Association of PGLYRP2 gene polymorphism and sporadic Parkinson's disease in northern Chinese Han population

Identification and validation of a prognostic signature based on six immune-related genes for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy with high mortality and morbidity rates. Although the significant efficacy of immunotherapy is well established, it is only beneficial for a limited number of individuals with CRC.

METHODS

Differentially expressed immune-related genes (DE-IRGs) were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and ImmPort databases. A prognostic signature comprising DE-IRGs was developed using univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A nomogram integrating the independent prognostic factors was also developed. CIBERSORT was used to assess immune cell infiltration (ICI). Furthermore, wound-healing, colony formation, migration, and invasion assays were performed to study the involvement of ACTG1 in CRC.

RESULTS

A signature including six DE-IRGs was developed. The overall survival (OS) rate was accurately estimated for TCGA and GSE38832 cohorts. The risk score (RS) of the signature was an independent factor for OS. Moreover, a nomogram encompassing age, RS, and pathological T stage accurately predicted the long-term OS probability of individuals with CRC. The high-risk group had an elevated proportion of patients treated with ICIs, including native B cells, relative to the low-risk group. Additionally, ACTG1 expression was upregulated, which supported the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of CRC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

An immune-related prognostic signature was developed for predicting OS and for determining the immune status of individuals with CRC. The present study provides new insights into accurate immunotherapy for individuals with CRC. Moreover, ACTG1 may serve as a new immune biomarker.

Sex Differences in the Allele Distribution of PGLYRP2 Variant rs892145 in Parkinson's Disease

Introduction

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex multifactorial disease, involving genetic susceptibility, environmental risk factors, and gene-environmental interactions. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is hypothesized to play a role in the pathophysiology of PD, and peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGLYRPs), which modulate the gut microbiota, are, therefore, relevant candidate genes for PD.

Methods

Using quantitative real-time PCR, we genotyped three PGLYRP variants (rs892145, rs959117, and rs10888557) and performed an association analysis in 508 PD patients and 585 control individuals. We further conducted a meta-analysis of rs892145 and analyzed PGLYRP2 gene expression in lymphocytes from patients with PD and controls.

Results

Although initial analysis of the three variants rs892145, rs959117, and rs10888557 and a meta-analysis of rs892145 did not reveal any association between the selected variants and PD, we found an interaction between sex and genotype for rs892145, with a marked difference in the allele distribution of rs892145 between male and female patients. As compared to controls, the T allele was less common in female patients (odds ratio = 0.76, P = 0.04) and more common in male patients (odds ratio = 1.29, P = 0.04). No difference was found in PGLYRP2 gene expression between PD patients and controls (P = 0.38), nor between sexes (P = 0.07). Discussion. Overall, this genetic screening in Swedish PD patients does not support previous results demonstrating associations of PGLYRP variants with the risk of PD. Meta-analysis of rs892145 revealed pronounced heterogeneity between previously published studies which is likely to have influenced the results. Taken together, the genetic and gene expression analyses suggest a possible link between genetic variants in PGLYRP2 and sex differences in PD. Because of the limited sample size in our study, these results need to be verified in independent cohorts before concluding.