Upregulated expression of human alpha-defensins 1, 2 and 3 in hypercholesteremia and its relationship with serum lipid levels

Proteomic analysis of sialoliths from calcified, lipid and mixed groups as a source of potential biomarkers of deposit formation in the salivary glands

Salivary stones, also known as sialoliths, are formed in a pathological situation in the salivary glands. So far, neither the mechanism of their formation nor the factors predisposing to their formation are known despite several hypotheses. While they do not directly threaten human life, they significantly deteriorate the patient's quality of life. Although this is not a typical research material, attempts are made to apply various analytical tools to characterise sialoliths and search for the biomarkers in their proteomes. In this work, we used mass spectrometry and SWATH-MS qualitative and quantitative analysis to investigate the composition and select proteins that may contribute to solid deposits in the salivary glands. Twenty sialoliths, previously characterized spectroscopically and divided into the following groups: calcified (CAL), lipid (LIP) and mixed (MIX), were used for the study. Proteins unique for each of the groups were found, including: for the CAL group among them, e.g. proteins from the S100 group (S100 A8/A12 and P), mucin 7 (MUC7), keratins (KRT1/2/4/5/13), elastase (ELANE) or stomatin (STOM); proteins for the LIP group-transthyretin (TTR), lactotransferrin (LTF), matrix Gla protein (MPG), submandibular gland androgen-regulated protein 3 (SMR3A); mixed stones had the fewest unique proteins. Bacterial proteins present in sialoliths have also been identified. The analysis of the results indicates the possible role of bacterial infections, disturbances in calcium metabolism and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the formation of sialoliths.

PPBP gene as a biomarker for coronary heart disease risk in postmenopausal Thai women

Background

Estrogen is an important ovarian hormone with anti-atherogenic and cardioprotective effects. Postmenopausal women have lower estrogen levels, associated with significantly higher risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related death. Effective biomarkers for the diagnosis, prediction, and treatment of CHD are needed to address this problem and thus reduce the mortality due to CHD in postmenopausal women. We recently reported that the PPBP and DEFA1/DEFA3 genes may be feasible synergistic biomarkers for CHD risk in Thai men with hyperlipidemia. The PPBP gene encodes pro-platelet basic protein (PPBP) from activated platelets, and DEFA1/DEFA3 encodes human neutrophil peptides (HNP) 1-3, mainly produced by activated neutrophils. Both platelets and neutrophils are involved in chronic inflammation during the development of atherogenesis and CHD. This study investigated the potential roles of PPBP and DEFA1/DEFA3 and their proteins as biomarkers for CHD risk in postmenopausal Thai women.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 90 postmenopausal Thai women, including 12 healthy controls (N), 18 patients with hyperlipidemia (H), and 21 patients diagnosed with CHD. The remaining 39 women were receiving cholesterol-lowering drugs for hyperlipidemia (HD) were excluded from the study. All CHD patients underwent coronary bypass grafting or coronary angioplasty. PPBP and DEFA1/DEFA3 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from heparinized blood were determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Levels of PPBP and HNP-1-3 proteins in corresponding plasma samples were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Differences in parameters were compared among groups and correlations between parameters and clinical manifestations were analyzed.

Results

PPBP mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in the CHD group compared with the N and H groups. In contrast, DEFA1/DEFA3 mRNA and HNP-1-3 protein levels did not differ significantly among the groups. None of the levels were associated with any of the clinical parameters analyzed in this study.

Conclusion

The results indicate that gene and protein expression levels of PPBP, but not DEFA1/DEFA3, and HNP-1-3, may be feasible biomarkers for assessing CHD risk in postmenopausal Thai women with hyperlipidemia.

Distinct peripheral blood monocyte and neutrophil transcriptional programs following intracerebral hemorrhage and different etiologies of ischemic stroke

Understanding cell-specific transcriptome responses following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke (IS) will improve knowledge of the immune response to brain injury. Transcriptomic profiles of 141 samples from 48 subjects with ICH, different IS etiologies, and vascular risk factor controls were characterized using RNA-seq in isolated neutrophils, monocytes and whole blood. In both IS and ICH, monocyte genes were down-regulated, whereas neutrophil gene expression changes were generally up-regulated. The monocyte down-regulated response to ICH included innate, adaptive immune, dendritic, NK cell and atherosclerosis signaling. Neutrophil responses to ICH included tRNA charging, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ER stress pathways. Common monocyte and neutrophil responses to ICH included interferon signaling, neuroinflammation, death receptor signaling, and NFAT pathways. Suppressed monocyte responses to IS included interferon and dendritic cell maturation signaling, phagosome formation, and IL-15 signaling. Activated neutrophil responses to IS included oxidative phosphorylation, mTOR, BMP, growth factor signaling, and calpain proteases-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction. Common monocyte and neutrophil responses to IS included JAK1, JAK3, STAT3, and thrombopoietin signaling. Cell-type and cause-specific approaches will assist the search for future IS and ICH biomarkers and treatments.

PR3 levels are impaired in plasma and PBMCs from Arabs with cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks persist in patients despite treatment. CVD susceptibility also varies with sex and ethnicity and is not entirely explained by conventional CVD risk factors. The aim of the present study was to identify novel CVD candidate markers in circulating Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma from Arab obese subjects with and without CVD using proteomic approaches. Human adults with confirmed CVD (n = 208) and matched non-CVD controls (n = 152) living in Kuwait were examined in the present cross-sectional study. Anthropometric and classical biochemical parameters were determined. We employed a shotgun proteomic profiling approach on PBMCs isolated from a subset of the groups (n = 4, each), and differentially expressed proteins selected between the two groups were validated at the mRNA level using RT-PCR (n = 6, each). Plasma levels of selected proteins from the proteomics profiling: Proteinase-3 (PR3), Annexin-A3 (ANX3), Defensin (DEFA1), and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), were measured in the entire cohort using human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and were subsequently correlated with various clinical parameters. Out of the 1407 we identified and quantified from the proteomics profiling, 47 proteins were dysregulated with at least twofold change between the two subject groups. Among the differentially expressed proteins, 11 were confirmed at the mRNA levels. CVD influenced the levels of the shortlisted proteins (MMP9, PR3, ANX3, and DEFA1) in the PBMCs and plasma differentially. Despite the decreased levels of both protein and mRNA in PBMCs, PR3 circulating levels increased significantly in patients with CVD and were influenced by neither diabetes nor statin treatment. No significant changes were; however, observed in the DEFA1, MMP9, and ANX3 levels in plasma. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only PR3 was independently associated with CVD. Our results suggest that the dysregulation of PR3 levels in plasma and PBMCs reflects underlying residual CVD risks even in the treated population. More prospective and larger studies are required to establish the role of PR3 in CVD progression.

Upregulated expression of human cathelicidin LL-37 in hypercholesterolemia and its relationship with serum lipid levels

Dyslipidemia in patients with hypercholesterolemia has been recently linked to increased human cathelicidin LL-37 (LL-37) serum concentration. We tested a hypothesis that upregulated expression of LL-37 gene in peripheral blood leucocytes is involved in dyslipidemia in patients with hypercholesteremia. Patients with hypercholesterolemia were used in the study. Expression of LL-37 and human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in peripheral blood leucocytes were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Serum LL-37 concentration was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum lipid levels were assessed by absorptiometry in all cases. Patients with hypercholesterolemia as compared to control ones were characterized by (a) an up-regulation of LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes with parallel increase of serum LL-37 concentration and (b) an increase of serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Patients with hypercholesterolemia after a treatment with atorvastatin calcium 20 mg daily as compared to that patients before the treatment: an down-regulation of LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes with parallel decrease of serum LL-37 concentration. We also found significant correlation between serum LL-37 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (r = 0.7290, P < 0.0001). The results suggest that hypercholesterolemia is associated with an increased LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes. The correlation between serum LL-37 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels suggests that LL-37 may play a key role in regulation of cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemia.

PPBP and DEFA1/DEFA3 genes in hyperlipidaemia as feasible synergistic inflammatory biomarkers for coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is an important complication of atherosclerosis. Biomarkers, which associate with CHD development, are potential to predict CHD risk. To determine whether genes showing altered expression in hyperlipidaemia (H) and coronary heart disease (CHD) patients compared with controls could be CHD risk biomarkers.

METHODS

Control, H, and CHD groups represented atherosclerosis to CHD development. Gene profiling was investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using DNA microarrays. Eight selected genes expressed only in H and CHD groups were validated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR and plasma protein determination.

RESULTS

α-defensin (DEFA1/DEFA3), pro-platelet basic protein (PPBP), and beta and alpha2 hemoglobin mRNA expression was significantly increased in H and CHD groups compared with controls, but only plasma PPBP and α-defensin proteins were correspondingly increased.

CONCLUSION

PPBP and DEFA1/DEFA3 could be potential CHD biomarkers in Thai hyperlipidaemia patients.

Increased alpha-defensin expression is associated with risk of coronary heart disease: a feasible predictive inflammatory biomarker of coronary heart disease in hyperlipidemia patients

Background

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disorder of the heart vessels that develops over decades, coupling inflammatory mechanisms and elevated total cholesterol levels under the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Without effective intervention, atherosclerosis consequently causes coronary heart disease (CHD), which leads to increased risk of sudden death.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils play a pivotal role in inflammation and atherogenesis. Human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) or alpha (α)-defensins are cysteine-rich cation polypeptides that are produced and released from activated polymorphonuclear neutrophil granules during septic inflammation and acute coronary vascular disorders. HNPs cause endothelial cell dysfunction during early atherogenesis. In this cross-sectional study, control, hyperlipidemia and CHD groups were representative as atherosclerosis development and CHD complications. We aimed to assess the correlation between α-defensin expression and the development of CHD, and whether it was a useful predictive indicator for CHD risk.

Methods

First, DNA microarray analysis was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Thai control, hyperlipidemia and CHD male patients (n = 7). Gene expression profiling revealed eight up-regulated genes common between hyperlipidemia and CHD patients, but not controls. We sought to verify and compare α-defensin expression among the groups using: 1) real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to determine α-defensin mRNA expression (n = 10), and 2) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine plasma HNP 1–3 levels (n = 17). Statistically significant differences and correlations between groups were determined by the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Rho-Spearman correlation, respectively.

Results

We found that α-defensin mRNA expression increased (mean 2-fold change) in the hyperlipidemia (p = 0.043) and CHD patients (p = 0.05) compared with the controls. CHD development moderately correlated with α-defensin mRNA expression (r = 0.429, p = 0.023) and with plasma HNP 1–3 levels (r = 0.486, p = 0.000).

Conclusions

Increased α-defensin expression is a potential inflammatory marker that may predict the risk of CHD development in Thai hyperlipidemia patients.