1
|
Raja Xavier JP, Okumura T, Apweiler M, Chacko NA, Singh Y, Brucker SY, Takeda S, Lang F, Salker MS. Placental growth factor mediates pathological uterine angiogenesis by activating the NFAT5-SGK1 signaling axis in the endometrium: implications for preeclampsia development. Biol Res 2024; 57:55. [PMID: 39152497 PMCID: PMC11330076 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-024-00526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
After menstruation the uterine spiral arteries are repaired through angiogenesis. This process is tightly regulated by the paracrine communication between endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs) and endothelial cells. Any molecular aberration in these processes can lead to complications in pregnancy including miscarriage or preeclampsia (PE). Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a known contributing factor for pathological angiogenesis but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether PlGF contributes to pathological uterine angiogenesis by disrupting EnSCs and endothelial paracrine communication. We observed that PlGF mediates a tonicity-independent activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) in EnSCs. NFAT5 activated downstream targets including SGK1, HIF-1α and VEGF-A. In depth characterization of PlGF - conditioned medium (CM) from EnSCs using mass spectrometry and ELISA methods revealed low VEGF-A and an abundance of extracellular matrix organization associated proteins. Secreted factors in PlGF-CM impeded normal angiogenic cues in endothelial cells (HUVECs) by downregulating Notch-VEGF signaling. Interestingly, PlGF-CM failed to support human placental (BeWo) cell invasion through HUVEC monolayer. Inhibition of SGK1 in EnSCs improved angiogenic effects in HUVECs and promoted BeWo invasion, revealing SGK1 as a key intermediate player modulating PlGF mediated anti-angiogenic signaling. Taken together, perturbed PlGF-NFAT5-SGK1 signaling in the endometrium can contribute to pathological uterine angiogenesis by negatively regulating EnSCs-endothelial crosstalk resulting in poor quality vessels in the uterine microenvironment. Taken together the signaling may impact on normal trophoblast invasion and thus placentation and, may be associated with an increased risk of complications such as PE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janet P Raja Xavier
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Toshiyuki Okumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Melina Apweiler
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nirzari A Chacko
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yogesh Singh
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sara Y Brucker
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Satoru Takeda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Florian Lang
- Department of Physiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Madhuri S Salker
- Department of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, 72076, Calwerstraße 7/6, Tübingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mlambo ZP, Sebitloane M, Naicker T. Association of angiogenic factors (placental growth factor and soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1) in preeclamptic women of African ancestry comorbid with HIV infection. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2024:10.1007/s00404-024-07590-3. [PMID: 38910142 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-024-07590-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preeclampsia is a significant cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like South Africa. AIM The aim of our study was to investigate the association between placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) in South African preeclamptic women of African ancestry, comorbid with HIV infection. METHODS The study population consisted of women attending a regional hospital in Durban, South Africa, stratified by pregnancy type (normotensive pregnant and preeclampsia) and HIV status. Preeclampsia was defined as new-onset hypertension and proteinuria. DNA was obtained from whole blood. The SNPs of interest were rs722503 in sFlt-1 and rs4903273 in PlGF. RESULTS Our findings suggest that single nucleotide polymorphisms of rs722503 analysis show no significant associations between the genotypic frequencies of rs722503 variants and preeclampsia risk in either HIV-negative or HIV-positive groups of women of African ancestry. Similarly, the rs493273 polymorphism showed no significant association with preeclampsia risk in either HIV-negative or HIV-positive pregnant women. Additionally, comparisons of dominant, recessive, and over-dominant allele models did not reveal significant associations. These findings suggest that these genetic variants may not significantly contribute to preeclampsia development in this African ancestry population. However, significant differences were observed in the rs4903273 genotype frequencies between normotensive and preeclamptic women, regardless of HIV status, over dominant alleles AA + GG vs AG showed a significant difference [OR = 2.706; 95% Cl (1.199-5.979); adjusted p = 0.0234*], also in normotensive compared to EOPE (OR = 2.804; 95% Cl (1.151-6.89) p = 0.0326* and LOPE (OR = 2.601; 95% Cl (1.0310-6.539) p = 0.0492*), suggesting that they may be the potential role of this variant in preeclampsia susceptibility. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the rs722503 and rs493273 polymorphisms do not significantly contribute to preeclampsia susceptibility in HIV-negative or HIV-positive pregnant women. However, the rs4903273 genotype frequencies showed notable differences between normotensive and preeclamptic women, indicating a potential association with preeclampsia development in the African ancestry population irrespective of HIV status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zinhle P Mlambo
- Optics and Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
| | - Motshedisi Sebitloane
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Thajasvarie Naicker
- Optics and Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan Q, Blue NR, Truong B, Zhang Y, Guerrero RF, Liu N, Honigberg MC, Parry S, McNeil RB, Simhan HN, Chung J, Mercer BM, Grobman WA, Silver R, Greenland P, Saade GR, Reddy UM, Wapner RJ, Haas DM. Genetic Associations with Placental Proteins in Maternal Serum Identify Biomarkers for Hypertension in Pregnancy. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.05.25.23290460. [PMID: 37398343 PMCID: PMC10312829 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.25.23290460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Background Preeclampsia is a complex syndrome that accounts for considerable maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite its prevalence, no effective disease-modifying therapies are available. Maternal serum placenta-derived proteins have been in longstanding use as markers of risk for aneuploidy and placental dysfunction, but whether they have a causal contribution to preeclampsia is unknown. Objective We aimed to investigate the genetic regulation of serum placental proteins in early pregnancy and their potential causal links with preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. Study design This study used a nested case-control design with nulliparous women enrolled in the nuMoM2b study from eight clinical sites across the United States between 2010 and 2013. The first- and second-trimester serum samples were collected, and nine proteins were measured, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor, endoglin, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 12 (ADAM-12), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, inhibin A, and alpha-fetoprotein. This study used genome-wide association studies to discern genetic influences on these protein levels, treating proteins as outcomes. Furthermore, Mendelian randomization was used to evaluate the causal effects of these proteins on preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, and their further causal relationship with long-term hypertension, treating proteins as exposures. Results A total of 2,352 participants were analyzed. We discovered significant associations between the pregnancy zone protein locus and concentrations of ADAM-12 (rs6487735, P= 3.03×10 -22 ), as well as between the vascular endothelial growth factor A locus and concentrations of both VEGF (rs6921438, P= 7.94×10 -30 ) and sFlt-1 (rs4349809, P= 2.89×10 -12 ). Our Mendelian randomization analyses suggested a potential causal association between first-trimester ADAM-12 levels and gestational hypertension (odds ratio=0.78, P= 8.6×10 -4 ). We also found evidence for a potential causal effect of preeclampsia (odds ratio=1.75, P =8.3×10 -3 ) and gestational hypertension (odds ratio=1.84, P =4.7×10 -3 ) during the index pregnancy on the onset of hypertension 2-7 years later. The additional mediation analysis indicated that the impact of ADAM-12 on postpartum hypertension could be explained in part by its indirect effect through gestational hypertension (mediated effect=-0.15, P= 0.03). Conclusions Our study discovered significant genetic associations with placental proteins ADAM-12, VEGF, and sFlt-1, offering insights into their regulation during pregnancy. Mendelian randomization analyses demonstrated evidence of potential causal relationships between the serum levels of placental proteins, particularly ADAM-12, and gestational hypertension, potentially informing future prevention and treatment investigations.
Collapse
|
4
|
Li S, Huang Q, Zhou D, He B. PRKCD as a potential therapeutic target for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109374. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
5
|
Immunotherapeutic Value of Transcription Factor 19 (TCF19) Associated with Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Analysis of 33 Human Cancer Cases. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:1488165. [PMID: 36111242 PMCID: PMC9470357 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1488165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background We aimed to study the relationship between transcription factor 19 (TCF19) and cancer immunotherapy in the 33 types of human cancers. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas database was analyzed to obtain the gene expression data and clinical characteristics for the cases of 33 types of cancers. GSE67501, GSE78220, and IMvigor 210 were included in the immunotherapy cohorts. Relevant data were obtained by analyzing the gene expression database. The prognostic value of TCF19 was determined by analyzing various clinical parameters, such as survival duration, age, the stage of the tumor, and sex of the patients. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis method was used to determine the activity of TCF19 and the method was also used to assess the differences between the TCF19 transcriptome and protein levels. The correlation between TCF19 and various immune processes and elements such as immunosuppressants, stimulants, and major histocompatibility complexes were analyzed to gain insights into the role of TCF19. The coherent paths associated with the process of TCF19 signal transduction and the influence of TCF19 on immunotherapy biomarkers have also been discussed herein. Finally, three independent immunotherapy methods were used to understand the relationship between TCF19 and immunotherapy response. Results It was observed that TCF19 was not significantly influenced by the age (5/33), sex (3/33), or tumor stage (3/21) of cancer patients. But the results revealed that TCF19 exhibited a potential prognostic value and could predict the survival rate of the patients. In some cases of this study, the activity and expression of TCF19 were taken at the same level (7/33). Conclusion TCF19 is strongly related to immune cell infiltration, immunomodulators, and immunotherapy markers. Our study demonstrated that high expression levels of TCF19 are strongly linked with the immune-related pathways. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that TCF19 is not significantly associated with immunotherapy response.
Collapse
|
6
|
Morris RM, Mortimer TO, O’Neill KL. Cytokines: Can Cancer Get the Message? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092178. [PMID: 35565306 PMCID: PMC9103018 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cytokines are important molecular players in cancer development, progression, and potential targets for treatment. Despite being small and overlooked, research has revealed that cytokines influence cancer biology in multiple ways. Cytokines are often found to contribute to immune function, cell damage, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and several other cellular processes important to tumor survival. Cytokines have also proven to have powerful effects on complex tumor microenvironment molecular biology and microbiology. Due to their heavy involvement in critical cancer-related processes, cytokines have also become attractive therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we describe the relationship between several cytokines and crucial cancer-promoting processes and their therapeutic potential. Abstract Cytokines are small molecular messengers that have profound effects on cancer development. Increasing evidence shows that cytokines are heavily involved in regulating both pro- and antitumor activities, such as immune activation and suppression, inflammation, cell damage, angiogenesis, cancer stem-cell-like cell maintenance, invasion, and metastasis. Cytokines are often required to drive these cancer-related processes and, therefore, represent an important research area for understanding cancer development and the potential identification of novel therapeutic targets. Interestingly, some cytokines are reported to be related to both pro- and anti-tumorigenicity, indicating that cytokines may play several complex roles relating to cancer pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss some major cancer-related processes and their relationship with several cytokines.
Collapse
|
7
|
Izadpanah A, Daneshimehr F, Willingham K, Barabadi Z, Braun SE, Dumont A, Mostany R, Chandrasekar B, Alt EU, Izadpanah R. Targeting TRAF3IP2 inhibits angiogenesis in glioblastoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:893820. [PMID: 36046049 PMCID: PMC9421153 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.893820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased vascularization, also known as neoangiogenesis, plays a major role in many cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), by contributing to their aggressive growth and metastasis. Although anti-angiogenic therapies provide some clinical improvement, they fail to significantly improve the overall survival of GBM patients. Since various pro-angiogenic mediators drive GBM, we hypothesized that identifying targetable genes that broadly inhibit multiple pro-angiogenic mediators will significantly promote favorable outcomes. Here, we identified TRAF3IP2 (TRAF3-interacting protein 2) as a critical regulator of angiogenesis in GBM. We demonstrated that knockdown of TRAF3IP2 in an intracranial model of GBM significantly reduces vascularization. Targeting TRAF3IP2 significantly downregulated VEGF, IL6, ANGPT2, IL8, FZGF2, PGF, IL1β, EGF, PDGFRB, and VEGFR2 expression in residual tumors. Our data also indicate that exogenous addition of VEGF partially restores angiogenesis by TRAF3IP2-silenced cells, suggesting that TRAF3IP2 promotes angiogenesis through VEGF- and non-VEGF-dependent mechanisms. These results indicate the anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic potential of targeting TRAF3IP2 in GBM, a deadly cancer with limited treatment options.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amin Izadpanah
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Fatemeh Daneshimehr
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Kurtis Willingham
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Zahra Barabadi
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Stephen E. Braun
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA, United States
| | - Aaron Dumont
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Bysani Chandrasekar
- Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine and Harry S. Truman Veterans Memorial Hospital, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Eckhard U. Alt
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Isarklinikum Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Reza Izadpanah
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory, Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- *Correspondence: Reza Izadpanah,
| |
Collapse
|