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Wu J, Ma Z, Raman A, Beckerman P, Dhillon P, Mukhi D, Palmer M, Chen HC, Cohen CR, Dunn T, Reilly J, Meyer N, Shashaty M, Arany Z, Haskó G, Laudanski K, Hung A, Susztak K. APOL1 risk variants in individuals of African genetic ancestry drive endothelial cell defects that exacerbate sepsis. Immunity 2021; 54:2632-2649.e6. [PMID: 34715018 PMCID: PMC9338439 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The incidence and severity of sepsis is higher among individuals of African versus European ancestry. We found that genetic risk variants (RVs) in the trypanolytic factor apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), present only in individuals of African ancestry, were associated with increased sepsis incidence and severity. Serum APOL1 levels correlated with sepsis and COVID-19 severity, and single-cell sequencing in human kidneys revealed high expression of APOL1 in endothelial cells. Analysis of mice with endothelial-specific expression of RV APOL1 and in vitro studies demonstrated that RV APOL1 interfered with mitophagy, leading to cytosolic release of mitochondrial DNA and activation of the inflammasome (NLRP3) and the cytosolic nucleotide sensing pathways (STING). Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 and STING protected mice from RV APOL1-induced permeability defects and proinflammatory endothelial changes in sepsis. Our studies identify the inflammasome and STING pathways as potential targets to reduce APOL1-associated health disparities in sepsis and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junnan Wu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyuan Ma
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Archana Raman
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Pazit Beckerman
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Poonam Dhillon
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dhanunjay Mukhi
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthew Palmer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hua Chang Chen
- Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus and Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, TN, USA; Division of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Cassiane Robinson Cohen
- Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus and Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, TN, USA; Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Vanderbilt Precision Nephrology Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Thomas Dunn
- Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Translational Lung Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Reilly
- Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Translational Lung Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nuala Meyer
- Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Translational Lung Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Shashaty
- Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Translational Lung Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zoltan Arany
- Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - György Haskó
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Krzysztof Laudanski
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adriana Hung
- Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville Campus and Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, TN, USA; Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Vanderbilt Precision Nephrology Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Katalin Susztak
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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