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Chen N, Sun Y, Luo P, Tang Y, Fan Y, Han L, Wang K. Association of CXCR4 gene expression and promoter methylation with chronic hepatitis B-related fibrosis/cirrhosis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 139:112686. [PMID: 39053226 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112686] [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: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection remains a major public health concern. In this study, the diagnostic capability of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 promoter methylation in patients with CHB-associated liver fibrosis/cirrhosis was evaluated. METHODS Two hundred participants were recruited, including 25 healthy controls (HCs), 60 patients with CHB and 115 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver fibrosis/LC. Researchers monitored the methylation and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In addition, we utilized single cell sequencing to analyze the cell types highly expressing CXCR4 in HBV-related liver fibrosis/LC. RESULTS HBV-related fibrosis/cirrhosis patients exhibited a significant elevation in the expression level of CXCR4 mRNA in PBMCs compared to CHB ones. The CXCR4 promoter showed a significantly lower methylation level in patients with CHB-related fibrosis/cirrhosis than in patients with CHB. Additionally, the diagnostic area under the area under the curve (AUC) of methylation of the CXCR4 promoter for CHB -related liver fibrosis/LC exceeded liver stiffness measurement (LSM), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4). Furthermore, single-cell analysis demonstrated that CXCR4 expression is closely associated with Natural Killer cells(NK cells), T lymphocytes (T cells), and monocytes. CONCLUSION The low methylation of the CXCR4 promoter holds promise as a non-invasive biomarker for detecting CHB-associated liver fibrosis/LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Chen
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Pengyu Luo
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Yuna Tang
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Yuchen Fan
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China
| | - Liyan Han
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China; Institute of Hepatology, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China.
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China; Institute of Hepatology, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, PR China.
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Koukourikis P, Papaioannou M, Pervana S, Apostolidis A. Exploring the DNA Methylation Profile of Genes Associated with Bladder Cancer in Bladder Tissue of Patients with Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5660. [PMID: 38891848 PMCID: PMC11171624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic process that commonly occurs in genes' promoters and results in the transcriptional silencing of genes. DNA methylation is a frequent event in bladder cancer, participating in tumor initiation and progression. Bladder cancer is a major health issue in patients suffering from neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), although the pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease remain unclear. In this population, bladder cancer is characterized by aggressive histopathology, advanced stage during diagnosis, and high mortality rates. To assess the DNA methylation profiles of five genes' promoters previously known to be associated with bladder cancer in bladder tissue of NLUTD patients, we conducted a prospective study recruiting NLUTD patients from the neuro-urology unit of a public teaching hospital. Cystoscopy combined with biopsy for bladder cancer screening was performed in all patients following written informed consent being obtained. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR was used to determine the methylation status of RASSF1, RARβ, DAPK, hTERT, and APC genes' promoters in bladder tissue samples. Twenty-four patients suffering from mixed NLUTD etiology for a median duration of 10 (IQR: 12) years were recruited in this study. DNA hypermethylation was detected in at least one gene of the panel in all tissue samples. RAR-β was hypermethylated in 91.7% samples, RASSF and DAPK were hypermethylated in 83.3% samples, APC 37.5% samples, and TERT in none of the tissue samples. In 45.8% of the samples, three genes of the panel were hypermethylated, in 29.2% four genes were hypermethylated, and in 16.7% and in 8.3% of the samples, two and one gene were hypermethylated, respectively. The number of hypermethylated genes of the panel was significantly associated with recurrent UTIs (p = 0.0048). No other significant association was found between DNA hypermethylation or the number of hypermethylated genes and the clinical characteristics of the patients. Histopathological findings were normal in 8.3% of patients, while chronic inflammation was found in 83.3% of patients and squamous cell metaplasia in 16.7% of patients. In this study, we observed high rates of DNA hypermethylation of genes associated with bladder cancer in NLUTD patients, suggesting an epigenetic field effect and possible risk of bladder cancer development. Recurrent UTIs seem to be associated with increased DNA hypermethylation. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of recurrent UTIs and chronic inflammation in DNA hypermethylation and bladder cancer etiopathogenesis in NLUTD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Koukourikis
- 2nd Department of Urology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital ‘Papageorgiou’, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Maria Papaioannou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Stavroula Pervana
- Department of Pathology, General Hospital ‘Papageorgiou’, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Apostolos Apostolidis
- 2nd Department of Urology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital ‘Papageorgiou’, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece;
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Maekawa S, Takano S, Enomoto N. Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma after viral clearance achieved by DAA treatment. J Formos Med Assoc 2024:S0929-6646(24)00048-2. [PMID: 38245398 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2024.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The advent of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has revolutionized hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, enabling most HCV-infected patients to achieve a sustained viral response (SVR) easily and safely in a short period. On the other hand, it is gradually being recognized that a significant proportion of patients are still at risk of developing de novo and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even after HCV elimination, and therefore, elucidation of the risk of de novo and recurrent HCC, investigation of its molecular basis, and construction of accurate prediction models are emerging as new important clinical topics. In this review, we present recent advances regarding these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Maekawa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
| | - Shinichi Takano
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Enomoto
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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Nuermaimaiti A, Chang L, Yan Y, Sun H, Xiao Y, Song S, Feng K, Lu Z, Ji H, Wang L. The role of sex hormones and receptors in HBV infection and development of HBV-related HCC. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29298. [PMID: 38087447 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Gender disparity in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related diseases has been extensively documented. Epidemiological studies consistently reported that males have a higher prevalence of HBV infection and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Further investigations have revealed that sex hormone-related signal transductions play a significant role in gender disparity. Sex hormone axes showed significantly different responses to virus entry and replication. The sex hormones axes change the HBV-specific immune responses and antitumor immunity. Additionally, Sex hormone axes showed different effects on the development of HBV-related disease. But the role of sex hormones remains controversial, and researchers have not reached a consensus on the role of sex hormones and the use of hormone therapies in HCC treatment. In this review, we aim to summarize the experimental findings on sex hormones and provide a comprehensive understanding of their roles in the development of HCC and their implications for hormone-related HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abudulimutailipu Nuermaimaiti
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Le Chang
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yan
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huizhen Sun
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yingzi Xiao
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shi Song
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Kaihao Feng
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuoqun Lu
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huimin Ji
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lunan Wang
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Laboratory Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Yıldırım HÇ, Kavgaci G, Chalabiyev E, Dizdar O. Advances in the Early Detection of Hepatobiliary Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3880. [PMID: 37568696 PMCID: PMC10416925 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153880] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and biliary tract cancers (BTCs) have poor survival rates and a low likelihood of a cure, especially in advanced-stage disease. Early diagnosis is crucial and can significantly improve survival rates through curative treatment approaches. Current guidelines recommend abdominal ultrasonography (USG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) monitoring for HCC screening in high-risk groups, and abdominal USG, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) monitoring for biliary tract cancer. However, despite this screening strategy, many high-risk individuals still develop advanced-stage HCC and BTC. Blood-based biomarkers are being developed for use in HCC or BTC high-risk groups. Studies on AFP, AFP-L3, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, glypican-3 (GPC3), osteopontin (OPN), midkine (MK), neopterin, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), Mac-2-binding protein (M2BP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and interleukin-6 biomarkers for HCC screening have shown promising results when evaluated individually or in combination. In the case of BTCs, the potential applications of circulating tumor DNA, circulating microRNA, and circulating tumor cells in diagnosis are also promising. These biomarkers have shown potential in detecting BTCs in early stages, which can significantly improve patient outcomes. Additionally, these biomarkers hold promise for monitoring disease progression and evaluating response to therapy in BTC patients. However, further research is necessary to fully understand the clinical utility of these biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of HCC and BTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Omer Dizdar
- Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, 06230 Ankara, Turkey; (H.Ç.Y.); (G.K.); (E.C.)
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Inokawa Y, Hayashi M, Begum S, Noordhuis MG, Sidransky D, Califano J, Koch W, Brait M, Westra WH, Hoque MO. High-risk HPV infection-associated hypermethylated genes in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1146. [PMID: 36344942 PMCID: PMC9641857 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are sensitive to chemo-radiation therapy and have favorable survival outcomes compared with HPV-negative cancers. These tumors are usually not related to tobacco and alcohol exposure. Therefore, diagnosing HPV-positive OPSCCs for the appropriate disease management is crucial, and no suitable markers are available for detecting early malignancies in HPV-infected tissues. In this study, we attempt to find HPV-specific epigenetic biomarkers for OPSCCs. Methods A total of 127 surgical samples were analyzed for HPV positivity and promoter methylation of a panel of genes. HPV detection was performed by PCR detection of HPV E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins. In addition, promoter methylation of a total of 8 genes (DAPK, FHIT, RASSF1A, TIMP3, AGTR1, CSGALNACT2, GULP1 and VGF) was analyzed by quantitative-methylation specific PCR (QMSP), and their associations with HPV positivity or RB/p16 expressions were evaluated. Results AGTR1 and FHIT were frequently methylated in HPV-positive OPSCC samples with a good area under the curve (AUC over 0.70). In addition, these genes' promoter methylation was significantly associated with p16 positive and RB negative cases, which were the characteristics of OPSCC cases with favorable survival outcomes. Either AGTR1 or FHIT methylated cases were significantly associated with HPV-positive cancers with 92.0% sensitivity (P < 0.001). Also, they had significantly better overall survival (P = 0.047) than both unmethylated cases. Conclusions A combination of AGTR1 and FHIT methylation demonstrated a suitable detection marker of OPSCCs derived from the HPV-infected field, familiar with p16-positive and RB-negative phenotypes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-10227-w.
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Yang G, Wan P, Zhang Y, Tan Q, Qudus MS, Yue Z, Luo W, Zhang W, Ouyang J, Li Y, Wu J. Innate Immunity, Inflammation, and Intervention in HBV Infection. Viruses 2022; 14:2275. [PMID: 36298831 PMCID: PMC9609328 DOI: 10.3390/v14102275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still one of the most dangerous viral illnesses. HBV infects around 257 million individuals worldwide. Hepatitis B in many individuals ultimately develops hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The innate immunity acts as the first line of defense against HBV infection through activating antiviral genes. Along with the immune responses, pro-inflammatory cytokines are triggered to enhance the antiviral responses, but this may result in acute or chronic liver inflammation, especially when the clearance of virus is unsuccessful. To a degree, the host innate immune and inflammatory responses dominate the HBV infection and liver pathogenesis. Thus, it is crucial to figure out the signaling pathways involved in the activation of antiviral factors and inflammatory cytokines. Here, we review the interplay between HBV and the signal pathways that mediates innate immune responses and inflammation. In addition, we summarize current therapeutic strategies for HBV infection via modulating innate immunity or inflammation. Characterizing the mechanisms that underlie these HBV-host interplays might provide new approaches for the cure of chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Yang
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Pin Wan
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Yaru Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Qiaoru Tan
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Muhammad Suhaib Qudus
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zhaoyang Yue
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Clinical Research Institute, The First People’s Hospital, Foshan 528000, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Guangdong Longfan Biological Science and Technology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Jianhua Ouyang
- Guangdong Longfan Biological Science and Technology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Yongkui Li
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
- Guangdong Longfan Biological Science and Technology, Foshan 528315, China
| | - Jianguo Wu
- Foshan Institute of Medical Microbiology, Foshan 528315, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Sharif-zak M, Abbasi-Jorjandi M, Asadikaram G, Ghoreshi ZAS, Rezazadeh-Jabalbarzi M, Rashidinejad H. Influence of Disease Severity and Gender on HLA-C Methylation in COVID-19 Patients. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. TRANSACTION A, SCIENCE 2022; 46:1309-1316. [PMID: 35912367 PMCID: PMC9325662 DOI: 10.1007/s40995-022-01334-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In the pathophysiology of COVID-19, immunomodulatory factors play a vital role. Viruses have epigenetic effects on various genes, particularly methylation. Explaining the changes in immunological factor methylation levels during viral infections requires substantial consideration. HLA-C is a crucial determinant of immune function and NK cell activity and is primarily implicated in viral infections. This research focused on studying HLA-C methylation in COVID-19 patients with different severity. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 470 patients (235 men and 235 women) with RT-qPCR-confirmed COVID-19 test and classified into moderate, severe, and critical groups based on WHO criteria. Also, one hundred (50 men and 50 women) healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used for DNA extraction, and the methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method and gel electrophoresis were used to determine the methylation status of the HLA-C. Significant statistical differences in HLA-C methylation were observed among cases and controls and various stages of the disease. HLA-C methylation in men and women has decreased in all stages (p < 0.05). In comparison with control, HLA-C methylation in both genders were as follows: moderate (women: 41.0%, men: 52.33%), severe (women: 43.42%, men: 64.86%), critical (women: 42.33%, men: 60.07%), and total patients (women: 45.52%, men: 56.97%). Furthermore, the methylation levels in men were higher than in women in all groups (p < 0.05). Significantly, among all groups, the severe group of men participants showed the highest methylation percentage (p < 0.05). No significant differences were detected for different disease severity in the women group (p > 0.1). This study found that HLA-C methylation was significantly lower in COVID-19 patients with different disease severity. There were also significant differences in HLA-C methylation between men and women patients with different severity. Therefore, during managing viral infections, particularly COVID-19, it is critical to consider patient gender and disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Sharif-zak
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Abbasi-Jorjandi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Asadikaram
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology and Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zohreh-al-Sadat Ghoreshi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mitra Rezazadeh-Jabalbarzi
- Clinical Research Development Center of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Rashidinejad
- Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Zanotti S, Boot GF, Coto-Llerena M, Gallon J, Hess GF, Soysal SD, Kollmar O, Ng CKY, Piscuoglio S. The Role of Chronic Liver Diseases in the Emergence and Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Omics Perspective. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:888850. [PMID: 35814741 PMCID: PMC9263082 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.888850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically develops from a background of cirrhosis resulting from chronic inflammation. This inflammation is frequently associated with chronic liver diseases (CLD). The advent of next generation sequencing has enabled extensive analyses of molecular aberrations in HCC. However, less attention has been directed to the chronically inflamed background of the liver, prior to HCC emergence and during recurrence following surgery. Hepatocytes within chronically inflamed liver tissues present highly activated inflammatory signaling pathways and accumulation of a complex mutational landscape. In this altered environment, cells may transform in a stepwise manner toward tumorigenesis. Similarly, the chronically inflamed environment which persists after resection may impact the timing of HCC recurrence. Advances in research are allowing an extensive epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of CLD which define the emergence of HCC or its recurrence. The amount of data generated will enable the understanding of oncogenic mechanisms in HCC from the CLD perspective and provide the possibility to identify robust biomarkers or novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of primary and recurrent HCC. Importantly, biomarkers defined by the analysis of CLD tissue may permit the early detection or prevention of HCC emergence and recurrence. In this review, we compile the current omics based evidence of the contribution of CLD tissues to the emergence and recurrence of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Zanotti
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas University Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Gina F. Boot
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mairene Coto-Llerena
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John Gallon
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel F. Hess
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Savas D. Soysal
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Otto Kollmar
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte K. Y. Ng
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bern Center for Precision Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Salvatore Piscuoglio
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Salvatore Piscuoglio
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Kausar S, Abbas MN, Gul I, Liu R, Li Q, Zhao E, Lv M, Cui H. Molecular Identification of Two DNA Methyltransferase Genes and Their Functional Characterization in the Anti-Bacterial Immunity of Antheraea pernyi. Front Immunol 2022; 13:855888. [PMID: 35651618 PMCID: PMC9149099 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.855888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Under different physiological conditions, such as microbial infection, epigenetic mechanisms regulate genes at the transcription level in living organisms. DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic mechanism in which DNA methyltransferases modify the expression of target genes. Here, we identified a full-length sequence of DNMT-1 and DNMT-2 from the Chinese oak silkworm, A. pernyi, which was highly similar to the homologous sequences of Bombyx mori. ApDNMT-1 and ApDNMT-2 have unique domain architectures of insect DNMTs, highlighting their conserved functions in A. pernyi. ApDNMT-1 and ApDNMT-2 were found to be widely expressed in various tissues, with the highest levels of expression in hemocytes, the ovary, testis, and fat bodies. To understand the biological role of these genes in microbial resistance, we challenged the fifth instar larvae of A. pernyi by administrating Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The results revealed that transcript levels of ApDNMT-1 and ApDNMT-2 were increased compared to the control group. The inhibition of these genes by a DNMTs inhibitor [5-azacytidine (5-AZA)] significantly reduced bacterial replication and larvae mortality. In addition, 5-AZA treatment modified the expression patterns of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the A. pernyi larvae. Our results suggest that ApDNMT-1 and ApDNMT-2 seem to have a crucial role in innate immunity, mediating antimicrobial peptide responses against bacterial infection in A. pernyi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Kausar
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Muhammad Nadeem Abbas
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Isma Gul
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruochen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- Department of Psychology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Erhu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Muhan Lv
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhao, China
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Gao Q, Zeng Q, Wang Z, Li C, Xu Y, Cui P, Zhu X, Lu H, Wang G, Cai S, Wang J, Fan J. Start of an era: circulating cell-free DNA for early detection of cancers. Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100259. [PMID: 35647572 PMCID: PMC9133648 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective screening modalities are currently available for only a small subset of cancers, and they generally have suboptimal performance with complicated procedures. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop simple, accurate, and non-invasive methods for early detection of cancers. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in plasma circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have shown the potential to revolutionize methods of early detection of cancers and facilitate subsequent diagnosis to improve survival of patients. The medical interest in cfDNA assays has been inspired by emerging single- and multi-early detection of cancers studies. This review summarizes current technological and clinical advances, in the hopes of providing insights into the development and applications of cfDNA assays in various cancers and clinical scenarios. The key phases of clinical development of biomarkers are highlighted, and the future developments of cfDNA-based liquid biopsies in early detection of cancers are outlined. It is hoped that this study can boost the potential integration of cfDNA-based early detection of cancers into the current clinical workflow. Liquid biopsy, characterized by minimal invasiveness and user friendliness, can identify multiple cancers at the early stage and localize the tissue of origin The state-of-the-art technology facilitates the application of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assays in the early detection of cancers cfDNA assays are expected to be integrated into the clinical workflow after technological refinement and clinical trial validation The development and application strategies of cfDNA assays in various cancers and clinical scenarios can vary, and the harm-and-benefit should be balanced carefully
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiang Zeng
- Health Management Institute, The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Zhijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100006, China
| | | | - Yu Xu
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Peng Cui
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Xin Zhu
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Huafei Lu
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | | | - Shangli Cai
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou 510320, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100006, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Corresponding author
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12
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Relationship between DNA Methylation Profiles and Active Tuberculosis Development from Latent Infection: a Pilot Study in Nested Case-Control Design. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0058622. [PMID: 35446152 PMCID: PMC9241819 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00586-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) were regarded as an enormous reservoir of cases with active tuberculosis (TB). To strengthen LTBI management, biomarkers and tools are urgently required for identifying and ruling out active TB in a fast and effective way. Based on an open-label randomized controlled trial aiming to explore short-course LTBI treatment regimens, DNA methylation profiles were retrospectively detected to explore potential biomarkers, which could discriminate active TB from LTBI. The Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array was used to analyze genomewide DNA methylation levels for 15 persons with LTBI who later developed active TB and for 15 LTBI controls who stayed healthy. The differentially methylated CpGs (dmCpGs) located in the promoter regions pre- and post-TB diagnosis were selected (P < 0.05 and |Δβ|>0.10) and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Eight dmCpGs were identified to be associated with TB occurrence; six were located in hypermethylated genes (cg02493602, cg02206980, cg02214623, cg12159502, cg14593639, and cg25764570), and two were located in hypomethylated genes (cg02781074 and cg12321798). ROC analysis indicated that the area under curve (AUC) of these eight dmCpGs ranged from 0.72 to 0.84. Given 90% sensitivity, the specificity was highest for cg14593639 at 66.67%. The combination analysis indicated that “cg02206980 + cg02214623 + cg12159502 + cg12321798” showed the best performance, with an AUC of 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72, 0.97), a sensitivity of 93.33% (95% CI: 70.18%, 99.66%), and a specificity of 86.67% (95% CI: 62.12%, 97.63%). Our preliminary results indicate the potential value of the DNA methylation level as a diagnostic biomarker for discriminating active disease in LTBI testing. This finding requires further verification in independent populations with large sample sizes. IMPORTANCE Approximately a quarter of the world population had been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and about 5 to 10% of these individuals might develop active disease in their lifetimes. As a critical component of the “end TB strategies,” preventive treatment was shown to protect 60 to 90% of high-risk LTBIs from developing active disease. Developing new TB screening tools based on blood-based biomarkers, which could identify and rule out active TB from LTBI, are prerequisite before initialing intervention. We tried to explore potential DNA methylation diagnostic biomarkers through retrospectively detected DNA methylation profiles pre- and post-TB diagnosis. Eight dmCpGs were identified, and the combination of “cg02206980 + cg02214623 + cg12159502 + cg12321798” showed a sensitivity of 93.33% and a specificity of 86.67%. The preliminary results provided new insight into detecting the DNA methylation level as a potential tool to distinguish TB from LTBI.
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13
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Oe N, Takeda H, Eso Y, Takai A, Marusawa H. Clinical and Molecular Basis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Hepatitis C Virus Eradication. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040430. [PMID: 35456105 PMCID: PMC9028726 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises in the background of chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis and liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is well known that HCV eradication using antiviral drugs can efficiently inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent advances in and development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs has revolutionized the treatment of HCV infection, and the vast majority of HCV patients can achieve HCV eradication using DAAs. However, mounting evidence clearly indicates that HCC inevitably occurs in a subset of patients after successful viral eradication using DAA therapy. Cancer is a genetic disease, and the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic aberrations may cause hepatocarcinogenesis in chronically damaged liver, even after virus elimination. In this review, we highlight HCC development after HCV eradication and discuss the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis after virus elimination, focusing on the genetic and epigenetic background of chronically damaged liver tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Oe
- Department of Gastroenterology, Red Cross Osaka Hospital, Osaka 5438555, Japan;
| | - Haruhiko Takeda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068501, Japan; (H.T.); (Y.E.); (A.T.)
| | - Yuji Eso
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068501, Japan; (H.T.); (Y.E.); (A.T.)
| | - Atsushi Takai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068501, Japan; (H.T.); (Y.E.); (A.T.)
| | - Hiroyuki Marusawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Red Cross Osaka Hospital, Osaka 5438555, Japan;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-6-6774-5111; Fax: +81-6-6774-5131
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14
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Lyu M, Zhou J, Jiao L, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Lai H, Xu W, Ying B. Deciphering a TB-related DNA methylation biomarker and constructing a TB diagnostic classifier. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 27:37-49. [PMID: 34938605 PMCID: PMC8645423 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
We systemically identified tuberculosis (TB)-related DNA methylation biomarkers and further constructed classifiers for TB diagnosis. TB-related DNA methylation datasets were searched through October 3, 2020. Limma and DMRcate were employed to identify differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). Machine learning methods were used to construct classifiers. The performance of the classifiers was evaluated in discovery datasets and a prospective independent cohort. Eighty-nine DMPs and 24 DMRs were identified based on 67 TB patients and 45 healthy controls from 4 datasets. Nine and three DMRs were selected by elastic net regression and logistic regression, respectively. Among the selected DMRs, two regions (chr3: 195635643-195636243 and chr6: 29691631-29692475) were differentially methylated in the independent cohort (p = 4.19 × 10-5 and 0.024, respectively). Among the ten classifiers, the 3-DMR logistic regression classifier exhibited the strongest performance. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were, respectively, 79.1%, 84.4%, and 0.888 in the discovery datasets and 64.5%, 90.3%, and 0.838 in the independent cohort. The differential diagnostic ability of this classifier was also assessed. Collectively, these data showed that DNA methylation might be a promising TB diagnostic biomarker. The 3-DMR logistic regression classifier is a potential clinical tool for TB diagnosis, and further validation is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Lyu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Lin Jiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yili Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yanbing Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Hongli Lai
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, 10-511, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9 Canada.,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7 Canada
| | - Binwu Ying
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.,West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
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15
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Destoumieux-Garzón D, Matthies-Wiesler F, Bierne N, Binot A, Boissier J, Devouge A, Garric J, Gruetzmacher K, Grunau C, Guégan JF, Hurtrez-Boussès S, Huss A, Morand S, Palmer C, Sarigiannis D, Vermeulen R, Barouki R. Getting out of crises: Environmental, social-ecological and evolutionary research is needed to avoid future risks of pandemics. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106915. [PMID: 34634622 PMCID: PMC8500703 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of One Health/EcoHealth/Planetary Health approaches has been identified as key (i) to address the strong interconnections between risk for pandemics, climate change and biodiversity loss and (ii) to develop and implement solutions to these interlinked crises. As a response to the multiple calls from scientists on that subject, we have here proposed seven long-term research questions regarding COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that are based on effective integration of environmental, ecological, evolutionary, and social sciences to better anticipate and mitigate EIDs. Research needs cover the social ecology of infectious disease agents, their evolution, the determinants of susceptibility of humans and animals to infections, and the human and ecological factors accelerating infectious disease emergence. For comprehensive investigation, they include the development of nature-based solutions to interlinked global planetary crises, addressing ethical and philosophical questions regarding the relationship of humans to nature and regarding transformative changes to safeguard the environment and human health. In support of this research, we propose the implementation of innovative multidisciplinary facilities embedded in social ecosystems locally: ecological health observatories and living laboratories. This work was carried out in the frame of the European Community project HERA (www.HERAresearchEU.eu), which aims to set priorities for an environment, climate and health research agenda in the European Union by adopting a systemic approach in the face of global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Franziska Matthies-Wiesler
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany.
| | - Nicolas Bierne
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Binot
- Animals, health, Territories, Risks and Ecosystem (ASTRE), University of Montpellier, Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jeanne Garric
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), UR Riverly, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Kim Gruetzmacher
- Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin Germany
| | - Christoph Grunau
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ Perpignan Via Domitia, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-François Guégan
- Animals, health, Territories, Risks and Ecosystem (ASTRE), University of Montpellier, Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France; MIVEGEC, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvie Hurtrez-Boussès
- MIVEGEC, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France; Département de Biologie-Ecologie, Faculté des Sciences, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Serge Morand
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE - Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Clare Palmer
- Department of Philosophy, YMCA Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54164, Greece; University School for Advanced Study IUSS, Pavia, Italy
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16
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Tez M. Comments on "Bridging Tumorigenesis and Therapy Resistance With a Non-Darwinian and Non-Lamarckian Mechanism of Adaptive Evolution". Front Oncol 2021; 11:775723. [PMID: 34966681 PMCID: PMC8710497 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.775723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mesut Tez
- Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
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17
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Djomkam Zune AL, Olwal CO, Tapela K, Owoicho O, Nganyewo NN, Lyko F, Paemka L. Pathogen-Induced Epigenetic Modifications in Cancers: Implications for Prevention, Detection and Treatment of Cancers in Africa. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236051. [PMID: 34885162 PMCID: PMC8656768 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major public health burden worldwide. Tumor formation is caused by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Many reports have demonstrated a positive correlation between the burden of infectious pathogens and the occurrence of cancers. However, the mechanistic link between pathogens and cancer development remains largely unclear and is subject to active investigations. Apart from somatic mutations that have been widely linked with various cancers, an appreciable body of knowledge points to alterations of host epigenetic patterns as key triggers for cancer development. Several studies have associated various infectious pathogens with epigenetic modifications. It is therefore plausible to assume that pathogens induce carcinogenesis via alteration of normal host epigenetic patterns. Thus, Africa with its disproportionate burden of infectious pathogens is threatened by a dramatic increase in pathogen-mediated cancers. To curb the potential upsurge of such cancers, a better understanding of the role of tropical pathogens in cancer epigenetics could substantially provide resources to improve cancer management among Africans. Therefore, this review discusses cancer epigenetic studies in Africa and the link between tropical pathogens and cancer burden. In addition, we discuss the potential mechanisms by which pathogens induce cancers and the opportunities and challenges of tropical pathogen-induced epigenetic changes for cancer prevention, detection and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Lindsey Djomkam Zune
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
- Correspondence: (A.L.D.Z.); (L.P.); Tel.: +233-205652619 (L.P.)
| | - Charles Ochieng’ Olwal
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
| | - Kesego Tapela
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
| | - Oloche Owoicho
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi P.M.B. 102119, Benue State, Nigeria
| | - Nora Nghochuzie Nganyewo
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul P.O. Box 273, The Gambia
| | - Frank Lyko
- Division of Epigenetics, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Lily Paemka
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana; (C.O.O.); (K.T.); (O.O.); (N.N.N.)
- Correspondence: (A.L.D.Z.); (L.P.); Tel.: +233-205652619 (L.P.)
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18
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Sudhindar PD, Wainwright D, Saha S, Howarth R, McCain M, Bury Y, Saha SS, McPherson S, Reeves H, Patel AH, Faulkner GJ, Lunec J, Shukla R. HCV Activates Somatic L1 Retrotransposition-A Potential Hepatocarcinogenesis Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5079. [PMID: 34680227 PMCID: PMC8533982 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The activation and mutagenic consequences of L1 retrotransposons in virus-associated-HCC have been documented. However, the direct influence of HCV upon L1 elements is unclear, and is the focus of the present study. L1 transcript expression was evaluated in a publicly available liver tissue RNA-seq dataset from patients with chronic HCV hepatitis (CHC), as well as healthy controls. L1 transcript expression was significantly higher in CHC than in controls. L1orf1p (a L1 encoded protein) expression was observed in six out of 11 CHC livers by immunohistochemistry. To evaluate the influence of HCV on retrotransposition efficiency, in vitro engineered-L1 retrotransposition assays were employed in Huh7 cells in the presence and absence of an HCV replicon. An increased retrotransposition rate was observed in the presence of replicating HCV RNA, and persisted in cells after viral clearance due to sofosbuvir (PSI7977) treatment. Increased retrotransposition could be due to dysregulation of the DNA-damage repair response, including homologous recombination, due to HCV infection. Altogether these data suggest that L1 expression can be activated before oncogenic transformation in CHC patients, with HCV-upregulated retrotransposition potentially contributing to HCC genomic instability and a risk of transformation that persists post-viral clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen D. Sudhindar
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (P.D.S.); (D.W.); (R.H.); (J.L.)
| | - Daniel Wainwright
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (P.D.S.); (D.W.); (R.H.); (J.L.)
| | - Santu Saha
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (S.S.); (M.M.); (S.S.S.); (H.R.)
| | - Rachel Howarth
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (P.D.S.); (D.W.); (R.H.); (J.L.)
| | - Misti McCain
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (S.S.); (M.M.); (S.S.S.); (H.R.)
| | - Yvonne Bury
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP, UK;
| | - Sweta S. Saha
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (S.S.); (M.M.); (S.S.S.); (H.R.)
| | - Stuart McPherson
- The Liver Unit, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Heaton NE7 7DN, UK;
| | - Helen Reeves
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (S.S.); (M.M.); (S.S.S.); (H.R.)
- The Liver Unit, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Heaton NE7 7DN, UK;
| | - Arvind H. Patel
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK;
| | - Geoffrey J. Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia;
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - John Lunec
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (P.D.S.); (D.W.); (R.H.); (J.L.)
| | - Ruchi Shukla
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (P.D.S.); (D.W.); (R.H.); (J.L.)
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19
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Tsuge M. Are Humanized Mouse Models Useful for Basic Research of Hepatocarcinogenesis through Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection? Viruses 2021; 13:v13101920. [PMID: 34696350 PMCID: PMC8541657 DOI: 10.3390/v13101920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health problem that can lead to liver dysfunction, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Current antiviral therapies can control viral replication in patients with chronic HBV infection; however, there is a risk of HCC development. HBV-related proteins may be produced in hepatocytes regardless of antiviral therapies and influence intracellular metabolism and signaling pathways, resulting in liver carcinogenesis. To understand the mechanisms of liver carcinogenesis, the effect of HBV infection in human hepatocytes should be analyzed. HBV infects human hepatocytes through transfer to the sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP). Although the NTCP is expressed on the hepatocyte surface in several animals, including mice, HBV infection is limited to human primates. Due to this species-specific liver tropism, suitable animal models for analyzing HBV replication and developing antivirals have been lacking since the discovery of the virus. Recently, a humanized mouse model carrying human hepatocytes in the liver was developed based on several immunodeficient mice; this is useful for analyzing the HBV life cycle, antiviral effects of existing/novel antivirals, and intracellular signaling pathways under HBV infection. Herein, the usefulness of human hepatocyte chimeric mouse models in the analysis of HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Tsuge
- Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development, Department of Biomedical Science, Research and Development Division, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan; ; Tel.: +81-82-257-1510
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
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20
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Zhang D, Guo S, Schrodi SJ. Mechanisms of DNA Methylation in Virus-Host Interaction in Hepatitis B Infection: Pathogenesis and Oncogenetic Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9858. [PMID: 34576022 PMCID: PMC8466338 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), the well-studied oncovirus that contributes to the majority of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) worldwide, can cause a severe inflammatory microenvironment leading to genetic and epigenetic changes in hepatocyte clones. HBV replication contributes to the regulation of DNA methyltransferase gene expression, particularly by X protein (HBx), and subsequent methylation changes may lead to abnormal transcription activation of adjacent genes and genomic instability. Undoubtedly, the altered expression of these genes has been known to cause diverse aspects of infected hepatocytes, including apoptosis, proliferation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and immune responses. Additionally, pollutant-induced DNA methylation changes and aberrant methylation of imprinted genes in hepatocytes also complicate the process of tumorigenesis. Meanwhile, hepatocytes also contribute to epigenetic modification of the viral genome to affect HBV replication or viral protein production. Meanwhile, methylation levels of HBV integrants and surrounding host regions also play crucial roles in their ability to produce viral proteins in affected hepatocytes. Both host and viral changes can provide novel insights into tumorigenesis, individualized responses to therapeutic intervention, disease progress, and early diagnosis. As such, DNA methylation-mediated epigenetic silencing of cancer-related genes and viral replication is a compelling therapeutic goal to reduce morbidity and mortality from liver cancer caused by chronic HBV infection. In this review, we summarize the most recent research on aberrant DNA methylation associated with HBV infection, which is involved in HCC development, and provide an outlook on the future direction of the research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dake Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shicheng Guo
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Steven J. Schrodi
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
- Computation and Informatics in Biology and Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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21
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Kaneko S, Takasawa K, Asada K, Shinkai N, Bolatkan A, Yamada M, Takahashi S, Machino H, Kobayashi K, Komatsu M, Hamamoto R. Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying COVID-19 Pathogenesis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1142. [PMID: 34572329 PMCID: PMC8466119 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was reported and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. With the advancing development of COVID-19 vaccines and their administration globally, it is expected that COVID-19 will converge in the future; however, the situation remains unpredictable because of a series of reports regarding SARS-CoV-2 variants. Currently, there are still few specific effective treatments for COVID-19, as many unanswered questions remain regarding the pathogenic mechanism of COVID-19. Continued elucidation of COVID-19 pathogenic mechanisms is a matter of global importance. In this regard, recent reports have suggested that epigenetics plays an important role; for instance, the expression of angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, an important factor in human infection with SARS-CoV-2, is epigenetically regulated; further, DNA methylation status is reported to be unique to patients with COVID-19. In this review, we focus on epigenetic mechanisms to provide a new molecular framework for elucidating the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and of COVID-19, along with the possibility of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syuzo Kaneko
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Ken Takasawa
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Ken Asada
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Norio Shinkai
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
- Department of NCC Cancer Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Amina Bolatkan
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Yamada
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- National Cancer Center Hospital, Department of Endoscopy, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takahashi
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Hidenori Machino
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Kazuma Kobayashi
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Masaaki Komatsu
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hamamoto
- Division of Medical AI Research and Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; (S.K.); (K.T.); (K.A.); (N.S.); (A.B.); (M.Y.); (S.T.); (H.M.); (K.K.); (M.K.)
- Cancer Translational Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
- Department of NCC Cancer Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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22
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Li YT, Wu HL, Liu CJ. Molecular Mechanisms and Animal Models of HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: With Emphasis on Metastatic Tumor Antigen 1. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9380. [PMID: 34502289 PMCID: PMC8431721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important cause of cancer death worldwide, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major etiology, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Lack of sensitive biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC and lack of effective therapeutics for patients with advanced HCC are the main reasons for high HCC mortality; these clinical needs are linked to the molecular heterogeneity of hepatocarcinogenesis. Animal models are the basis of preclinical and translational research in HBV-related HCC (HBV-HCC). Recent advances in methodology have allowed the development of several animal models to address various aspects of chronic liver disease, including HCC, which HBV causes in humans. Currently, multiple HBV-HCC animal models, including conventional, hydrodynamics-transfection-based, viral vector-mediated transgenic, and xenograft mice models, as well as the hepadnavirus-infected tree shrew and woodchuck models, are available. This review provides an overview of molecular mechanisms and animal models of HBV-HCC. Additionally, the metastatic tumor antigen 1 (MTA1), a cancer-promoting molecule, was introduced as an example to address the importance of a suitable animal model for studying HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Tsung Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Lin Wu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jen Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
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23
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Li F, Ou Q, Lai Z, Pu L, Chen X, Wang L, Sun L, Liang X, Wang Y, Xu H, Wei J, Wu F, Zhu H, Wang L. The Co-occurrence of Chronic Hepatitis B and Fibrosis Is Associated With a Decrease in Hepatic Global DNA Methylation Levels in Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Front Genet 2021; 12:671552. [PMID: 34335686 PMCID: PMC8318039 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.671552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Global DNA hypomethylation has been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD). However, the global DNA methylation profile of patients with concurrent NAFLD and CHB (NAFLD + CHB) is still unclear. We aimed to detect the hepatic global DNA methylation levels of NAFLD + CHB patients and assess the associated risk factors. Liver biopsies were collected from 55 NAFLD patients with or without CHB. The histological characteristics of the biopsy were then assessed. Hepatic global DNA methylation levels were quantified by fluorometric method. The hepatic global DNA methylation levels in NAFLD + CHB group were significantly lower than that in NAFLD group. Participants with fibrosis showed lower levels of hepatic global DNA methylation than those without fibrosis. Participants with both CHB and fibrosis had lower levels of hepatic global DNA methylation than those without either CHB or fibrosis. The co-occurrence of CHB and fibrosis was significantly associated with a reduction in global DNA methylation levels compared to the absence of both CHB and fibrosis. Our study suggests that patients with NAFLD + CHB exhibited lower levels of global DNA methylation than patients who had NAFLD alone. The co-occurrence of CHB and liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients was associated with a decrease in global DNA methylation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- FangYuan Li
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Ou
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - ZhiWei Lai
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - LiuZhen Pu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - XingYi Chen
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - LiRong Wang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - LiuQiao Sun
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - XiaoPing Liang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - YaoYao Wang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hang Xu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Wei
- Department of Science and Technology, Guangzhou Customs, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Science and Technology, Guangzhou Customs, Guangzhou, China
| | - HuiLian Zhu
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - LiJun Wang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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24
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Zeisel MB, Guerrieri F, Levrero M. Host Epigenetic Alterations and Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10081715. [PMID: 33923385 PMCID: PMC8071488 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary malignancy of the liver and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although much progress has been made in HCC drug development in recent years, treatment options remain limited. The major cause of HCC is chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Despite the existence of a vaccine, more than 250 million individuals are chronically infected by HBV. Current antiviral therapies can repress viral replication but to date there is no cure for chronic hepatitis B. Of note, inhibition of viral replication reduces but does not eliminate the risk of HCC development. HBV contributes to liver carcinogenesis by direct and indirect effects. This review summarizes the current knowledge of HBV-induced host epigenetic alterations and their association with HCC, with an emphasis on the interactions between HBV proteins and the host cell epigenetic machinery leading to modulation of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam B. Zeisel
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), UMR Inserm 1052 CNRS 5286 Mixte CLB, Université de Lyon 1 (UCBL1), 69003 Lyon, France;
- Correspondence: (M.B.Z.); (M.L.)
| | - Francesca Guerrieri
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), UMR Inserm 1052 CNRS 5286 Mixte CLB, Université de Lyon 1 (UCBL1), 69003 Lyon, France;
| | - Massimo Levrero
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), UMR Inserm 1052 CNRS 5286 Mixte CLB, Université de Lyon 1 (UCBL1), 69003 Lyon, France;
- Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital Croix Rousse, Service d’Hépato-Gastroentérologie, 69004 Lyon, France
- Correspondence: (M.B.Z.); (M.L.)
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25
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Jit BP, Qazi S, Arya R, Srivastava A, Gupta N, Sharma A. An immune epigenetic insight to COVID-19 infection. Epigenomics 2021; 13:465-480. [PMID: 33685230 PMCID: PMC7958646 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is a positive-sense RNA virus, a causal agent of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ACE2R methylation across three CpG sites (cg04013915, cg08559914, cg03536816) determines the host cell's entry. It regulates ACE2 expression by controlling the SIRT1 and KDM5B activity. Further, it regulates Type I and III IFN response by modulating H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 histone mark. SARS-CoV-2 protein with bromodomain and protein E mimics bromodomain histones and evades from host immune response. The 2'-O MTases mimics the host's cap1 structure and plays a vital role in immune evasion through Hsp90-mediated epigenetic process to hijack the infected cells. Although the current review highlighted the critical epigenetic events associated with SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion, the detailed mechanism is yet to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bimal P Jit
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Sahar Qazi
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Rakesh Arya
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Ankit Srivastava
- Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 220115, India
| | - Nimesh Gupta
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Ashok Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
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26
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Takeshima H, Niwa T, Yamashita S, Takamura-Enya T, Iida N, Wakabayashi M, Nanjo S, Abe M, Sugiyama T, Kim YJ, Ushijima T. TET repression and increased DNMT activity synergistically induce aberrant DNA methylation. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:5370-5379. [PMID: 32663196 DOI: 10.1172/jci124070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is deeply involved in various human disorders, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and metabolic disorders. Induction of epigenetic alterations, especially aberrant DNA methylation, is one of the major mechanisms, but how it is induced is still unclear. Here, we found that expression of TET genes, methylation erasers, was downregulated in inflamed mouse and human tissues, and that this was caused by upregulation of TET-targeting miRNAs such as MIR20A, MIR26B, and MIR29C, likely due to activation of NF-κB signaling downstream of IL-1β and TNF-α. However, TET knockdown induced only mild aberrant methylation. Nitric oxide (NO), produced by NOS2, enhanced enzymatic activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), methylation writers, and NO exposure induced minimal aberrant methylation. In contrast, a combination of TET knockdown and NO exposure synergistically induced aberrant methylation, involving genomic regions not methylated by either alone. The results showed that a vicious combination of TET repression, due to NF-κB activation, and DNMT activation, due to NO production, is responsible for aberrant methylation induction in human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Takeshima
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tohru Niwa
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeji Takamura-Enya
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naoko Iida
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mika Wakabayashi
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sohachi Nanjo
- Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Masanobu Abe
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Division for Health Service Promotion, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiro Sugiyama
- Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Young-Joon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Toshikazu Ushijima
- Division of Epigenomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
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27
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Domovitz T, Gal-Tanamy M. Tracking Down the Epigenetic Footprint of HCV-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10030551. [PMID: 33540858 PMCID: PMC7867330 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10030551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of death and morbidity globally and is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Incidence of HCV infections, as well as HCV-related liver diseases, are increasing. Although now, with new direct acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy available, HCV is a curable cancer-associated infectious agent, HCC prevalence is expected to continue to rise because HCC risk still persists after HCV cure. Understanding the factors that lead from HCV infection to HCC pre- and post-cure may open-up opportunities to novel strategies for HCC prevention. Herein, we provide an overview of the reported evidence for the induction of alterations in the transcriptome of host cells via epigenetic dysregulation by HCV infection and describe recent reports linking the residual risk for HCC post-cure with a persistent HCV-induced epigenetic signature. Specifically, we discuss the contribution of the epigenetic changes identified following HCV infection to HCC risk pre- and post-cure, the molecular pathways that are epigenetically altered, the downstream effects on expression of cancer-related genes, the identification of targets to prevent or revert this cancer-inducing epigenetic signature, and the potential contribution of these studies to early prognosis and prevention of HCC as an approach for reducing HCC-related mortality.
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28
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Muhammad JS, Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Cui ZG, Hamad M, Halwani R. SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Induced Promoter Hypomethylation as an Epigenetic Modulator of Heat Shock Protein A1L (HSPA1L) Gene. Front Genet 2021; 12:622271. [PMID: 33679887 PMCID: PMC7933663 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.622271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous researches have focused on the genetic variations affecting SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas the epigenetic effects are inadequately described. In this report, for the first time, we have identified potential candidate genes that might be regulated via SARS-CoV-2 induced DNA methylation changes in COVID-19 infection. At first, in silico transcriptomic data of COVID-19 lung autopsies were used to identify the top differentially expressed genes containing CpG Islands in their promoter region. Similar gene regulations were also observed in an in vitro model of SARS-CoV-2 infected lung epithelial cells (NHBE and A549). SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly decreased the levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) in lung epithelial cells. Out of 14 candidate genes identified, the expression of 12 genes was upregulated suggesting promoter hypomethylation, while only two genes were downregulated suggesting promoter hypermethylation in COVID-19. Among those 12 upregulated genes, only HSPA1L and ULBP2 were found to be upregulated in AZA-treated lung epithelial cells and immune cells, suggesting their epigenetic regulation. To confirm the hypomethylation of these two genes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, their promoter methylation and mRNA expression levels were determined in the genomic DNA/RNA obtained from whole blood samples of asymptomatic, severe COVID-19 patients and equally matched healthy controls. The methylation level of HSPA1L was significantly decreased and the mRNA expression was increased in both asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 blood samples suggesting its epigenetic regulation by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Functionally, HSPA1L is known to facilitate host viral replication and has been proposed as a potential target for antiviral prophylaxis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibran Sualeh Muhammad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Jibran Sualeh Muhammad,
| | | | - Zheng-Guo Cui
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Fukui School of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rabih Halwani
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Prince Abdullah Ben Khaled Celiac Disease Research Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Rabih Halwani,
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Fernández-Barrena MG, Arechederra M, Colyn L, Berasain C, Avila MA. Epigenetics in hepatocellular carcinoma development and therapy: The tip of the iceberg. JHEP Rep 2020; 2:100167. [PMID: 33134907 PMCID: PMC7585149 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2020.100167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly tumour whose causative agents are generally well known, but whose pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Nevertheless, key genetic alterations are emerging from a heterogeneous molecular landscape, providing information on the tumorigenic process from initiation to progression. Among these molecular alterations, those that affect epigenetic processes are increasingly recognised as contributing to carcinogenesis from preneoplastic stages. The epigenetic machinery regulates gene expression through intertwined and partially characterised circuits involving chromatin remodelers, covalent DNA and histone modifications, and dedicated proteins reading these modifications. In this review, we summarise recent findings on HCC epigenetics, focusing mainly on changes in DNA and histone modifications and their carcinogenic implications. We also discuss the potential drugs that target epigenetic mechanisms for HCC treatment, either alone or in combination with current therapies, including immunotherapies.
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Key Words
- 5acC, 5-acetylcytosine
- 5fC, 5-formylcytosine
- 5hmC, 5-hydoxymethyl cytosine
- 5mC, 5-methylcytosine
- Acetyl-CoA, acetyl coenzyme A
- BER, base excision repair
- BRD, bromodomain
- CDA, cytidine deaminase
- CGI, CpG island
- CIMP, CGI methylator phenotype
- CTLA-4, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4
- DNMT, DNA methyltransferase
- DNMTi, DNMT inhibitor
- Epigenetics
- FAD, flavin adenine dinucleotide
- HAT, histone acetyltransferases
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HDAC, histone deacetylase
- HDACi, HDAC inhibitor
- HDM, histone demethylase
- HMT, histone methyltransferase
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- KMT, lysine methyltransferase
- LSD/KDM, lysine specific demethylases
- NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- NK, natural killer
- NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- PD-L1, programmed cell death ligand-1
- PD1, programmed cell death protein 1
- PHD, plant homeodomain
- PTM, post-translational modification
- SAM, S-adenosyl-L-methionine
- TDG, thymidine-DNA-glycosylase
- TERT, telomerase reverse transcriptase
- TET, ten-eleven translocation
- TME, tumour microenvironment
- TSG, tumour suppressor gene
- Therapy
- UHRF1, ubiquitin like with PHD and ring finger domains 1
- VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor
- ncRNAs, non-coding RNAs
- α-KG, α-ketoglutarate
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite G. Fernández-Barrena
- Hepatology Program CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd, Carlos III Health Institute), Madrid, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Arechederra
- Hepatology Program CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Leticia Colyn
- Hepatology Program CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carmen Berasain
- Hepatology Program CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd, Carlos III Health Institute), Madrid, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Matias A. Avila
- Hepatology Program CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd, Carlos III Health Institute), Madrid, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
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Xu G, Zhou X, Xing J, Xiao Y, Jin B, Sun L, Yang H, Du S, Xu H, Mao Y. Identification of RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation as a biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:547. [PMID: 33292241 PMCID: PMC7653745 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01638-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background RAS association domain family protein 1A (RASSF1A) promoter hypermethylation is suggested to be linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the results remained controversial. Methods We evaluated how RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation affects HCC risk and its clinicopathological characteristics through meta-analysis. Data on DNA methylation in HCC and relevant clinical data were also collected based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate the prognostic role of RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation in HCC. Results Forty-four articles involving 4777 individuals were enrolled in the pooled analyses. The RASSF1A promoter methylation rate was notably higher in the HCC cases than the non-tumor cases and healthy individuals, and was significantly related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-positivity and large tumor size. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed that HCC cases with RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation had worse outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves confirmed that RASSF1A promoter methylation may be a marker of HCC-related prognoses. Conclusions RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC from tissue and peripheral blood, and is an emerging therapeutic target against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jiali Xing
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Bao Jin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lejia Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Huayu Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Shunda Du
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Yilei Mao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Epstein-Barr Virus Promotes B Cell Lymphomas by Manipulating the Host Epigenetic Machinery. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12103037. [PMID: 33086505 PMCID: PMC7603164 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12103037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-induced lymphomas have a significant global incidence, given the widespread infection to the human population. EBV adopts several mechanisms to replicate and persist in the host, by hijacking its epigenetic machinery. The main topic of this review details the current insights of EBV interactions with the host epigenetic system, and it will be discussed the potential relationship between the EBV-induced chronic inflammation and the dysregulation of epigenetic modifiers that might lead to tumorigenesis. Promising novel therapies against several types of cancer involve the use of epigenetic modifier inhibitors. To design new therapeutical strategies targeting lymphomas, it is crucial to conduct exhaustive reaserch on the regulation of these enzymes. Abstract During the past decade, the rapid development of high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies has significantly reinforced our understanding of the role of epigenetics in health and disease. Altered functions of epigenetic modifiers lead to the disruption of the host epigenome, ultimately inducing carcinogenesis and disease progression. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is an endemic herpesvirus that is associated with several malignant tumours, including B-cell related lymphomas. In EBV-infected cells, the epigenomic landscape is extensively reshaped by viral oncoproteins, which directly interact with epigenetic modifiers and modulate their function. This process is fundamental for the EBV life cycle, particularly for the establishment and maintenance of latency in B cells; however, the alteration of the host epigenetic machinery also contributes to the dysregulated expression of several cellular genes, including tumour suppressor genes, which can drive lymphoma development. This review outlines the molecular mechanisms underlying the epigenetic manipulation induced by EBV that lead to transformed B cells, as well as novel therapeutic interventions to target EBV-associated B-cell lymphomas.
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Whole Genome 5'-Methylcytosine Level Quantification in Cirrhotic HCV-Infected Egyptian Patients with and without Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Genomics 2020; 2020:1769735. [PMID: 33083446 PMCID: PMC7556053 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1769735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism used by cells to control gene expression. DNA methylation is a commonly used epigenetic signaling tool that can hold genes in the “off” position. Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a major risk for chronic liver impairment. It is the most common leading cause of HCC. The present work is aimed at studying whole genome 5′-methylcytosine levels in cirrhotic HCV-infected Egyptian patients. In the present study, 120 Egyptian adults were included. They were divided into two groups: group І (40 apparently healthy control subjects) and group ІІ (80 HCV-infected patients). Furthermore, group II was subdivided into 2 subgroups according to the presence of HCC in HCV-infected subjects. To all studied subjects, the level of 5-mC% was measured in peripheral blood. In the present study, the median of 5′-methylcytosine% in the control group (group I) was 2.5, in the HCV group (group IIa) was 2.45, and in the HCC group (group II b) was 2.25. A stepwise decrease in 5′-methylcytosine% from the control (group I) toward HCC (group IIb) was observed, taking into consideration that the stepwise global hypomethylation was not statistically significant (p = 0.811). There was a negative correlation between ALT and 5′-methylcytosine% (p = −0.029). From this study, we can conclude that global DNA 5′-methylcytosine% does not differ in HCV-infected cirrhotic patients and HCC patients when compared to normal controls. Consecutively, we had concluded that there is no impact of 5′-methylcytosine% on the development of liver cirrhosis or HCC. Moreover, the negative correlation between 5′-methylcytosine% and serum ALT level denotes a trend of decrease in 5′-methylcytosine% with more liver damage.
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Risk Factors Contributing to the Occurrence and Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Virus Patients Treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals. Biomedicines 2020. [PMID: 32630610 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8060175.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA may be eliminated from blood circulation by direct-acting antivirals (DAA) therapy as assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HCV RNA can still be present in liver tissue, and this is known as occult HCV. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after DAA treatment of hepatic cells infected with chronic HCV. One of the main risk factors that leads to de novo HCC is the chronicity of HCV in hepatic cells. There are many studies regarding the progression of HCV-infected hepatic cells to HCC. However, there is a lack of research on the different molecular mechanisms that lead to the progression of chronic HCV infection to HCC, as well as on the effect of HCV on the alteration of DNA ploidy, which eventually leads to a recurrence of HCC after DAA treatment. In this review article, we will address some risk factors that could lead to the development/recurrence of HCC after treatment of HCV with DAA therapy, such as the role of liver cirrhosis, the alteration of DNA ploidy, the reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV), the role of cytokines and the alteration of the immune system, concomitant non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity, alcohol consumption and also occult HCV infection/co-infection. Clinicians should be cautious considering that full eradication of hepatocarcinogenesis cannot be successfully accomplished by anti-HCV treatment alone.
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Kishta S, Tabll A, Omanovic Kolaric T, Smolic R, Smolic M. Risk Factors Contributing to the Occurrence and Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Virus Patients Treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8060175. [PMID: 32630610 PMCID: PMC7344618 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8060175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA may be eliminated from blood circulation by direct-acting antivirals (DAA) therapy as assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HCV RNA can still be present in liver tissue, and this is known as occult HCV. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after DAA treatment of hepatic cells infected with chronic HCV. One of the main risk factors that leads to de novo HCC is the chronicity of HCV in hepatic cells. There are many studies regarding the progression of HCV-infected hepatic cells to HCC. However, there is a lack of research on the different molecular mechanisms that lead to the progression of chronic HCV infection to HCC, as well as on the effect of HCV on the alteration of DNA ploidy, which eventually leads to a recurrence of HCC after DAA treatment. In this review article, we will address some risk factors that could lead to the development/recurrence of HCC after treatment of HCV with DAA therapy, such as the role of liver cirrhosis, the alteration of DNA ploidy, the reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV), the role of cytokines and the alteration of the immune system, concomitant non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity, alcohol consumption and also occult HCV infection/co-infection. Clinicians should be cautious considering that full eradication of hepatocarcinogenesis cannot be successfully accomplished by anti-HCV treatment alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Kishta
- Microbial Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, El Behooth Street, Dokki 12622, Egypt; (S.K.); (A.T.)
- Virology Division, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Ashraf Tabll
- Microbial Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, El Behooth Street, Dokki 12622, Egypt; (S.K.); (A.T.)
- Department of immunology, Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo 11517, Egypt
| | - Tea Omanovic Kolaric
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (T.O.K.); (R.S.)
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, HR-3100 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Robert Smolic
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (T.O.K.); (R.S.)
- Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-3100 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Martina Smolic
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; (T.O.K.); (R.S.)
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, HR-3100 Osijek, Croatia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +385-31-512-800
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Gao W, Jia Z, Tian Y, Yang P, Sun H, Wang C, Ding Y, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Yang D, Tian Z, Zhou J, Ruan Z, Wu Y, Ni B. HBx Protein Contributes to Liver Carcinogenesis by H3K4me3 Modification Through Stabilizing WD Repeat Domain 5 Protein. Hepatology 2020; 71:1678-1695. [PMID: 31544250 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cancer is typically considered as a genetic and epigenetic disease. Although numerous studies have indicated that an aberrant structure, function, or expression level of epigenetic enzymes contribute to many tumor types, precisely how the epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. APPROACH AND RESULTS In this study, we found that the WD repeat domain 5 protein (WDR5)-a core subunit of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase complexes, which catalyze the generation of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) modification-is highly expressed in HBV-related HCC and promotes HCC development. WDR5 plays a critical role in HBV-driven cell proliferation and tumor growth in mice, and the WDR5-0103 small-molecule inhibitor of WDR5 activity compromises HBV- and hepatitis B x protein (HBx)-driven tumor proliferation. The aberrantly high WDR5 protein level was found to involve HBx through its stabilization of the WDR5 protein by inhibiting the interaction between the damage-specific DNA-binding protein 1/cullin-4 and WDR5, causing decreased ubiquitination of the WDR5 protein. HBx was found to colocalize with WDR5 on chromatin genome wide and promotes genome-wide H3K4me3 modification by means of WDR5. Furthermore, the recruitment of HBx to promoters of target genes relied on its interaction with WDR5 through its α-helix domain. WDR5 was also found to promote HBV transcription through H3K4 modification of covalently closed circular DNA minichromosome, and WDR5-0103 was able to inhibit HBV transcription. Finally, the in vitro and in vivo data further proved that HBx exerted its tumor-promoting function in a WDR5-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Our data reveals that WDR5 is a key epigenetic determinant of HBV-induced tumorigenesis and that the HBx-WDR5-H3K4me3 axis may be a potential therapeutic target in HBV-induced liver pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwu Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Medicine, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, PLA, Chongqing, China
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhengcai Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Tian
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Hui Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chenhui Wang
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA
| | - Mengjie Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Yang
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Tian
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhihua Ruan
- Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuzhang Wu
- Institute of Immunology of PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bing Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Medicine, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of High Altitude Medicine, PLA, Chongqing, China
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Dandri M. Epigenetic modulation in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Semin Immunopathol 2020; 42:173-185. [PMID: 32185454 PMCID: PMC7174266 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00780-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The human hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small-enveloped DNA virus causing acute and chronic hepatitis. Despite the existence of an effective prophylactic vaccine and the strong capacity of approved antiviral drugs to suppress viral replication, chronic HBV infection (CHB) continues to be a major health burden worldwide. Both the inability of the immune system to resolve CHB and the unique replication strategy employed by HBV, which forms a stable viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) minichromosome in the hepatocyte nucleus, enable infection persistence. Knowledge of the complex network of interactions that HBV engages with its host is still limited but accumulating evidence indicates that epigenetic modifications occurring both on the cccDNA and on the host genome in the course of infection are essential to modulate viral activity and likely contribute to pathogenesis and cancer development. Thus, a deeper understanding of epigenetic regulatory processes may open new venues to control and eventually cure CHB. This review summarizes major findings in HBV epigenetic research, focusing on the epigenetic mechanisms regulating cccDNA activity and the modifications determined in infected host cells and tumor liver tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Dandri
- I. Department of Internal Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, Hamburg, Germany.
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Wang M, Ye Q, Mao D, Li H. Research Progress in Liver-Regenerating Microenvironment and DNA Methylation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e920310. [PMID: 32144233 PMCID: PMC7077739 DOI: 10.12659/msm.920310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The development, progression, recurrence, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely associated with an abnormal liver-regenerating microenvironment (LRM). Therefore, preventing and reversing an abnormal LRM is a potential therapeutic strategy against HCC. Studies are increasingly focusing on the impact of regeneration, fibrosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, immunomodulation, and hepatic stem cells on HCC development and progression. As a key epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation is extensively involved in regulating physiological and pathological pathways. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the role of DNA methylation in the fibrotic, angiogenic, inflammatory/immune, and stem cell microenvironments of HCC, and discuss new advances in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on influencing the abnormal LRM, so as to gain new insights into alleviating the abnormal LRM via regulating DNA methylation by TCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minggang Wang
- Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China (mainland)
| | - Qianling Ye
- Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China (mainland)
| | - Dewen Mao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China (mainland)
| | - Hanmin Li
- Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China (mainland)
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Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) replicates through the integration of its viral DNA into the genome of human immune target cells. Chronically infected individuals thus carry a genomic burden of virus-derived sequences that persists through antiretroviral therapy. This burden consists of a small fraction of intact, but transcriptionally silenced, i.e. latent, viral genomes and a dominant fraction of defective sequences. Remarkably, all viral-derived sequences are subject to interaction with host cellular physiology at various levels. In this review, we focus on epigenetic aspects of this interaction. We provide a comprehensive overview of how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to establishment and maintenance of HIV-1 gene repression during latency. We furthermore summarize findings indicating that HIV-1 infection leads to changes in the epigenome of target and bystander immune cells. Finally, we discuss how an improved understanding of epigenetic features and mechanisms involved in HIV-1 infection could be exploited for clinical use.
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Mostafa WSEM, Al-Dahr MHS, Omran DAH, Abdullah ZF, Elmasry SH, Ibrahim MN. Influence of some methylated hepatocarcinogenesis-related genes on the response to antiviral therapy and development of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients. Clin Mol Hepatol 2019; 26:60-69. [PMID: 31630500 PMCID: PMC6940485 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2019.0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Epigenetics involved in multiple normal cellular processes. Previous research have revealed the role of hepatitis C virus infection in accelerating methylation process and affecting response to treatment in chronic hepatitis patients. This work aimed to elucidate the role of promoter methylation (PM) in response to antiviral therapy, and its contribution to the development of fibrosis through hepatocarcinogenesis-related genes. Methods A total of 159 chronic hepatitis Egyptian patients versus 100 healthy control group were included. The methylation profile of a panel 9 genes (SFRP1, p14, p73, APC, DAPK, RASSF1A, LINE1, O6MGMT, and p16) was detected in patients’ plasma using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). Results Clinical and laboratory findings were gathered for patients with combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin antiviral therapy. Regarding the patients’ response to antiviral therapy, the percentage of non-responders for APC, O6MGMT, RASSF1A, SFRP1, and p16 methylated genes were significantly higher versus responders (P<0.05). Of the 159 included patients, the most frequent methylated genes were SFRP1 (102/159), followed by p16 (100/159), RASSF1A (98/159), then LINE1 (81/159), P73 (81/159), APC (78/159), DAPK (66/159), O6MGMT (66/159), and p14 (54/159). A total of 67/98 (68.4%) cases of RASSF1A methylated gene (P=0.0.024), and 62/100 (62%) cases of P16 methylated gene (P=0.03) were associated with mild-degree fibrosis. Conclusions To recapitulate, the PM of SFRP1, APC, RASSF1A, O6MGMT, and p16 genes increases in chronic hepatitis C patients, and can affect patients’ response to antiviral therapy. The RASSF1A and P16 genes might have a role in the distinction between mild and marked fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleed Seif Eldin Mohamed Mostafa
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Department of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Hassan Saiem Al-Dahr
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalia Abdel Hamid Omran
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Zeinab Fathy Abdullah
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Department of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Suzan Hamdy Elmasry
- Department of Biochemistry, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Nabil Ibrahim
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Al-Qurayyate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Perez S, Kaspi A, Domovitz T, Davidovich A, Lavi-Itzkovitz A, Meirson T, Alison Holmes J, Dai CY, Huang CF, Chung RT, Nimer A, El-Osta A, Yaari G, Stemmer SM, Yu ML, Haviv I, Gal-Tanamy M. Hepatitis C virus leaves an epigenetic signature post cure of infection by direct-acting antivirals. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008181. [PMID: 31216276 PMCID: PMC6602261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing worldwide prevalence of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), characterized by resistance to conventional chemotherapy, poor prognosis and eventually mortality, place it as a prime target for new modes of prevention and treatment. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the predominant risk factor for HCC in the US and Europe. Multiple epidemiological studies showed that sustained virological responses (SVR) following treatment with the powerful direct acting antivirals (DAAs), which have replaced interferon-based regimes, do not eliminate tumor development. We aimed to identify an HCV-specific pathogenic mechanism that persists post SVR following DAAs treatment. We demonstrate that HCV infection induces genome-wide epigenetic changes by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) for histone post-translational modifications that are epigenetic markers for active and repressed chromatin. The changes in histone modifications correlate with reprogramed host gene expression and alter signaling pathways known to be associated with HCV life cycle and HCC. These epigenetic alterations require the presence of HCV RNA or/and expression of the viral proteins in the cells. Importantly, the epigenetic changes induced following infection persist as an "epigenetic signature" after virus eradication by DAAs treatment, as detected using in vitro HCV infection models. These observations led to the identification of an 8 gene signature that is associated with HCC development and demonstrate persistent epigenetic alterations in HCV infected and post SVR liver biopsy samples. The epigenetic signature was reverted in vitro by drugs that inhibit epigenetic modifying enzyme and by the EGFR inhibitor, Erlotinib. This epigenetic "scarring" of the genome, persisting following HCV eradication, suggest a novel mechanism for the persistent pathogenesis of HCV after its eradication by DAAs. Our study offers new avenues for prevention of the persistent oncogenic effects of chronic hepatitis infections using specific drugs to revert the epigenetic changes to the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Perez
- Molecular Virology Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
- Cancer Personalized Medicine and Diagnostic Genomics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Antony Kaspi
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tom Domovitz
- Molecular Virology Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Ateret Davidovich
- Molecular Virology Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Anat Lavi-Itzkovitz
- Molecular Virology Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
- Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Tomer Meirson
- Drug Discovery Laboratory, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Jacinta Alison Holmes
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chia-Yen Dai
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Cancer Research and Center for Liquid Biopsy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Feng Huang
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Cancer Research and Center for Liquid Biopsy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Raymond T. Chung
- Liver Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Assy Nimer
- Internal Medicine Department A, Western Galilee Medical Center, Naharyia, and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Assam El-Osta
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Gur Yaari
- Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Salomon M. Stemmer
- Davidoff Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ming-Lung Yu
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Cancer Research and Center for Liquid Biopsy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (MLY); (IH); (MGT)
| | - Izhak Haviv
- Cancer Personalized Medicine and Diagnostic Genomics Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
- * E-mail: (MLY); (IH); (MGT)
| | - Meital Gal-Tanamy
- Molecular Virology Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
- * E-mail: (MLY); (IH); (MGT)
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Hamdane N, Jühling F, Crouchet E, El Saghire H, Thumann C, Oudot MA, Bandiera S, Saviano A, Ponsolles C, Suarez AAR, Li S, Fujiwara N, Ono A, Davidson I, Bardeesy N, Schmidl C, Bock C, Schuster C, Lupberger J, Habersetzer F, Doffoël M, Piardi T, Sommacale D, Imamura M, Uchida T, Ohdan H, Aikata H, Chayama K, Boldanova T, Pessaux P, Fuchs BC, Hoshida Y, Zeisel MB, Duong FHT, Baumert TF. HCV-Induced Epigenetic Changes Associated With Liver Cancer Risk Persist After Sustained Virologic Response. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:2313-2329.e7. [PMID: 30836093 PMCID: PMC8756817 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite effective antiviral therapies, the risk for HCC is decreased but not eliminated after a sustained virologic response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, and the risk is higher in patients with advanced fibrosis. We investigated HCV-induced epigenetic alterations that might affect risk for HCC after DAA treatment in patients and mice with humanized livers. METHODS We performed genome-wide ChIPmentation-based ChIP-Seq and RNA-seq analyses of liver tissues from 6 patients without HCV infection (controls), 18 patients with chronic HCV infection, 8 patients with chronic HCV infection cured by DAA treatment, 13 patients with chronic HCV infection cured by interferon therapy, 4 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, and 7 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Europe and Japan. HCV-induced epigenetic modifications were mapped by comparative analyses with modifications associated with other liver disease etiologies. uPA/SCID mice were engrafted with human hepatocytes to create mice with humanized livers and given injections of HCV-infected serum samples from patients; mice were given DAAs to eradicate the virus. Pathways associated with HCC risk were identified by integrative pathway analyses and validated in analyses of paired HCC tissues from 8 patients with an SVR to DAA treatment of HCV infection. RESULTS We found chronic HCV infection to induce specific genome-wide changes in H3K27ac, which correlated with changes in expression of mRNAs and proteins. These changes persisted after an SVR to DAAs or interferon-based therapies. Integrative pathway analyses of liver tissues from patients and mice with humanized livers demonstrated that HCV-induced epigenetic alterations were associated with liver cancer risk. Computational analyses associated increased expression of SPHK1 with HCC risk. We validated these findings in an independent cohort of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis (n = 216), a subset of which (n = 21) achieved viral clearance. CONCLUSIONS In an analysis of liver tissues from patients with and without an SVR to DAA therapy, we identified epigenetic and gene expression alterations associated with risk for HCC. These alterations might be targeted to prevent liver cancer in patients treated for HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourdine Hamdane
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frank Jühling
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Emilie Crouchet
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Houssein El Saghire
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Christine Thumann
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marine A. Oudot
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Simonetta Bandiera
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Antonio Saviano
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France
| | - Clara Ponsolles
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Armando Andres Roca Suarez
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Shen Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Naoto Fujiwara
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Atsushi Ono
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas,Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan,Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Irwin Davidson
- Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/UDS, Illkirch, France
| | - Nabeel Bardeesy
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital; Departments of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Christian Schmidl
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria,Regensburg Centre for Interventional Immunology (RCI) and University Medical Center of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria,Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Catherine Schuster
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Joachim Lupberger
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - François Habersetzer
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France
| | - Michel Doffoël
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tullio Piardi
- General, Digestive, and Endocrine Surgery Unit, Hôpital Robert Debré, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Daniele Sommacale
- General, Digestive, and Endocrine Surgery Unit, Hôpital Robert Debré, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Michio Imamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takuro Uchida
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohdan
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aikata
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tujana Boldanova
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Pessaux
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France
| | - Bryan C. Fuchs
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Mirjam B. Zeisel
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Université de Lyon (UCBL), Lyon, France
| | - François H. T. Duong
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas F. Baumert
- INSERM U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France,Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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Wu Y, Chen X, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Li Y, Xiang C. Genome-wide DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation analysis reveal human menstrual blood-derived stem cells inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma growth through oncogenic pathway suppression via regulating 5-hmC in enhancer elements. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:151. [PMID: 31151404 PMCID: PMC6544940 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic alteration is an important indicator of crosstalk between cancer cells and surrounding microenvironment components including mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Human menstrual blood-derived stem cells (MenSCs) are novel source of MSCs which exert suppressive effects on cancers via multiple components of microenvironmental paracrine signaling. However, whether MenSCs play a crucial role in the epigenetic regulation of cancer cells remains unknown. METHODS Epigenetic alterations of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mediated by MenSCs were examined by immunofluorescence, ELISA, and RT-PCR assays. The suppressive impact of MenSCs on HCC was investigated in vitro using CCK8, apoptosis, wound healing, and invasion assays and in vivo using a xenograft mice model. MeDIP-seq, hMeDIP-seq, and RNA-seq were used to identify the genome-wide pattern of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in HCC cells after MenSC therapy. RESULTS We show that HCC cells display distinct genome-wide alterations in DNA hydroxymethylation and methylation after MenSC therapy. MenSCs exert an inhibitory effect on HCC growth via regulating 5-hmC and 5-mC abundance in the regulatory regions of oncogenic pathways including PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling, especially in enhancers and promoters. FOXO3 expression is rescued via reversal of 5-hmC and 5-mC levels in its enhancers and contributes to the activation of downstream apoptosis. Inactivation of the MAPK pathway further disrupts c-myc-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT). Additionally, chemotherapy resistance-associated genes including ID4 and HMGA1 are suppressed via amending 5-hmC and 5-mC abundance at their regulatory regions. HMGA1 and BYSL might be potential targets for gene-modified MSC therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that MSCs could regulate the epigenetic mechanism of HCC cells and provide a novel concept for a modified MSC strategy or combination therapy with chemotherapeutics based on epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongjia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanling Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yifei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Charlie Xiang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects more than 257 million people globally, resulting in progressively worsening liver disease, manifesting as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The exceptionally narrow species tropism of HBV restricts its natural hosts to humans and non-human primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons, and orangutans. The unavailability of completely immunocompetent small-animal models has contributed to the lack of curative therapeutic interventions. Even though surrogates allow the study of closely related viruses, their host genetic backgrounds, immune responses, and molecular virology differ from those of HBV. Various different models, based on either pure murine or xenotransplantation systems, have been introduced over the past years, often making the choice of the optimal model for any given question challenging. Here, we offer a concise review of in vivo model systems employed to study HBV infection and steps in the HBV life cycle or pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Cherry
- Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PGLondon, U.K
| | - Harry Gunn
- Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PGLondon, U.K
| | - Marcus Dorner
- Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W2 1PGLondon, U.K
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Chen Y, Hao X, Sun R, Wei H, Tian Z. Natural Killer Cell-Derived Interferon-Gamma Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through the Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Axis in Hepatitis B Virus Transgenic Mice. Hepatology 2019; 69:1735-1750. [PMID: 30329167 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major risk factor for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), at least partially due to dysfunctional anti-HBV adaptive immunity; however, the role of innate immune response to HBV in this process is not well understood. In this study, low-dose polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly [I:C]), a natural killer (NK) cell activator (3 μg/g body weight, twice/week for 8 weeks), induced HCC in HBV transgenic (HBs-Tg) mice, with an incidence of 100% after 6 months, while HBs-Tg mice without treatment only had HCC with an incidence of 16.7%. In HBs-Tg mice, poly (I:C) induced liver inflammation with markedly increased infiltrating lymphocytes, along with the concurrently increased apoptosis and proliferation of hepatocytes, leading to the accelerated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatocytes shown by increased expression of the typical transcriptional factors (Slug, Twist, and mothers against decapentaplegic-interacting protein 1) and phenotypic proteins (vimentin and chemokine [C-X-C motif] receptor 4). The EMT and tumorigenesis in this model depended on the presence of NK cells because depletion of these cells significantly reduced the HCC rate to 28.6%. Further, intrahepatic NK cells highly expressed interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), anti-IFN-γ neutralizing monoclonal antibody might obviously alleviate the hepatitis, and hepatocyte-specific IFN-γ overexpression promoted HCC. Moreover, IFN-γ deficiency in HBs-Tg mice prevented HCC occurring, though hepatic NK cells existed and could be activated, suggesting the critical role of IFN-γ in NK cell-mediated tumorigenesis. In an in vitro experiment, IFN-γ up-regulated epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression through phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (p-STAT1) pathway, which was followed by EMT, and p-STAT1 inhibitor might absolutely abolish the expression of EpCAM and EMT in HBV surface antigen-positive hepatocytes. Conclusion: This work demonstrates that NK cell-derived IFN-γ promotes HCC through the EpCAM-EMT axis in HBs-Tg mice, revealing the importance of innate immunity in pathogenesis of HBV-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyan Chen
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, and Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaolei Hao
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, and Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, and Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Haiming Wei
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, and Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhigang Tian
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Sciences, and Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Aberrant enhancer hypomethylation contributes to hepatic carcinogenesis through global transcriptional reprogramming. Nat Commun 2019; 10:335. [PMID: 30659195 PMCID: PMC6338783 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08245-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) exhibit distinct promoter hypermethylation patterns, but the epigenetic regulation and function of transcriptional enhancers remain unclear. Here, our affinity- and bisulfite-based whole-genome sequencing analyses reveal global enhancer hypomethylation in human HCCs. Integrative epigenomic characterization further pinpoints a recurrent hypomethylated enhancer of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-beta (C/EBPβ) which correlates with C/EBPβ over-expression and poorer prognosis of patients. Demethylation of C/EBPβ enhancer reactivates a self-reinforcing enhancer-target loop via direct transcriptional up-regulation of enhancer RNA. Conversely, deletion of this enhancer via CRISPR/Cas9 reduces C/EBPβ expression and its genome-wide co-occupancy with BRD4 at H3K27ac-marked enhancers and super-enhancers, leading to drastic suppression of driver oncogenes and HCC tumorigenicity. Hepatitis B X protein transgenic mouse model of HCC recapitulates this paradigm, as C/ebpβ enhancer hypomethylation associates with oncogenic activation in early tumorigenesis. These results support a causal link between aberrant enhancer hypomethylation and C/EBPβ over-expression, thereby contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis through global transcriptional reprogramming. There are distinct hypermethylation patterns in gene promoters in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Here, the authors show that the enhancer of C/EBPβ is recurrently hypomethylated in human HCCs, recapitulating this in a transgenic murine model and linking aberrant enhancer hypomethylation to hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Tian FY, Marsit CJ. Environmentally Induced Epigenetic Plasticity in Development: Epigenetic Toxicity and Epigenetic Adaptation. CURR EPIDEMIOL REP 2018; 5:450-460. [PMID: 30984515 PMCID: PMC6456900 DOI: 10.1007/s40471-018-0175-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Epigenetic processes represent important mechanisms underlying developmental plasticity in response to environmental exposures. The current review discusses three classes of environmentally-induced epigenetic changes reflecting two aspects of that plasticity, toxicity effects as well as adaptation in the process of development. RECENT FINDINGS Due to innate resilience, epigenetic changes caused by environmental exposures may not always lead impairments but may allow the organisms to achieve positive developmental outcomes through appropriate adaptation and a buffering response. Thus, some epigenetic adaptive responses to an immediate stimulus or exposure early in life would be expected to have a survival advantage but these same responses may also result in adverse developmental outcomes as they persists into later life stage. Although accumulating literature has identified environmentally induced epigenetic changes and linked them to health outcomes, we currently face challenges in the interpretation of the functional impact of their epigenetic plasticity. SUMMARY Current environmental epigenetic research suggest that epigenetic processes may serve as a mechanism for resilience, and that they can be considered in terms of their impact on toxicity as a negative outcome, but also on adaptation for improved survival or health. This review encourages epigenetic environmental studies to move deeper inside into the functional meaning of epigenetic plasticity in the development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Ying Tian
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Wang JW, Wang JW, Zhang J, Wu CS, Fang Y, Su WW, Fan YC, Wang K. Decreased Methylation of IFNAR Gene Promoter from Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Is Associated with Oxidative Stress in Chronic Hepatitis B. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2018; 38:480-490. [PMID: 30383464 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2018.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons (IFNs) play an antiviral effect by binding to type I interferon receptor (IFNAR). Oxidative stress might induce the gene promoter methylation. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the potential relationship between the methylation of IFNAR promoter and the status of oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The methylation level of the IFNAR promoter in patients with CHB and healthy controls (HCs) was determined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR). The quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to evaluate the IFNAR mRNA status in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CHB and HCs. Level of plasma-soluble IFNAR and oxidative stress parameters, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The frequency of IFNAR promoter methylation in CHB patients was significantly lower than that of HCs. The IFNAR mRNA level of patients with CHB was higher than HCs. MDA level was higher in CHB patients, whereas GSH level was lower in CHB patients than that of HCs. In CHB patients, plasma MDA level was significantly higher with IFNAR promoter methylation than unmethylation, and soluble IFNAR in the circulation of methylated patients with CHB was decreased than unmethylated patients with CHB. Our results indicated that the IFNAR promoter methylation might have a potential relationship with the status of oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wen Wang
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Jing-Wei Wang
- 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao) , Qingdao, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Chen-Si Wu
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Yu Fang
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Wei-Wei Su
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Yu-Chen Fan
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China .,3 Institute of Hepatology, Shandong University , Jinan, China
| | - Kai Wang
- 1 Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan, China .,3 Institute of Hepatology, Shandong University , Jinan, China
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Jin J, Xu H, Wu R, Niu J, Li S. Aberrant DNA methylation profile of hepatitis B virus infection. J Med Virol 2018; 91:81-92. [PMID: 30118556 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to study the aberrant DNA methylation profile associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and, to identify key genes and pathways associated with the HBV infection stage. A total of 54 antiviral treatment-naïve HBV-infected patients and six healthy controls were included. Genome-wide methylated DNA immunoprecipitation analysis was performed, as previously described, after which the chip data were preprocessed. Subsequently, Cytoscape software was used for the construction of a protein-protein interaction network, and a database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery software was used to conduct functional enrichment analysis. A total of 711 794 CpGs were obtained after data quality control, among which 152 780, 113 814, 90 747, and 175 868 CpGs showed differential methylation in acute hepatitis B (AHB) vs control, total-C vs control, CH1 vs CA1, and AHB vs total-C, respectively. Furthermore, RIPK3, PRDM10, JUN, and SNAI1 were at the center of the four associated networks, respectively. Differential methylated genes differentially methylated in these four comparisons were significantly enriched with olfactory transduction; positive regulation of transport; negative regulation of protein amino acid phosphorylation (eg, JUN), phosphorylation, phosphorus metabolic process, and phosphate metabolic process; and programmed cell death, respectively. RIPK3, PRDM10, JUN, and SNAI1 as well as olfactory transduction, positive regulation of transport, negative regulation of phosphorylation, and programmed cell death are important for the transformation associated with HBV infection stage. Moreover, JUN may be involved in HBV infection, mainly via the negative regulation of amino acid phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglan Jin
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongqin Xu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Changchun, China
| | - Ruihong Wu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Changchun, China
| | - Junqi Niu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Changchun, China
| | - Shibo Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Genetics Laboratory, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Hensel KO, Cantner F, Bangert F, Wirth S, Postberg J. Episomal HBV persistence within transcribed host nuclear chromatin compartments involves HBx. Epigenetics Chromatin 2018; 11:34. [PMID: 29933745 PMCID: PMC6015472 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-018-0204-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In hepatocyte nuclei, hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes occur episomally as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). The HBV X protein (HBx) is required to initiate and maintain HBV replication. The functional nuclear localization of cccDNA and HBx remains unexplored. Results To identify virus–host genome interactions and the underlying nuclear landscape for the first time, we combined circular chromosome conformation capture (4C) with RNA-seq and ChIP-seq. Moreover, we studied HBx-binding to HBV episomes. In HBV-positive HepaRG hepatocytes, we observed preferential association of HBV episomes and HBx with actively transcribed nuclear domains on the host genome correlating in size with constrained topological units of chromatin. Interestingly, HBx alone occupied transcribed chromatin domains. Silencing of native HBx caused reduced episomal HBV stability. Conclusions As part of the HBV episome, HBx might stabilize HBV episomal nuclear localization. Our observations may contribute to the understanding of long-term episomal stability and the facilitation of viral persistence. The exact mechanism by which HBx contributes to HBV nuclear persistence warrants further investigations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-018-0204-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai O Hensel
- Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany.,Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge,, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Franziska Cantner
- Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Felix Bangert
- Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Stefan Wirth
- Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Jan Postberg
- Department of Pediatrics, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany. .,Clinical Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50, 58448, Witten, Germany.
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Recent advances in vertebrate and invertebrate transgenerational immunity in the light of ecology and evolution. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:225-238. [PMID: 29915335 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0101-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental experience with parasites and pathogens can lead to increased offspring resistance to infection, through a process known as transgenerational immune priming (TGIP). Broadly defined, TGIP occurs across a wide range of taxa, and can be viewed as a type of phenotypic plasticity, with hosts responding to the pressures of relevant local infection risk by altering their offspring's immune defenses. There are ever increasing examples of both invertebrate and vertebrate TGIP, which go beyond classical examples of maternal antibody transfer. Here we critically summarize the current evidence for TGIP in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Mechanisms underlying TGIP remain elusive in many systems, but while it is unlikely that they are conserved across the range of organisms with TGIP, recent insight into epigenetic modulation may challenge this view. We place TGIP into a framework of evolutionary ecology, discussing costs and relevant environmental variation. We highlight how the ecology of species or populations should affect if, where, when, and how TGIP is realized. We propose that the field can progress by incorporating evolutionary ecology focused designs to the study of the so far well chronicled, but mostly descriptive TGIP, and how rapidly developing -omic methods can be employed to further understand TGIP across taxa.
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