by genotype were examined. Genotyping was conducted by polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers (PCR-CTPP). The plasma carnitine levels were significantly higher in males (P<0.001; Student’s t-test), and there was no significant difference in plasma carnitine levels between the age groups (P=0.202; ANOVA). One-way ANOVA revealed the plasma levels of carnitine were neither significantly different by CPT1B G320D, S427C, c.282-18 C>T, or p.E531K, nor by CPT2 V368I genotypes (P=0.133, P=0.538, P=0.636, P=0.509, and P=0.398, respectively). When analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age and sex was applied, the plasma levels of carnitine were not statistically significantly different according to these genotypes (P=0.299, P=0.715, P=0.980, P=0.851, and P=0.674, respectively). The present study did not identify any statistically significant differences in plasma carnitine levels between subjects with different CPT1 and CPT2 genotypes, suggesting that there may be no need to tailor treatments to patients’ genotypes when determining the dose/amount of LC to be administered to cancer patients undergoing palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asahi Hishida
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Yuta Hattori
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | | | - Chikao Miki
- Surgery, Iga City General Hospital, Mie, Japan
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Guo Y, Zhang Y, Liu P, Li F, Xin D, He H, Liu Y, Yang C, Chen Z. Association of the Polymorphism of rs1799822 on Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase II Gene with Severe Enterovirus 71 Encephalitis in Chinese Children. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 69:188-196. [PMID: 31201655 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01348-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of the CPT2 gene cause CPT2 deficiency and affect the β-oxidation of fatty acids. This study examined the consequence of a polymorphism of rs1799822 in the CPT2 gene with respect to EV71 encephalitis in Chinese children. The study included 406 cases of both mild and severe EV71 infection diagnosed by RT-PCR, together with controls (n = 348). We used an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique to detect the polymorphism of rs1799822 in the CPT2 gene. The frequency of the (AG+GG) genotype and G allele in the EV71 infection group and in the severe EV71 encephalitis group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.012 vs. p = 0.005, and p = 0.022 vs. p = 0.006, respectively). The frequency of the (AG+GG) genotype and G allele in the severe EV71 encephalitis group was markedly lower than in the mild EV71 encephalitis group (p = 0.045, p = 0.033). The ATP levels in the blood of the (AG+GG) genotype were distinctly higher than in the AA genotype in mild and severe EV71 encephalitis patients (P = 0.037, P = 0.040). A polymorphism of rs1799822 in the CPT2 gene is associated with the severity of EV71 encephalitis and may be one of the protection factors of severe EV71 encephalitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Guo
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Ophthalmology Department of Qingdao Municipal Hospital, No. 1 Jiaozhou Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Peipei Liu
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Li
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Dandan Xin
- Pediatric Department of the Qingdao Women & Children Hospital, No. 6 Tongfu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongfang He
- Pediatric Department of the First People's Hospital of Jining, No. 6 Jiankang Road, Shandong, 272011, People's Republic of China
| | - Yedan Liu
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengqing Yang
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongbo Chen
- Pediatric Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Shandong, 266000, People's Republic of China.
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Yang XN, Liu XM, Fang JH, Zhu X, Yang XW, Xiao XR, Huang JF, Gonzalez FJ, Li F. PPARα Mediates the Hepatoprotective Effects of Nutmeg. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:1887-1897. [PMID: 29664296 PMCID: PMC6628927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Nutmeg is a Traditional Chinese Medicine used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. Some reports have indicated that nutmeg has hepatoprotective activity. In this study, a thioacetamide (TAA)-induced acute liver injury model in mice was used to explore the mechanism of the protective effects of nutmeg extract (NME), including its major bioactive component myrislignan. The results indicated that NME could effectively protect TAA-induced liver damage as assessed by recovery of increased serumtransaminases, decrease in hepatic oxidative stress, and lower hepatic inflammation. Metabolomics analysis further revealed that treatment with NME led to the recovery of a series of lipids including lysophosphatidylcholines that were decreased and a lowering of acylcarnitines that were increased in mouse plasma and liver after TAA exposure. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that the hepatoprotective effect of NME was achieved by modulation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) as well as the decrease in oxidative stress. NME could not protect from TAA-induced liver injury in Ppara-null mice, suggesting that its protective effect was dependent on PPARα. Myrislignan, a representative neolignan in nutmeg, showed potent protective activity against TAA-induced liver toxicity. These data demonstrate that nutmeg alleviates TAA-induced liver injury through the modulation of PPARα and that the lignan compounds in nutmeg such as myrislignan partly contributed to this action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Nan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xue-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Pharmacy, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jian-He Fang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Xu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xiu-Wei Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xue-Rong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Jian-Feng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Frank J. Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
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miR-125a, miR-139 and miR-324 contribute to Urocortin protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8898. [PMID: 28827743 PMCID: PMC5566224 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urocortin 1 and 2 (Ucn-1 and Ucn-2) have established protective actions against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injuries. However, little is known about their role in posttranscriptional regulation in the process of cardioprotection. Herein, we investigated whether microRNAs play a role in urocortin-induced cardioprotection. Administration of Ucn-1 and Ucn-2 at the beginning of reperfusion significantly restored cardiac function, as evidenced ex vivo in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts and in vivo in rat subjected to I/R. Experiments using microarray and qRT-PCR determined that the addition of Ucn-1 at reperfusion modulated the expression of several miRNAs with unknown role in cardiac protection. Ucn-1 enhanced the expression of miR-125a-3p, miR-324-3p; meanwhile it decreased miR-139-3p. Similarly, intravenous infusion of Ucn-2 in rat model of I/R mimicked the effect of Ucn-1 on miR-324-3p and miR-139-3p. The effect of Ucn-1 involves the activation of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-2, Epac2 and ERK1/2. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-125a-3p, miR-324-3p and miR-139-3p promoted dysregulation of genes expression involved in cell death and apoptosis (BRCA1, BIM, STAT2), in cAMP and Ca2+ signaling (PDE4a, CASQ1), in cell stress (NFAT5, XBP1, MAP3K12) and in metabolism (CPT2, FoxO1, MTRF1, TAZ). Altogether, these data unveil a novel role of urocortin in myocardial protection, involving posttranscriptional regulation with miRNAs.
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Abstract
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as heart attack, is a medical emergency that is potentially fatal if not promptly and properly managed. The early diagnosis of AMI is critically important for the timely institution of pharmacotherapy to prevent myocardial damage and preserve cardiac function. Ischemic insults during AMI cause myocardial tissue damage, releasing the cardiac muscle protein troponin T into the blood stream. Therefore, serum troponin T levels are used as a sensitive and specific indicator of myocardial injury for diagnosing AMI. However, there remains a requirement for developing technologies for more accurate biomarkers or signatures for AMI diagnosis or prognosis. Previous studies have implicated impaired lipid metabolism as a causative factor in AMI development. Lipoproteins are important constituents of lipid metabolism; their levels in the blood stream are a convenient biomarker tool for monitoring lipid metabolism. This review summarizes recent findings (data of studies from 2001 to 2016) regarding the biomarker potentials of various lipoproteins, including low-density lipoprotein, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein-a, and remnant lipoprotein, for the risk stratification of AMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haseeb Ahmad Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University; Riyadh-Saudi Arabia.
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Cardona-Castro N, Cortés E, Beltrán C, Romero M, Badel-Mogollón JE, Bedoya G. Human Genetic Ancestral Composition Correlates with the Origin of Mycobacterium leprae Strains in a Leprosy Endemic Population. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0004045. [PMID: 26360617 PMCID: PMC4567314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports have suggested that leprosy originated in Africa, extended to Asia and Europe, and arrived in the Americas during European colonization and the African slave trade. Due to colonization, the contemporary Colombian population is an admixture of Native-American, European and African ancestries. Because microorganisms are known to accompany humans during migrations, patterns of human migration can be traced by examining genomic changes in associated microbes. The current study analyzed 118 leprosy cases and 116 unrelated controls from two Colombian regions endemic for leprosy (Atlantic and Andean) in order to determine possible associations of leprosy with patient ancestral background (determined using 36 ancestry informative markers), Mycobacterium leprae genotype and/or patient geographical origin. We found significant differences between ancestral genetic composition. European components were predominant in Andean populations. In contrast, African components were higher in the Atlantic region. M. leprae genotypes were then analyzed for cluster associations and compared with the ancestral composition of leprosy patients. Two M. leprae principal clusters were found: haplotypes C54 and T45. Haplotype C54 associated with African origin and was more frequent in patients from the Atlantic region with a high African component. In contrast, haplotype T45 associated with European origin and was more frequent in Andean patients with a higher European component. These results suggest that the human and M. leprae genomes have co-existed since the African and European origins of the disease, with leprosy ultimately arriving in Colombia during colonization. Distinct M. leprae strains followed European and African settlement in the country and can be detected in contemporary Colombian populations. Contemporary Colombian population is an admixture of three ancestries: Native-American, European and African. Genetic studies of human ancestry have found associations with disease, likely due to the fact that microorganisms have accompanied humans during migrations. Taking these facts into account, we studied the effect of human ancestry, Mycobacterium leprae genotype and the geographical origin of our study population, on leprosy. We found correlations between ancestral composition and M. leprae genotype: an African component is higher in the Atlantic region and a European component is higher in Andean populations (p<0.05). An interesting connection was found between the ancestral composition and two principal types of M. leprae isolates: type C54 (of African origin) was more frequent in Atlantic region populations, and type T45 (of European origin) was more frequent in the Andean region, suggesting that human and bacterial genomes have co-existed since leprosy’s origins and that leprosy has circulated with human migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Cardona-Castro
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical—Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Edwin Cortés
- Grupo GENMOL, Instituto de Biología Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Camilo Beltrán
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical—Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Marcela Romero
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical—Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia
| | | | - Gabriel Bedoya
- Grupo GENMOL, Instituto de Biología Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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