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Ideozu JE, Liu M, Riley-Gillis BM, Paladugu SR, Rahimov F, Krishnan P, Tripathi R, Dorr P, Levy H, Singh A, Waring JF, Vasanthakumar A. Diversity of CFTR variants across ancestries characterized using 454,727 UK biobank whole exome sequences. Genome Med 2024; 16:43. [PMID: 38515211 PMCID: PMC10956269 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01316-5] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited understanding of the diversity of variants in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene across ancestries hampers efforts to advance molecular diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). The consequences pose a risk of delayed diagnoses and subsequently worsened health outcomes for patients. Therefore, characterizing the spectrum of CFTR variants across ancestries is critical for revolutionizing molecular diagnoses of CF. METHODS We analyzed 454,727 UK Biobank (UKBB) whole-exome sequences to characterize the diversity of CFTR variants across ancestries. Using the PanUKBB classification, the participants were assigned into six major groups: African (AFR), American/American Admixed (AMR), Central South Asia (CSA), East Asian (EAS), European (EUR), and Middle East (MID). We segregated ancestry-specific CFTR variants, including those that are CF-causing or clinically relevant. The ages of certain CF-causing variants were determined and analyzed for selective pressure effects, and curated phenotype analysis was performed for participants with clinically relevant CFTR genotypes. RESULTS We detected over 4000 CFTR variants, including novel ancestry-specific variants, across six ancestries. Europeans had the most unique CFTR variants [n = 2212], while the American group had the least unique variants [n = 23]. F508del was the most prevalent CF-causing variant found in all ancestries, except in EAS, where V520F was the most prevalent. Common EAS variants such as 3600G > A, V456A, and V520, which appeared approximately 270, 215, and 338 generations ago, respectively, did not show evidence of selective pressure. Sixteen participants had two CF-causing variants, with two being diagnosed with CF. We found 154 participants harboring a CF-causing and varying clinical consequences (VCC) variant. Phenotype analysis performed for participants with multiple clinically relevant variants returned significant associations with CF and its pulmonary phenotypes [Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS We leveraged the UKBB database to comprehensively characterize the broad spectrum of CFTR variants across ancestries. The detection of over 4000 CFTR variants, including several ancestry-specific and uncharacterized CFTR variants, warrants the need for further characterization of their functional and clinical relevance. Overall, the presentation of classical CF phenotypes seen in non-CF diagnosed participants with more than one CF-causing variant indicates that they may benefit from current CFTR modulator therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E Ideozu
- Genomic Medicine, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Mengzhen Liu
- Human Genetics, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Sri R Paladugu
- Human Genetics, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Fedik Rahimov
- Human Genetics, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hara Levy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey F Waring
- Genomic Medicine, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA
- Human Genetics, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Chicago, IL, USA
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2
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Salinas EA, Macauley V, Keeling KM, Edwards YJK. Discovery of dysregulated circular RNAs in whole blood transcriptomes from cystic fibrosis patients - implication of a role for cellular senescence in cystic fibrosis. J Cyst Fibros 2023; 22:683-693. [PMID: 37142522 PMCID: PMC10947771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2023.04.021] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A largely unexplored area of research is the identification and characterization of circular RNA (circRNA) in cystic fibrosis (CF). This study is the first to identify and characterize alterations in circRNA expression in cells lacking CFTR function. The circRNA expression profiles in whole blood transcriptomes from CF patients homozygous for the pathogenetic variant F508delCFTR are compared to healthy controls. METHODS We developed a circRNA pipeline called circRNAFlow utilizing Nextflow. Whole blood transcriptomes from CF patients homozygous for the F508delCFTR-variant and healthy controls were utilized as input to circRNAFlow to discover dysregulated circRNA expression in CF samples compared to wild-type controls. Pathway enrichment analyzes were performed to investigate potential functions of dysregulated circRNAs in whole blood transcriptomes from CF samples compared to wild-type controls. RESULTS A total of 118 dysregulated circRNAs were discovered in whole blood transcriptomes from CF patients homozygous for the F508delCFTR variant compared to healthy controls. 33 circRNAs were up regulated whilst 85 circRNAs were down regulated in CF samples compared to healthy controls. The overrepresented pathways of the host genes harboring dysregulated circRNA in CF samples compared to controls include positive regulation of responses to endoplasmic reticulum stress, intracellular transport, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, phospholipid-translocating ATPase complex, ferroptosis and cellular senescence. These enriched pathways corroborate the role of dysregulated cellular senescence in CF. CONCLUSION This study highlights the underexplored roles of circRNAs in CF with a perspective to provide a more complete molecular characterization of CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A Salinas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Victor Macauley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kim M Keeling
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Yvonne J K Edwards
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Cell, Development and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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3
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Zhang X, Moore CM, Harmacek LD, Domenico J, Rangaraj VR, Ideozu JE, Knapp JR, Woods KJ, Jump S, Jia S, Prokop JW, Bowler R, Hessner MJ, Gelfand EW, Levy H. CFTR-mediated monocyte/macrophage dysfunction revealed by cystic fibrosis proband-parent comparisons. JCI Insight 2022; 7:152186. [PMID: 35315363 PMCID: PMC8986072 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.152186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder caused by biallelic mutations of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Converging evidence suggests that CF carriers with only 1 defective CFTR copy are at increased risk for CF-related conditions and pulmonary infections, but the molecular mechanisms underpinning this effect remain unknown. We performed transcriptomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CF child-parent trios (proband, father, and mother) and healthy control (HC) PBMCs or THP-1 cells incubated with the plasma of these participants. Transcriptomic analyses revealed suppression of cytokine-enriched immune-related genes (IL-1β, CXCL8, CREM), implicating lipopolysaccharide tolerance in innate immune cells (monocytes) of CF probands and their parents. These data suggest that a homozygous as well as a heterozygous CFTR mutation can modulate the immune/inflammatory system. This conclusion is further supported by the finding of lower numbers of circulating monocytes in CF probands and their parents, compared with HCs, and the abundance of mononuclear phagocyte subsets, which correlated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, lung disease severity, and CF progression in the probands. This study provides insight into demonstrated CFTR-related innate immune dysfunction in individuals with CF and carriers of a CFTR mutation that may serve as a target for personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Data Science program, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | - Camille M Moore
- Center for Genes, Environment and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Laura D Harmacek
- Center for Genes, Environment and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Joanne Domenico
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and
| | - Vittobai Rashika Rangaraj
- Division of Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Justin E Ideozu
- Genomic Medicine, Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jennifer R Knapp
- Center for Genes, Environment and Health, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Katherine J Woods
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Stephanie Jump
- Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Shuang Jia
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Max McGee Center for Juvenile Diabetes, Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jeremy W Prokop
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Russell Bowler
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and
| | - Martin J Hessner
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Max McGee Center for Juvenile Diabetes, Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Erwin W Gelfand
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.,Division of Immunology, Microbiology and Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Hara Levy
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and
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4
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Sanders M, Lawlor JMJ, Li X, Schuen JN, Millard SL, Zhang X, Buck L, Grysko B, Uhl KL, Hinds D, Stenger CL, Morris M, Lamb N, Levy H, Bupp C, Prokop JW. Genomic, transcriptomic, and protein landscape profile of CFTR and cystic fibrosis. Hum Genet 2021; 140:423-439. [PMID: 32734384 PMCID: PMC7855842 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02211-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is caused most often by removal of amino acid 508 (Phe508del, deltaF508) within CFTR, yet dozens of additional CFTR variants are known to give rise to CF and many variants in the genome are known to contribute to CF pathology. To address CFTR coding variants, we developed a sequence-to-structure-to-dynamic matrix for all amino acids of CFTR using 233 vertebrate species, CFTR structure within a lipid membrane, and 20 ns of molecular dynamic simulation to assess known variants from the CFTR1, CFTR2, ClinVar, TOPmed, gnomAD, and COSMIC databases. Surprisingly, we identify 18 variants of uncertain significance within CFTR from diverse populations that are heritable and a likely cause of CF that have been understudied due to nonexistence in Caucasian populations. In addition, 15 sites within the genome are known to modulate CF pathology, where we have identified one genome region (chr11:34754985-34836401) that contributes to CF through modulation of expression of a noncoding RNA in epithelial cells. These 15 sites are just the beginning of understanding comodifiers of CF, where utilization of eQTLs suggests many additional genomics of CFTR expressing cells that can be influenced by genomic background of CFTR variants. This work highlights that many additional insights of CF genetics are needed, particularly as pharmaceutical interventions increase in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - James M J Lawlor
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Xiaopeng Li
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - John N Schuen
- Pediatric Pulmonology, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Susan L Millard
- Pediatric Pulmonology, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, 80206, USA
| | - Leah Buck
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL, 35632, USA
| | - Bethany Grysko
- Spectrum Health Medical Genetics, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Katie L Uhl
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - David Hinds
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Cynthia L Stenger
- Department of Mathematics, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL, 35632, USA
| | - Michele Morris
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Neil Lamb
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Hara Levy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, 80206, USA
| | - Caleb Bupp
- Spectrum Health Medical Genetics, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Jeremy W Prokop
- Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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5
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Tucker SL, Sarr D, Rada B. Neutrophil extracellular traps are present in the airways of ENaC-overexpressing mice with cystic fibrosis-like lung disease. BMC Immunol 2021; 22:7. [PMID: 33478382 PMCID: PMC7819174 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-021-00397-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neutrophils are key components of the exacerbated inflammation and tissue damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) airways. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) trap and kill extracellular pathogens. While NETs are abundant in the airways of CF patients and have been hypothesized to contribute to lung damage in CF, the in vivo role of NETs remains controversial, partially due to lack of appropriate animal models. The goal of this study was to detect NETs and to further characterize neutrophil-mediated inflammation in the airways of mice overexpressing the epithelial sodium channel (βENaC-Tg mice on C57BL/6 background) in their lung with CF-like airway disease, in the absence of any apparent bacterial infections. Methods Histology scoring of lung tissues, flow cytometry, multiplex ELISA, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to characterize NETs and the airway environment in uninfected, βENaC-Tg mice at 6 and 8 weeks of age, the most chronic time points so far studied in this model. Results Excessive neutrophilic infiltration characterized the lungs of uninfected, βENaC-Tg mice at 6 and 8 weeks of age. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of βENaC-Tg mice contains increased levels of CF-associated cytokines and chemokines: KC, MIP-1α/β, MCP-1, G-CSF, IL-5, and IL-6. The BALF of βENaC-Tg mice contain MPO-DNA complexes, indicative of the presence of NETs. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry of BALF neutrophils and lung tissues demonstrated increased histone citrullination, a NET-specific marker, in βENaC-Tg mice. Conclusions NETs are detected in the airways of βENaC-Tg mice, in the absence of bacterial infections. These data demonstrate the usefulness of the βENaC-Tg mouse to serve as a model for studying the role of NETs in chronic CF airway inflammation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-021-00397-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Tucker
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Demba Sarr
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Balázs Rada
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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6
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Schupp JC, Khanal S, Gomez JL, Sauler M, Adams TS, Chupp GL, Yan X, Poli S, Zhao Y, Montgomery RR, Rosas IO, Dela Cruz CS, Bruscia EM, Egan ME, Kaminski N, Britto CJ. Single-Cell Transcriptional Archetypes of Airway Inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020; 202:1419-1429. [PMID: 32603604 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202004-0991oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening, multisystem hereditary disease caused by abnormal chloride transport. CF lung disease is driven by innate immune dysfunction and exaggerated inflammatory responses that contribute to tissue injury. To define the transcriptional profile of this airway immune dysfunction, we performed the first single-cell transcriptome characterization of CF sputum.Objectives: To define the transcriptional profile of sputum cells and its implication in the pathogenesis of immune function and the development of CF lung disease.Methods: We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of sputum cells from nine subjects with CF and five healthy control subjects. We applied novel computational approaches to define expression-based cell function and maturity profiles, herein called transcriptional archetypes.Measurements and Main Results: The airway immune cell repertoire shifted from alveolar macrophages in healthy control subjects to a predominance of recruited monocytes and neutrophils in CF. Recruited lung mononuclear phagocytes were abundant in CF and were separated into the following three archetypes: activated monocytes, monocyte-derived macrophages, and heat shock-activated monocytes. Neutrophils were the most prevalent in CF, with a dominant immature proinflammatory archetype. Although CF monocytes exhibited proinflammatory features, both monocytes and neutrophils showed transcriptional evidence of abnormal phagocytic and cell-survival programs.Conclusions: Our findings offer an opportunity to understand subject-specific immune dysfunction and its contribution to divergent clinical courses in CF. As we progress toward personalized applications of therapeutic and genomic developments, we hope this inflammation-profiling approach will enable further discoveries that change the natural history of CF lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Khanal
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
| | - Jose L Gomez
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
| | - Maor Sauler
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
| | | | | | - Xiting Yan
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
| | - Sergio Poli
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and.,Division of Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, Florida
| | | | | | - Ivan O Rosas
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | | | - Emanuela M Bruscia
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology, and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marie E Egan
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology, and Sleep Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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7
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Zhang X, Pan A, Jia S, Ideozu JE, Woods K, Murkowski K, Hessner MJ, Simpson PM, Levy H. Cystic Fibrosis Plasma Blunts the Immune Response to Bacterial Infection. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2020; 61:301-311. [PMID: 30848661 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2018-0114oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations of the gene encoding the CF transmembrane conductance regulator. It remains unclear whether the abnormal immune response in CF involves extrinsic signals released from the external or internal environment. We sought to characterize the peripheral immune signatures in CF and its association with clinical phenotypes. Healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with plasma from CF probands (CFPs) or healthy control subjects (HCs) followed by nCounter gene and microRNA (miRNA) profiling. A discovery cohort of 12 CFPs and 12 HCs and a validation cohort of 103 CFPs and 31 HCs (our previous microarray data [GSE71799]) were analyzed to characterize the composition of cultured immune cells and establish a miRNA‒mRNA network. Cell compositions and miRNA profiles were associated with clinical characteristics of the cohorts. Significantly differentially expressed genes and abundance of myeloid cells were downregulated in PMBCs after culture with CF plasma (P < 0.05). Top-ranked miRNAs that increased in response to CF plasma (adjusted P < 0.05) included miR-155 and miR-146a, which target many immune-related genes, such as IL-8. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection was negatively associated with abundance of monocytes and the presence of those regulatory miRNAs. Extrinsic signals in plasma from patients with CF led to monocyte inactivation and miRNA upregulation in PBMCs. An improved understanding of the immune effects of extrinsic factors in CF holds great promise for integrating immunomodulatory cell therapies into current treatment strategies in CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amy Pan
- Children's Research Institute of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; and.,Division of Quantitative Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics
| | - Shuang Jia
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Pediatrics, Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes, and
| | - Justin E Ideozu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Katherine Woods
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Kathleen Murkowski
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Martin J Hessner
- Children's Research Institute of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; and.,Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics.,Department of Pediatrics, Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes, and
| | - Pippa M Simpson
- Children's Research Institute of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; and.,Division of Quantitative Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics
| | - Hara Levy
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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8
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Ideozu JE, Zhang X, Rangaraj V, McColley S, Levy H. Microarray profiling identifies extracellular circulating miRNAs dysregulated in cystic fibrosis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15483. [PMID: 31664087 PMCID: PMC6820733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51890-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular circulating miRNAs (ECmiRNAs) play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and serve as non-invasive biomarkers in a wide range of diseases, but their abundance and functional relevance in cystic fibrosis (CF) remain poorly understood. In this study, we employed microarray technology to identify aberrantly expressed plasma ECmiRNAs in CF and elucidate the functional relevance of their targets. Overall, we captured several ECmiRNAs abundantly expressed in CF. Expression levels of 11 ECmiRNAs differed significantly between CF and healthy control (HC) samples (FDR < 0.05, log2 FC≥2). Among these, 10 were overexpressed while only hsa-miR-598-3p was underexpressed in CF. The overexpressed miRNAs included three let-7 family members (hsa-let-7b-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p and hsa-let-7d-5p), three 103/107 family members (hsa-mir-103a-3p; hsa-mir-103b; hsa-mir-107), hsa-miR-486-5p, and other miRNAs. Using in silico methods, we identified 2,505 validated targets of the 11 differentially expressed miRNAs. Hsa-let-7b-5p was the most important hub in the network analysis. The top-ranked validated targets were involved in miRNA biogenesis and gene expression, including AGO1, DICER1, HMGA1, and MYC. The top pathways influenced by all targets were primarily signal transduction pathways associated with CF, including PI3K/Akt-, Wnt/β catenin-, glucocorticoid receptor-, and mTor signaling pathways. Our results suggest ECmiRNAs may be clinically relevant in CF and warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E Ideozu
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. .,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA. .,Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Xi Zhang
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA.,Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Vittobai Rangaraj
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Susanna McColley
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Hara Levy
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. .,Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA. .,Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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9
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Kopp BT, Fitch J, Jaramillo L, Shrestha CL, Robledo-Avila F, Zhang S, Palacios S, Woodley F, Hayes D, Partida-Sanchez S, Ramilo O, White P, Mejias A. Whole-blood transcriptomic responses to lumacaftor/ivacaftor therapy in cystic fibrosis. J Cyst Fibros 2019; 19:245-254. [PMID: 31474496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2019.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cystic fibrosis (CF) remains without a definitive cure. Novel therapeutics targeting the causative defect in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene are in clinical use. Lumacaftor/ivacaftor is a CFTR modulator approved for patients homozygous for the CFTR variant p.Phe508del, but there are wide variations in treatment responses preventing prediction of patient responses. We aimed to determine changes in gene expression related to treatment initiation and response. METHODS Whole-blood transcriptomics was performed using RNA-Seq in 20 patients with CF pre- and 6 months post-lumacaftor/ivacaftor (drug) initiation and 20 non-CF healthy controls. Correlation of gene expression with clinical variables was performed by stratification via clinical responses. RESULTS We identified 491 genes that were differentially expressed in CF patients (pre-drug) compared with non-CF controls and 36 genes when comparing pre-drug to post-drug profiles. Both pre- and post-drug CF profiles were associated with marked overexpression of inflammation-related genes and apoptosis genes, and significant under-expression of T cell and NK cell-related genes compared to non-CF. CF patients post-drug demonstrated normalized protein synthesis expression, and decreased expression of cell-death genes compared to pre-drug profiles, irrespective of clinical response. However, CF clinical responders demonstrated changes in eIF2 signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, IL-17 signaling, and mitochondrial function compared to non-responders. Top overexpressed genes (MMP9 and SOCS3) that decreased post-drug were validated by qRT-PCR. Functional assays demonstrated that CF monocytes normalized calcium (increases MMP9 expression) concentrations post-drug. CONCLUSIONS Transcriptomics revealed differentially regulated pathways in CF patients at baseline compared to non-CF, and in clinical responders to lumacaftor/ivacaftor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Kopp
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - James Fitch
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lisa Jaramillo
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chandra L Shrestha
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Frank Robledo-Avila
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shuzhong Zhang
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sabrina Palacios
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Fred Woodley
- Division of Gastroenterology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Don Hayes
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Octavio Ramilo
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Peter White
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Asuncion Mejias
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
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10
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Transcriptional consequences of impaired immune cell responses induced by cystic fibrosis plasma characterized via dual RNA sequencing. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:66. [PMID: 31118097 PMCID: PMC6532208 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0529-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In cystic fibrosis (CF), impaired immune cell responses, driven by the dysfunctional CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, may determine the disease severity but clinical heterogeneity remains a major therapeutic challenge. The characterization of molecular mechanisms underlying impaired immune responses in CF may reveal novel targets with therapeutic potential. Therefore, we utilized simultaneous RNA sequencing targeted at identifying differentially expressed genes, transcripts, and miRNAs that characterize impaired immune responses triggered by CF and its phenotypes. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) extracted from a healthy donor were stimulated with plasma from CF patients (n = 9) and healthy controls (n = 3). The PBMCs were cultured (1 × 105 cells/well) for 9 h at 37 ° C in 5% CO2. After culture, total RNA was extracted from each sample and used for simultaneous total RNA and miRNA sequencing. Results Analysis of expression signatures from peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by plasma of CF patients and healthy controls identified 151 genes, 154 individual transcripts, and 41 miRNAs differentially expressed in CF compared to HC while the expression signatures of 285 genes, 241 individual transcripts, and seven miRNAs differed due to CF phenotypes. Top immune pathways influenced by CF included agranulocyte adhesion, diapedesis signaling, and IL17 signaling, while those influenced by CF phenotypes included natural killer cell signaling and PI3K signaling in B lymphocytes. Upstream regulator analysis indicated dysregulation of CCL5, NF-κB and IL1A due to CF while dysregulation of TREM1 and TP53 regulators were associated with CF phenotype. Five miRNAs showed inverse expression patterns with three target genes relevant in CF-associated impaired immune pathways while two miRNAs showed inverse expression patterns with two target genes relevant to a dysregulated immune pathway associated with CF phenotypes. Conclusions Our results indicate that miRNAs and individual transcript variants are relevant molecular targets contributing to impaired immune cell responses in CF. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12920-019-0529-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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11
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Ideozu JE, Zhang X, McColley S, Levy H. Transcriptome Profiling and Molecular Therapeutic Advances in Cystic Fibrosis: Recent Insights. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030180. [PMID: 30813620 PMCID: PMC6470978 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In cystic fibrosis (CF), mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene disrupt the capacity of the encoded protein to function as a channel to transport chloride ions and water across cell membranes. The consequences are deleterious, system-wide, and immensely variable, even among patients with the same CFTR genotype. This underscores the need to characterize the mechanisms contributing to CF pathophysiology. Gene replacement and gene editing therapies have been pursued intensively and are expected to provide a one-time treatment for CF. However, gene replacement therapy is limited by the lack of efficient vectors to deliver functional copies of CFTR to cells without immunological complications, while gene editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 are still in their infancy, mainly useful in somatic cells and limited by off-target insertions. Small molecule treatments targeted at potentiating or correcting CFTR have shown clinical benefits, but they are limited to a few CFTR mutations and insufficient to overcome challenges related to clinical heterogeneity. Transcriptome profiling approaches have emerged as robust tools capable of characterizing phenotypic variability and revealing novel molecular targets with therapeutic potential for CF. We summarize current insights gained through transcriptome profiling approaches in CF studies and recent advances in molecular therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E Ideozu
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
- Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
- Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Xi Zhang
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
- Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
- Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Susanna McColley
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
- Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Hara Levy
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
- Human Molecular Genetics Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
- Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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