B-cell lymphocyte kinase polymorphisms rs13277113, rs2736340, and rs4840568 and risk of autoimmune diseases: A meta-analysis

Risk factors of systemic lupus erythematosus: an overview of systematic reviews and Mendelian randomization studies

BACKGROUND

The etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus is complex and incurable. A large number of systematic reviews have studied the risk factors of it. Mendelian randomization is an analytical method that uses genetic data as tool variables to evaluate the causal relationship between exposure and outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To review the systematic reviews and Mendelian randomization studies that focused on the risk factors of systemic lupus erythematosus and shed light on the development of treatments for its prevention and intervention.

METHODS

From inception to January 2022, we systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed) and Embase for related systematic reviews and Mendelian randomization studies. Extract relevant main data for studies that meet inclusion criteria. The quality of systematic reviews was assessed by using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2). Finally, the risk factors are scored comprehensively according to the results' quantity, quality, and consistency.

RESULTS

Our study involved 64 systematic reviews and 12 Mendelian randomization studies. The results of systematic reviews showed that diseases (endometriosis, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis), lifestyle (smoking, drinking, vaccination), and gene polymorphism influenced the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus. The results of Mendelian randomization studies identified the role of disease (periodontitis, celiac disease), trace elements (selenium, iron), cytokines (growth differentiation factor 15), and gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

CONCLUSION

We should pay attention to preventing and treating systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with endometriosis, celiac disease, and periodontitis. Take appropriate dietary supplements to increase serum iron and selenium levels to reduce the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus. There should be no excessive intervention in lifestyles such as smoking and drinking.

Src Family Protein Kinase Controls the Fate of B Cells in Autoimmune Diseases

There are more than 80 kinds of autoimmune diseases known at present, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as other disorders. Autoimmune diseases have a characteristic of immune responses directly attacking own tissues, leading to systematic inflammation and subsequent tissue damage. B cells play a vital role in the development of autoimmune diseases and differentiate into plasma cells or memory B cells to secrete high-affinity antibody or provide long-lasting function. Drugs targeting B cells show good therapeutic effects for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as rituximab (anti-CD20 antibody). Src family protein kinases (SFKs) are believed to play important roles in a variety of cellular functions such as growth, proliferation, and differentiation of B cell via B cell antigen receptor (BCR). Lck/Yes-related novel protein tyrosine kinase (LYN), BLK (B lymphocyte kinase), and Fyn are three different kinds of SFKs mainly expressed in B cells. LYN has a dual role in the BCR signal. On the one hand, positive signals are beneficial to the development and maturation of B cells. On the other hand, LYN can also inhibit excessively activated B cells. BLK is involved in the proliferation, differentiation, and immune tolerance of B lymphocytes, and further affects the function of B cells, which may lead to autoreactive or regulatory cellular responses, increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases. Fyn may affect the development of autoimmune disorders via the differentiation of B cells in the early stage of B cell development. This article reviews the recent advances of SFKs in B lymphocytes in autoimmune diseases.

Associations of IL6 rs1800795, BLK rs13277113, TIMP3 rs9621532, IL1RL1 rs1041973 and IL1RAP rs4624606 single gene polymorphisms with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Survival rate of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients is not improving. To understand more complete biology of LSCC, studies focused on identification of new specific and prognostic markers are performed. The aim of current study was to evaluate the impact of five different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (IL6 rs1800795, BLK rs13277113, TIMP3 rs9621532, IL1RL1 rs1041973 and IL1RAP rs4624606) on LSCC development.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 891 subjects (353 histologically verified LSCC patients and 538 healthy controls) were involved in this study. The genotyping was carried out using the real-time-PCR.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis revealed statistically significant associations between TIMP3 rs96215332 variants and LSCC in the codominant (OR = 0.600; 95% CI: 0.390-0.922; p = 0.020), overdominant (OR = 0.599; 95% CI: 0.390-0.922; p = 0.020) and additive (OR = 0.675; 95% CI: 0.459-0.991; p = 0.045) models. Also, significant variants of IL1RAP rs4624606 were determined in the codominant (OR = 1.372; 95% CI: 1.031-1.827; p = 0.030), overdominant (OR = 1.353; 95% CI: 1.018-1.798; p = 0.037) and additive (OR = 1.337; 95% CI: 1.038-1.724; p = 0.025) models.

CONCLUSION

Results of the current study indicate significant associations between TIMP3 rs9621532 and IL1RAP rs4624606 gene polymorphisms and LSCC development.

Blood Gene Expression Predicts Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), the main manifestation of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, leads to poor long-term survival after lung transplantation. Identifying predictors of BOS is essential to prevent the progression of dysfunction before irreversible damage occurs. By using a large set of 107 samples from lung recipients, we performed microarray gene expression profiling of whole blood to identify early biomarkers of BOS, including samples from 49 patients with stable function for at least 3 years, 32 samples collected at least 6 months before BOS diagnosis (prediction group), and 26 samples at or after BOS diagnosis (diagnosis group). An independent set from 25 lung recipients was used for validation by quantitative PCR (13 stables, 11 in the prediction group, and 8 in the diagnosis group). We identified 50 transcripts differentially expressed between stable and BOS recipients. Three genes, namely POU class 2 associating factor 1 (POU2AF1), T-cell leukemia/lymphoma protein 1A (TCL1A), and B cell lymphocyte kinase, were validated as predictive biomarkers of BOS more than 6 months before diagnosis, with areas under the curve of 0.83, 0.77, and 0.78 respectively. These genes allow stratification based on BOS risk (log-rank test p < 0.01) and are not associated with time posttransplantation. This is the first published large-scale gene expression analysis of blood after lung transplantation. The three-gene blood signature could provide clinicians with new tools to improve follow-up and adapt treatment of patients likely to develop BOS.