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Ishida K, Osakunor DNM, Rossi M, Lamanna OK, Mbanefo EC, Cody JJ, Le L, Hsieh MH. RNA-seq gene expression profiling of the bladder in a mouse model of urogenital schistosomiasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.29.601185. [PMID: 38979184 PMCID: PMC11230422 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.29.601185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Parasitic flatworms of the Schistosoma genus cause schistosomiasis, which affects over 230 million people. Schistosoma haematobium causes the urogenital form of schistosomiasis (UGS), which can lead to hematuria, fibrosis, and increased risk of secondary infections by bacteria or viruses. UGS is also linked to bladder cancer. To understand the bladder pathology during S. haematobium infection, our group previously developed a mouse model that involves the injection of S. haematobium eggs into the bladder wall. Using this model, we studied changes in epigenetics profile, as well as changes in gene and protein expression in the host bladder tissues. In the current study, we expand upon this work by examining the expression level of both host and parasite genes using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in the mouse bladder wall injection model of S. haematobium infection. Methods We used a mouse model of S. haematobium infection in which parasite eggs or vehicle control were injected into the bladder walls of female BALB/c mice. RNA-seq was performed on the RNA isolated from the bladders four days after bladder wall injection. Results/Conclusions RNA-seq analysis of egg- and vehicle control-injected bladders revealed the differential expression of 1025 mouse genes in the egg-injected bladders, including genes associated with cellular infiltration, immune cell chemotaxis, cytokine signaling, and inflammation We also observed the upregulation of immune checkpoint-related genes, which suggests that while the infection causes an inflammatory response, it also dampens the response to avoid excessive inflammation-related damage to the host. Identifying these changes in host signaling and immune responses improves our understanding of the infection and how it may contribute to the development of bladder cancer. Analysis of the differential gene expression of the parasite eggs between bladder-injected versus uninjected eggs revealed 119 S. haematobium genes associated with transcription, intracellular signaling, and metabolism. The analysis of the parasite genes also revealed fewer transcript reads compared to that found in the analysis of mouse genes, highlighting the challenges of studying parasite egg biology in the mouse model of S. haematobium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Ishida
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Derick N M Osakunor
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Mario Rossi
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Olivia K Lamanna
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
| | - Evaristus C Mbanefo
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - James J Cody
- Charles River Laboratories, Rockville, Maryland, United States
| | - Loc Le
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Michael H Hsieh
- Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- Department of Urology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
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Madureira AC. Programmed Cell Death-Ligand-1 expression in Bladder Schistosomal Squamous Cell Carcinoma – There’s room for Immune Checkpoint Blockage? Front Immunol 2022; 13:955000. [PMID: 36148227 PMCID: PMC9486959 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.955000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosoma haematobium, the causative agent of urogenital schistosomiasis, is a carcinogen type 1 since 1994. It is strongly associated with bladder squamous-cell carcinoma in endemic regions, where it accounts for 53-69% of bladder-carcinoma cases. This histological subtype is associated with chronic inflammation being more aggressive and resistant to conventional chemo and radiotherapy. Immune-Checkpoint-Blockage (ICB) therapies targeting the Programmed-Cell-Death-Protein-1(PD-1)/Programmed-Cell-Death-Ligand-1(PD-L1) axis showed considerable success in treating advanced bladder urothelial carcinoma. PD-L1 is induced by inflammatory stimuli and expressed in immune and tumor cells. The binding of PD-L1 with PD-1 modulates immune response leading to T-cell exhaustion. PD-L1 presents in several isoforms and its expression is dynamic and can serve as a companion marker for patients’ eligibility, allowing the identification of positive tumors that are more likely to respond to ICB therapy. The high PD-L1 expression in bladder-urothelial-carcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma may affect further ICB-therapy application and outcomes. In general, divergent histologies are ineligible for therapy. These treatments are expensive and prone to auto-immune side effects and resistance. Thus, biomarkers capable of predicting therapy response are needed. Also, the PD-L1 expression assessment still needs refinement. Studies focused on squamous cell differentiation associated with S. haematobium remain scarce. Furthermore, in low and middle-income-regions, where schistosomiasis is endemic, SCC biomarkers are needed. This mini-review provides an overview of the current literature regarding PD-L1 expression in bladder-squamous-cell-carcinoma and schistosomiasis. It aims to pinpoint future directions, controversies, challenges, and the importance of PD-L1 as a biomarker for diagnosis, disease aggressiveness, and ICB-therapy prognosis in bladder-schistosomal-squamous-cell carcinoma.
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Osakunor DNM, Ishida K, Lamanna OK, Rossi M, Dwomoh L, Hsieh MH. Host tissue proteomics reveal insights into the molecular basis of Schistosoma haematobium-induced bladder pathology. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010176. [PMID: 35167594 PMCID: PMC8846513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Urogenital schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern worldwide. In response to egg deposition, the host bladder undergoes gross and molecular morphological changes relevant for disease manifestation. However, limited mechanistic studies to date imply that the molecular mechanisms underlying pathology are not well-defined. We leveraged a mouse model of urogenital schistosomiasis to perform for the first time, proteome profiling of the early molecular events that occur in the bladder after exposure to S. haematobium eggs, and to elucidate the protein pathways involved in urogenital schistosomiasis-induced pathology. Purified S. haematobium eggs or control vehicle were microinjected into the bladder walls of mice. Mice were sacrificed seven days post-injection and bladder proteins isolated and processed for proteome profiling using mass spectrometry. We demonstrate that biological processes including carcinogenesis, immune and inflammatory responses, increased protein translation or turnover, oxidative stress responses, reduced cell adhesion and epithelial barrier integrity, and increased glucose metabolism were significantly enriched in S. haematobium infection. S. haematobium egg deposition in the bladder results in significant changes in proteins and pathways that play a role in pathology. Our findings highlight the potential bladder protein indicators for host-parasite interplay and provide new insights into the complex dynamics of pathology and characteristic bladder tissue changes in urogenital schistosomiasis. The findings will be relevant for development of improved interventions for disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derick N. M. Osakunor
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Kenji Ishida
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Olivia K. Lamanna
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Mario Rossi
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Louis Dwomoh
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Michael H. Hsieh
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Departments of Urology, Department of Pediatrics, and Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
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Melkus MW, Le L, Siddiqui AJ, Molehin AJ, Zhang W, Lazarus S, Siddiqui AA. Elucidation of Cellular Responses in Non-human Primates With Chronic Schistosomiasis Followed by Praziquantel Treatment. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:57. [PMID: 32154190 PMCID: PMC7050631 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, mass drug treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) has been utilized to treat schistosomiasis, yet reinfection and the risk of drug resistance are among the various factors precluding successful elimination of schistosomiasis. Tractable models that replicate "real world" field conditions are crucial to effectively evaluate putative schistosomiasis vaccines. Herein, we describe the cellular immune responses and cytokine expression profiles under field conditions that include prior infection with schistosomes followed by treatment with PZQ. Baboons were exposed to Schistosoma mansoni cercariae through trickle infection over 5 weeks, allowed for chronic disease to develop, and then treated with PZQ. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were monitored for cellular immune response(s) at each disease stage and PZQ therapy. After initial infection and during chronic disease, there was an increase in non-classical monocytes, NK and NKT cells while the CD4:CD8 T cell ratio inverted from a 2:1 to 1:2.5. The cytokine expressions of PBMCs after trickle infections were polarized more toward a Th2 response with a gradual increase in Th1 cytokine expression at chronic disease stage. Following PZQ treatment, with the exception of an increase in B cells, immune cell populations reverted back toward naïve levels; however, expression of almost all Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines was significantly increased. This preliminary study is the first to follow the cellular immune response and cytokine expression profiles in a non-human primate model simulating field conditions of schistosomiasis and PZQ therapy, providing a promising reference in predicting the immune response to future vaccines for schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Melkus
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Loc Le
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Arif J Siddiqui
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adebayo J Molehin
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Samra Lazarus
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Afzal A Siddiqui
- Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States
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