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Al-Kuraishy HM, Sulaiman GM, Jabir MS, Mohammed HA, Al-Gareeb AI, Albukhaty S, Klionsky DJ, Abomughaid MM. Defective autophagy and autophagy activators in myasthenia gravis: a rare entity and unusual scenario. Autophagy 2024; 20:1473-1482. [PMID: 38346408 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2315893] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) that results from autoantibodies against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchRs) at NMJs. These autoantibodies are mainly originated from autoreactive B cells that bind and destroy nAchRs at NMJs preventing nerve impulses from activating the end-plates of skeletal muscle. Indeed, immune dysregulation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MG. Autoreactive B cells are increased in MG due to the defect in the central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms. As well, autoreactive T cells are augmented in MG due to the diversion of regulatory T (Treg) cells or a defect in thymic anergy leading to T cell-mediated autoimmunity. Furthermore, macroautophagy/autophagy, which is a conserved cellular catabolic process, plays a critical role in autoimmune diseases by regulating antigen presentation, survival of immune cells and cytokine-mediated inflammation. Abnormal autophagic flux is associated with different autoimmune disorders. Autophagy regulates the connection between innate and adaptive immune responses by controlling the production of cytokines and survival of Tregs. As autophagy is involved in autoimmune disorders, it may play a major role in the pathogenesis of MG. Therefore, this mini-review demonstrates the potential role of autophagy and autophagy activators in MG.Abbreviations: Ach, acetylcholine; Breg, regulatory B; IgG, immunoglobulin G; MG, myasthenia gravis; NMJ, neuromuscular junction; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Treg, regulatory T; Ubl, ubiquitin-like.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayder M Al-Kuraishy
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Medicine, College of Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | | | - Majid S Jabir
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Hamdoon A Mohammed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Salim Albukhaty
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Misan, Maysan, Iraq
| | | | - Mosleh M Abomughaid
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
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Altınönder İ, Kaya M, Yentür SP, Çakar A, Durmuş H, Yegen G, Özkan B, Parman Y, Sawalha AH, Saruhan-Direskeneli G. Thymic gene expression analysis reveals a potential link between HIF-1A and Th17/Treg imbalance in thymoma associated myasthenia gravis. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:126. [PMID: 38734662 PMCID: PMC11088784 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03095-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an immune-mediated disease frequently associated with thymic changes. Increased T helper 17 (Th17) cell activity and dysfunctional regulatory T (Treg) cells have been demonstrated in subgroups of MG. On the other hand, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) has been shown to regulate the Th17/Treg balance by inducing Th17 differentiation while attenuating Treg development. To identify the underlying mechanisms of different thymic pathologies in MG development, we evaluated thymic samples from thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (TAMG), MG with hyperplasia (TFH-MG) and thymoma without MG (TOMA) patients. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that TAMG and TFH-MG cells are associated with different functional pathways. A higher RORC/FOXP3 ratio provided evidence for Th17/Treg imbalance in TAMG potentially related to increased HIF1A. The hypoxic microenvironment in thymoma may be a driver of TAMG by increasing HIF1A. These findings may lead to new therapeutic approaches targeting HIF1A in the development of TAMG.
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Affiliation(s)
- İlayda Altınönder
- Department of Physiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Kaya
- Department of Physiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Sibel P Yentür
- Department of Physiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Arman Çakar
- Department of Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Hacer Durmuş
- Department of Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Gülçin Yegen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Berker Özkan
- Department of Pathology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Yeşim Parman
- Department of Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34093, Turkey
| | - Amr H Sawalha
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Chen K, Li Y, Yang H. Poor responses and adverse outcomes of myasthenia gravis after thymectomy: Predicting factors and immunological implications. J Autoimmun 2022; 132:102895. [PMID: 36041292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) has been recognized as a series of heterogeneous but treatable autoimmune conditions. As one of the indispensable therapies, thymectomy can achieve favorable prognosis especially in early-onset generalized MG patients with seropositive acetylcholine receptor antibody. However, poor outcomes, including worsening or relapse of MG, postoperative myasthenic crisis and even post-thymectomy MG, are also observed in certain scenarios. The responses to thymectomy may be associated with the general characteristics of patients, disease conditions of MG, autoantibody profiles, native or ectopic thymic pathologies, surgical-related factors, pharmacotherapy and other adjuvant modalities, and the presence of comorbidities and complications. However, in addition to these variations among individuals, pathological remnants and the abnormal immunological milieu and responses potentially represent major mechanisms that underlie the detrimental neurological outcomes after thymectomy. We underscore these plausible risk factors and discuss the immunological implications therein, which may be conducive to better managing the indications for thymectomy, to avoiding modifiable risk factors of poor responses and adverse outcomes, and to developing post-thymectomy preventive and therapeutic strategies for MG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangzhi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Silva MC, Eugénio P, Faria D, Pesquita C. Ontologies and Knowledge Graphs in Oncology Research. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081906. [PMID: 35454813 PMCID: PMC9029532 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of cancer research stems from leaning on several biomedical disciplines for relevant sources of data, many of which are complex in their own right. A holistic view of cancer—which is critical for precision medicine approaches—hinges on integrating a variety of heterogeneous data sources under a cohesive knowledge model, a role which biomedical ontologies can fill. This study reviews the application of ontologies and knowledge graphs in cancer research. In total, our review encompasses 141 published works, which we categorized under 14 hierarchical categories according to their usage of ontologies and knowledge graphs. We also review the most commonly used ontologies and newly developed ones. Our review highlights the growing traction of ontologies in biomedical research in general, and cancer research in particular. Ontologies enable data accessibility, interoperability and integration, support data analysis, facilitate data interpretation and data mining, and more recently, with the emergence of the knowledge graph paradigm, support the application of Artificial Intelligence methods to unlock new knowledge from a holistic view of the available large volumes of heterogeneous data.
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Meng FJ, Guo F, Sun ZN, Wang SJ, Yang CR, Wang CY, Zhang WC, Gao ZY, Ji LL, Feng FK, Guan ZY, Wang GS. Downregulation of DNMT3a expression by RNAi and its effect on NF-κBs expression of thymic epithelial cells. Immunol Lett 2021; 237:17-26. [PMID: 34192561 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.06.005] [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: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To understand the characteristics of DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) in thymoma associated Myasthenia Gravis reveal its transcriptional regulator network as while as analyze the effect of DNMT3a on Rel/ nuclear factor-kappaB family (RelA/RelB) and its downstream autoimmune regulatory factor (Aire). METHODS Tissues of 30 patients with thymoma, with or without myasthenia gravis (MG), were collected and the DNMT3a protein expression were evaluated through immunohistochemistry. We performed mRNA expression profiling microarray detection and analysis, and integrated the analysis by constructing protein-protein interaction networks and the integration with other database. We identified molecular difference between low and high DNMT3a in the thymoma by heatmap. We also performed PCR validation in thymoma tissues. The DNMT3a-shRNA plasmid was transfected into TEC cells, and these cells were treated with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine, a blocker of DNMT3a. After the down-regulation of DNMT3a in TEC cells, the transcript and protein levels of RelA, RelB, Aire, and CHRNA3 were evaluated by western blotting. In addition, changes in gene expression profiles were screened through microarray technology. We performed differential gene analysis in the thymoma cohort by heatmap with R (v.4.3.0) software. RESULTS In 30 matched tissue specimens, the expression of DNMT3a protein in thymoma with MG was lower than that in thymoma. Through mRNA expression profiling analysis, we constructed a co-expression network of DNMT3a and found direct interaction between IKZF1 and DNMT3a, and this co-expression relationship was overlappted with Cistrome DB database. We found up-regulation of 149 mRNAs and repression of 177 mRNAs in thymoma with MG compared with thymoma. Gene ontology and pathway analysis show the involvement of a multitude of genes in the mis-regulation of MG-related pathways. RNA interference significantly reduced the level of mRNA of DNMT3a, which proved that plasmid DNMT3a was effective. In comparison to the control group, the levels of DNMT3a, Aire, and CHRNA3 mRNA and protein in TEC cells transfected with DNMT3a-shRNA interference plasmid were significantly decreased, while the expression level of RelA and RelA/RelB was significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals the DNMT3a-NF-κB pathway has a major effect on MG, and can be used as a marker for diagnosis as well as a target for MG treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Jie Meng
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China
| | - Feng Guo
- Department of Endoscopy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Zhao-Nan Sun
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | | | - Chun-Rui Yang
- The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China
| | - Chun-Yang Wang
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Wen-Cheng Zhang
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China
| | - Zhou-Yong Gao
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China
| | - Lin-Lin Ji
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China
| | - Fu-Kai Feng
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China
| | - Zhi-Yu Guan
- The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, China.
| | - Guang-Shun Wang
- Baodi Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Baodi Hospital, Tianjin 301800, China.
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Qiu K, Li K, Zeng T, Liao Y, Min J, Zhang N, Peng M, Kong W, Chen LL. Integrative Analyses of Genes Associated with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. J Immunol Res 2021; 2021:8263829. [PMID: 34493981 PMCID: PMC8418929 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8263829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is a common autoimmune thyroiditis, which mostly occurs in young and middle-aged women. It can be manifested as hyperthyroidism in the early stage; hypothyroidism may appear with the progression of the disease. Studies have shown that multiple factors such as heredity, environment, and autoimmunity are involved in the pathogenesis, but the specific mechanism is not clear. In our study, we tried to find key genes and potential molecular mechanisms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis to provide new ideas for the therapeutic targets of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. METHOD GSE138198 and GSE54958 were downloaded from the GEO database, and two datasets were combined for analysis. The combined data were normalized to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and hub genes between DEGs were identified. We also used the miRWalk database to identify regulatory miRNAs associated with expressions of DEGs. RESULT We identified 182 DEGs (160 upregulated and 22 downregulated) between Hashimoto's disease patients and the healthy control group. GO analysis showed that DEGs were mostly concentrated in detection of chemical stimulus involved in sensory perception, intermediate filament cytoskeleton, and olfactory receptor activity. KEGG pathway analysis showed that DEGs were mainly related to olfactory transduction. Some members of the KRTAP family and HTR5A, KNG1, DRD3, HTR1D, TAS2R16, INSL5, TAS2R42, and GRM7 are the most important hub genes in the PPI network. In addition, we recognized that OTUD4, LLPH, and ECHDC1 were the most important hub genes in the miRNA-target gene network. CONCLUSION In this study, a series of bioinformatics analyses of DEGs were performed to identify the key genes and pathways associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. These genes and pathways provide a more detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of Hashimoto's disease and provide new ideas for the therapeutic targets of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangli Qiu
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Kai Li
- Network and Computing Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Tianshu Zeng
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yunfei Liao
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jie Min
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Miaomiao Peng
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Wen Kong
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Lu-lu Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan 430022, China
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Benitez JC, Besse B. Narrative review of immunotherapy in thymic malignancies. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2021; 10:3001-3013. [PMID: 34295693 PMCID: PMC8264314 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-1222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Thymomas and thymic carcinomas (TCs) (also known as Thymic Epithelial Tumors or TETs) are rare cancers and the most frequent masses of the anterior mediastinum. These tumors appear in the epithelial component of the thymus, a primary lymphoid organ, and they have reported a high risk of auto-immunity due to a unique biology. Indeed, up to 30% of patients with TETs could present an autoimmune disorder (AID), the most frequent being Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Moreover, AIDs have been reported not only at tumor diagnosis but before and during the follow-up. These tumors have a lack of specific therapeutic targets for metastatic setting. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may defeat cancer cells' capacity to evade the immune system and proliferate. The long-term benefit of ICIs in the metastatic setting in several tumors, such as melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), let to evaluate ICI approaches in TETs. The high rate of AIDs and distribution of autoimmune events among TET's histological subtypes may have an influence on the decision regarding a treatment based on ICI due to the increased risk of toxicity. We summarize the current evidence for the efficacy of ICI in thymoma and TC and discuss several unresolved challenges and concerns for the use of this agents in TETs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Gustave Roussy, Department of Cancer Medicine, Villejuif, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
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