Potential association between ANXA4 polymorphisms and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease

Membrane-cytoplasm translocation of annexin A4 is involved in the metastasis of colorectal carcinoma

Annexin A4 (ANXA4) is a Ca²⁺- and phospholipid-binding protein that belongs to the annexin family, which is involved in the development of multiple tumour types via NF-κB signalling. In this study, we verified the high expression and membrane-cytoplasm translocation of ANXA4 in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II gamma (CAMK2γ) was found to be important for high ANXA4 expression in CRC, whereas carbonic anhydrase (CA1) promoted ANXA4 aggregation in the cell membrane. An increased Ca²⁺ concentration attenuated the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification of cytoplasmic ANXA4 and ANXA4 stabilization, and relatively high expression of ANXA4 promoted CRC tumorigenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Exhaled breath condensate annexin A5 levels in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in asthma: A preliminary study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The pathogenesis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in asthma is incompletely understood. The role of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) annexin A5, which is an anti-inflammatory mediator, has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate EBC annexin A5 levels in EIB in asthmatic children.

METHODS

Two groups of children were enrolled in this study: asthmatic children with positive (n=11) and negative (n=7) responses to exercise. The levels of pre- and post-exercise EBC annexin A5 were determined with using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

We observed significant higher pre-exercise EBC annexin A5 levels in the challenge test negative children than in the challenge test positive children (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the post-exercise EBC annexin A5 levels between the groups (p>0.05). Also, no significant difference was observed between pre- and post-exercise EBC annexin A5 levels within each group (p>0.05). There was an inverse correlation between annexin A5 levels and a reduction in forced expiratory volume at one second percent (FEV1%) (p=0.009, r=-0.598).

CONCLUSIONS

Our preliminary study showed that EBC annexin A5 may have a possible preventive role in EIB in asthma. Annexin A5 and related compounds may provide novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of EIB in asthma.

Aspirin or other nonsteroidal inflammatory agent exacerbated asthma

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is an asthma phenotype with a prevalence that ranges from 2% to 25% of the asthma population. The 2% prevalence applies to patients with mild and 25% to severe, persistent asthma. COX-1-inhibiting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin, aggravate the preexisting upper and lower respiratory disease, sometimes in a life-threatening manner. The upper airway disease is characterized by an eosinophilic, hyperplastic rhinosinusitis with polyps. Eosinophilia, both peripheral and in the airways with Th2 inflammation, characterizes this disease. The role of allergic sensitivity in AERD is unclear, even though more than 30% of affected patients produce specific IgE to environmental allergens. Clinically, the respiratory symptoms are not usually associated with allergen exposure. The mechanism responsible for this phenotype is likely related to leukotriene (LT) metabolism because patients who are affected compared with patients who were aspirin tolerant, produce greater amounts of cysteinyl LTs. The synthesis of cysteinyl LTs is further increased after aspirin challenge and symptom exacerbation. Eosinophilia as well as a variety of other biologic markers, for example, Th2 cytokines, peripheral blood periostin, and LT enzymes and receptors, are associated with AERD both in the blood and in respiratory mucosa. These markers may help identify patients with AERD, but aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs challenge is the primary means to confirm the diagnosis. A variety of single nucleotide polymorphisms and genes are associated with AERD, but the studies to date are limited to select populations and have not conclusively demonstrated a uniform genetic pattern in subjects with this disease. Treatment of AERD can be challenging because the nasal symptoms, including polyposis, are often refractory to both surgery and medical treatment, and the asthma can be difficult to control. Aspirin desensitization, followed by daily aspirin administration, can improve both upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms in up to 60% of individuals.

The maternal ITPK1 gene polymorphism is associated with neural tube defects in a high-risk Chinese population

Background

Epidemiological surveys and animal studies have revealed that inositol metabolism is associated with NTDs, but the mechanisms are not clear. Inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6-kinase (ITPK1) is a pivotal regulatory enzyme in inositol metabolic pathway. The objective was to assess the potential impact of the maternal ITPK1 genotypes on the inositol parameter and on the NTD risk in a NTD high-risk area in China.

Methodology/Results

A case-control study of pregnant women affected with NTDs (n = 200) and controls (n = 320) was carried out. 13 tag SNPs of ITPK1 were selected and genotyped by the Sequenom MassArray system. We found that 4 tag SNPs were statistically significant in spina bifida group (P<0.05). MACH was used to impute the un-genotyped SNPs in ITPK1 locus and showed that 3 meaningful SNPs in the non-coding regions were significant. We also predicted the binding capacity of transcription factors in the positive SNPs using the bioinformatics method and found that only rs3783903 was located in the conserved sequence of activator protein-1 (AP-1). To further study the association between biochemical values and genotypes, maternal plasma inositol hexakisphosphate (IP₆) levels were also assessed using LC-MS. The maternal plasma IP₆ concentrations in the spina bifida subgroup were 7.1% lower than control (136.67 vs. 147.05 ng mL⁻¹, P<0.05), and significantly lower in rs3783903 GG genotype than others (P<0.05). EMSA showed a different allelic binding capacity of AP-1 in rs3783903, which was affected by an A→G exchange. The RT-PCR suggested the ITPK1 expression was decreased significantly in mutant-type of rs3783903 compared with wild-type in the 60 healthy pregnancies (P<0.05).

Conclusions/Significance

These results suggested that the maternal rs3783903 of ITPK1 might be associated with spina bifida, and the allele G of rs3783903 might affect the binding of AP-1 and the decrease of maternal plasma IP₆ concentration in this Chinese population.