Plasma granzyme B in ST elevation myocardial infarction versus non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome: comparisons with IL-18 and fractalkine

Granzyme B PET imaging inflammation and remodeling in myocardial infarction

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate whether granzyme B (GzmB)-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agent (68 Ga-grazytracer) can characterize cardiac inflammation and remodeling in myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODS

Rats with MI were subjected to GzmB-targeted PET/CT on post-operative days 1, 3, 6, 14, and 28. Autoradiography, Masson staining, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA were performed to verify the inflammatory response and remodeling after MI in vitro. Rats were treated with GzmB inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK to improve cardiac remodeling. Cardiac function tests were performed by echocardiography at 6 weeks after MI.

RESULTS

The highest uptake of 68 Ga-grazytracer was observed on day 3 after MI compared with the values obtained on the other days (0.294 ± 0.03% ID/g at 3 days vs. 0.122 ± 0.01% ID/g in the sham group, P < 0.001). Immunohistochemistry showed significantly high expression of GzmB and CD8, in line with the PET/CT imaging results. Autoradiography revealed 68 Ga-grazytracer accumulation in the infarcted myocardium. The 68 Ga-grazytracer uptake of treated rats was significantly reduced compared with that in the MI groups (0.184 ± 0.03%ID/g vs. 0.286 ± 0.03%ID/g; P < 0.001). Echocardiography showed that the left ventricular ejection fraction was lower in the MI groups than in the ischemia reperfusion group. GzmB inhibitor treatment was shown to be effective in improving cardiac function without significantly shortening infarct size.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the potential of 68 Ga-grazytracer imaging to delineate adverse inflammatory responses and pathological cardiac remodeling, which can help predict heart function. PET/CT imaging-guided therapy may reduce myocardial injury and improve heart function in MI.

Differential Signaling Pathways in Medulloblastoma: Nano-biomedicine Targeting Non-coding Epigenetics to Improve Current and Future Therapeutics

BACKGROUND

Medulloblastomas (MDB) are malignant, aggressive brain tumors that primarily affect children. The survival rate for children under 14 is approximately 72%, while for ages 15 to 39, it is around 78%. A growing body of evidence suggests that dysregulation of signaling mechanisms and noncoding RNA epigenetics play a pivotal role in this disease.

METHODOLOGY

This study conducted an electronic search of articles on websites like PubMed and Google. The current review also used an in silico databases search and bioinformatics analysis and an extensive comprehensive literature search for original research articles and review articles as well as retrieval of current and future medications in clinical trials.

RESULTS

This study indicates that several signaling pathways, such as sonic hedgehog, WNT/β-catenin, unfolded protein response mediated ER stress, notch, neurotrophins and TGF-β and ERK, MAPK, and ERK play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MDB. Gene and ncRNA/protein are also involved as an axis long ncRNA to sponge micro-RNAs that affect downstream signal proteins expression and translation affection disease pathophysiology, prognosis and present potential target hit for drug repurposing. Current treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; unfortunately, the disease often relapses, and the survival rate is less than 5%. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective treatments to combat recurrence and improve survival rates.

CONCLUSION

This review describes various MDB disease hallmarks, including the signaling mechanisms involved in pathophysiology, related-causal genes, epigenetics, downstream genes/epigenes, and possibly the causal disease genes/non-protein coding (nc)RNA/protein axis. Additionally, the challenges associated with MDB treatment are discussed, along with how they are being addressed using nano-technology and nano-biomedicine, with a listing of possible treatment options and future potential treatment modalities.

Remodeled tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) parade via natural killer cells reprogramming in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the main cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally. Despite substantial advances in the identification and management of primary tumors, traditional therapies including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation cannot completely eliminate the danger of relapse and metastatic illness. Metastasis is controlled by microenvironmental and systemic mechanisms, including immunosurveillance. This led to the evolvement of immunotherapies that has gained much attention in the recent years for cancer treatment directed to the innate immune system. The long forgotten innate immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as novel targets for more effective therapeutics for BC. Normally, NK cells has the capacity to identify and eradicate tumor cells either directly or by releasing cytotoxic granules, chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. Yet, NK cells are exposed to inhibitory signals by cancer cells, which causes them to become dysfunctional in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in BC, supporting tumor escape and spread. Potential mechanisms of NK cell dysfunction in BC metastasis have been recently identified. Understanding these immunologic pathways driving BC metastasis will lead to improvements in the current immunotherapeutic strategies. In the current review, we highlight how BC evades immunosurveillance by rendering NK cells dysfunctional and we shed the light on novel NK cell- directed therapies.

Pyroptosis is a drug target for prevention of adverse cardiac remodeling: The crosstalk between pyroptosis, apoptosis, and autophagy

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the main reasons of cardiovascular disease-related death. The introduction of percutaneous coronary intervention to clinical practice dramatically decreased the mortality rate in AMI. Adverse cardiac remodeling is a serious problem in cardiology. An increase in the effectiveness of AMI treatment and prevention of adverse cardiac remodeling is difficult to achieve without understanding the mechanisms of reperfusion cardiac injury and cardiac remodeling. Inhibition of pyroptosis prevents the development of postinfarction and pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling, and mitigates cardiomyopathy induced by diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the pyroptosis inhibitors may find a role in clinical practice for treatment of AMI and prevention of cardiac remodeling, diabetes and metabolic syndrome-triggered cardiomyopathy. It was demonstrated that pyroptosis interacts closely with apoptosis and autophagy. Pyroptosis could be inhibited by nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor with a pyrin domain 3 inhibitors, caspase-1 inhibitors, microRNA, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blockers, and traditional Chinese herbal medicines.

Effective Natural Killer Cell Degranulation Is an Essential Key in COVID-19 Evolution

NK degranulation plays an important role in the cytotoxic activity of innate immunity in the clearance of intracellular infections and is an important factor in the outcome of the disease. This work has studied NK degranulation and innate immunological profiles and functionalities in COVID-19 patients and its association with the severity of the disease. A prospective observational study with 99 COVID-19 patients was conducted. Patients were grouped according to hospital requirements and severity. Innate immune cell subpopulations and functionalities were analyzed. The profile and functionality of innate immune cells differ between healthy controls and severe patients; CD56dim NK cells increased and MAIT cells and NK degranulation rates decreased in the COVID-19 subjects. Higher degranulation rates were observed in the non-severe patients and in the healthy controls compared to the severe patients. Benign forms of the disease had a higher granzymeA/granzymeB ratio than complex forms. In a multivariate analysis, the degranulation capacity resulted in a protective factor against severe forms of the disease (OR: 0.86), whereas the permanent expression of NKG2D in NKT cells was an independent risk factor (OR: 3.81; AUC: 0.84). In conclusion, a prompt and efficient degranulation functionality in the early stages of infection could be used as a tool to identify patients who will have a better evolution.

Correlation Analysis of Acute Coronary Syndrome with Serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and Plasma FIB

Aim

This study attempted to investigate the diagnostic value of interleukin-18 (IL-18), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and fibrinogen (FIB) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and their correlation with the degree of vascular lesions.

Materials and Methods

Altogether 206 patients with coronary heart disease admitted to our hospital were selected as research objects, including 136 patients with ACS (group A), 70 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) (group B), and 60 patients with noncoronary heart disease who had normal coronary angiography during the same period were selected as group C. The levels of IL-18, MMP-9, and hs-CRP in the serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the level of FIB in plasma was detected by automatic coagulation analyzer.

Results

Serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and plasma FIB levels in group A were significantly higher than those in group B and group C (p < 0.05). ROC curve and multivariate logistic regression showed that the sensitivity and specificity of combined diagnosis of ACS with serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and plasma FIB were 86.03% and 95.71%, respectively. Serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and plasma FIB were positively correlated with Gensini grading (p < 0.001). Serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and plasma FIB levels were positively correlated (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The combined detection of serum IL-18, MMP-9, hs-CRP, and plasma FIB has good diagnostic value for ACS, and these index levels are positively correlated with the degree of vascular lesions.

The Role of Pyroptosis in Ischemic and Reperfusion Injury of the Heart

While ischemia itself can kill heart muscle, much of the infarction after a transient period of coronary artery occlusion has been found to result from injury during reperfusion. Here we review the role of inflammation and possible pyroptosis in myocardial reperfusion injury. Current evidence suggests pyroptosis's contribution to infarction may be considerable. Pyroptosis occurs when inflammasomes activate caspases that in turn cleave off an N-terminal fragment of gasdermin D. This active fragment makes large pores in the cell membrane thus killing the cell. Inhibition of inflammation enhances cardiac tolerance to ischemia and reperfusion injury. Stimulation of the purinergic P2X7 receptor and the β-adrenergic receptor and activation of nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) by toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists are all known to contribute to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) cardiac injury through inflammation, potentially by pyroptosis. In contrast, stimulation of the cannabinoid CB2 receptor reduces I/R cardiac injury and inhibits this pathway. MicroRNAs, Akt, the phosphate and tension homology deleted on chromosome 10 protein (PTEN), pyruvate dehydrogenase and sirtuin-1 reportedly modulate inflammation in cardiomyocytes during I/R. Cryopyrin and caspase-1/4 inhibitors are reported to increase cardiac tolerance to ischemic and reperfusion cardiac injury, presumably by suppressing inflammasome-dependent inflammation. The ambiguity surrounding the role of pyroptosis in reperfusion injury arises because caspase-1 also activates cytotoxic interleukins and proteolytically degrades a surprisingly large number of cytosolic enzymes in addition to activating gasdermin D.

Granzyme B in Inflammatory Diseases: Apoptosis, Inflammation, Extracellular Matrix Remodeling, Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Fibrosis

Inflammation is strictly interconnected to anti-inflammatory mechanisms to maintain tissue homeostasis. The disruption of immune homeostasis can lead to acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, as cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic diseases and cancer. The knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the development and progression of these pathological conditions is important to find effective therapies. Granzyme B (GrB) is a serine protease produced by a variety of immune, non-immune and tumor cells. Apoptotic intracellular and multiple extracellular functions of GrB have been recently identified. Its capability of cleaving extracellular matrix (ECM) components, cytokines, cell receptors and clotting proteins, revealed GrB as a potential multifunctional pro-inflammatory molecule with the capability of contributing to the pathogenesis of different inflammatory conditions, including inflammaging, acute and chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Here we give an overview of recent data concerning GrB activity on multiple targets, potentially allowing this enzyme to regulate a wide range of crucial biological processes that play a role in the development, progression and/or severity of inflammatory diseases. We focus our attention on the promotion by GrB of perforin-dependent and perforin-independent (anoikis) apoptosis, inflammation derived by the activation of some cytokines belonging to the IL-1 cytokine family, ECM remodeling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis. A greater comprehension of the pathophysiological consequences of GrB-mediated multiple activities may favor the design of new therapies aim to inhibit different inflammatory pathological conditions such as inflammaging and age-related diseases, EMT and organ fibrosis.

Granzymes in cardiovascular injury and disease

Chronic inflammation and impaired wound healing play important roles in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the aberrant secretion of proteases plays a critical role in pathological tissue remodeling in chronic inflammatory conditions. Human Granzymes (Granule secreted enzymes - Gzms) comprise a family of five (GzmA, B, H, K, M) cell-secreted serine proteases. Although each unique in function and substrate specificities, Gzms were originally thought to share redundant, intracellular roles in cytotoxic lymphocyte-induced cell death. However, an abundance of evidence has challenged this dogma. It is now recognized, that individual Gzms exhibit unique substrate repertoires and functions both intracellularly and extracellularly. In the extracellular milieu, Gzms contribute to inflammation, vascular dysfunction and permeability, reduced cell adhesion, release of matrix-sequestered growth factors, receptor activation, and extracellular matrix cleavage. Despite these recent findings, the non-cytotoxic functions of Gzms in the context of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Minimally detected in tissues and bodily fluids of normal individuals, GzmB is elevated in patients with acute coronary syndromes, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction. Pre-clinical animal models have exemplified the importance of GzmB in atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, and cardiac fibrosis as animals deficient in GzmB exhibit reduced tissue remodeling, improved disease phenotypes and increased survival. Although a role for GzmB in cardiovascular disease is described, further work to elucidate the mechanisms that underpin the remaining human Gzms activity in cardiovascular disease is necessary. The present review provides a summary of the pre-clinical and clinical evidence, as well as emerging areas of research pertaining to Gzms in tissue remodeling and cardiovascular disease.

Association of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Related Chain A/B Positive Microparticles with Acute Myocardial Infarction and Disease Severity

Background: Various cell types undergo activation and stress during atherosclerosis resulting in the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in coronary artery disease (CAD). Major histocompatibility complex class I related chain A and B (MICA/B) can be expressed on the surface of activated and stressed cells and released into blood circulation in several forms including microparticles (MICA/B⁺ MPs) from various cell types. We aimed to investigate the association of these MICA/B⁺ MPs with the presence of AMI. Fifty-one AMI and 46 age-matched control subjects were recruited. Methods: Levels of MICA/B⁺ MPs derived from various parent cells including endothelial cells, platelets, monocytes, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes were determined by flow cytometry. Results: The levels and proportion of MICA/B⁺ MPs from all types of cell origin were significantly increased in AMI patients compared to those of the controls. A multivariate regression model showed an independent association between MICA/B⁺ MPs and AMI (OR = 11.6; 95% CI = 2.8, 47.3). Interestingly, based on the disease severity, we found that the levels of MICA/B⁺ MPs were significantly elevated in the ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to the non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients. Moreover, an independent association of MICA/B⁺ MPs with the occurrence of STEMI was also demonstrated (OR = 4.1; 95% CI = 1.5, 16.7). Conclusions: These results suggest that MICA/B⁺ MPs are associated with AMI and disease severity. They may act as mediators contributing to the pathological process of AMI. Alternatively, they are the results of various cell activations contributing to AMI.

MicroRNA expression, targeting, release dynamics and early-warning biomarkers in acute cardiotoxicity induced by triptolide in rats

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. is a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis in China. However, its main active substance, triptolide, has toxic effects on the heart, liver, and kidneys, which limit its clinical application. Therefore, determining the mechanism of cardiotoxicity in triptolide and identifying effective early-warning biomarkers is beneficial for preventing irreversible myocardial injury. We observed changes in microRNAs and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as potential biomarkers in triptolide-induced acute cardiotoxicity by using techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The results revealed that triptolide increased the heart/body ratio and caused myocardial fiber breakage, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, increased cell gaps, and nuclear dissolution in treated male rats. Real-time PCR array detection revealed a more than 2-fold increase in the expression of 108 microRNA genes in the hearts of the male rats; this not only regulated the signaling pathways of ErbB, FOXO, AMPK, Hippo, HIF-1α, mTOR, and PI3K-Akt but also participated in biological processes such as cell adhesion, cell cycling, action potential, locomotory behavior, apoptosis, and DNA binding. Moreover, triptolide reduced the circulatory and cardiac levels of AhR protein as a target of these microRNAs and the messenger RNA expression of its downstream gene CYP1 A1. However, decreases in myocardial lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase MB, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity and an increase in circulating cardiac troponin I were observed only in male rats. Moreover, plasma microRNAs exhibited dynamic change. These results revealed that circulating microRNAs and AhR protein are potentially early-warning biomarkers for triptolide-induced cardiotoxicity.

Prognostic value of fractalkine/CX3CL1 concentration in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Recent studies demonstrated that fractalkine (FKN) is critically involved in the regulation of inflammation and cardiac function.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of circulating FKN in patients with ST-elevated acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary PCI.

METHODS

We enrolled ninety consecutive STEMI patients and investigated the association of circulating FKN with myocardial salvage and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after PCI.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 387 days, total 15 MACE (16.67%) were registered in the study population. Patients with MACE were more likely to be occurred in elderly patients with 3-vessel disease. Correlation analysis demonstrated the level of FKN at day 1 after PCI (FKN@day-1) not only significantly correlated with the levels of hs-TnT at day 7 after PCI (R² = 0.06; p = 0.02) but inversely correlated with the measurements of LVEF at 1-month observation (R² = 0.10; p = 0.00). Kaplan-Meier survival analyses further revealed that patients with the level of FKN@day-1 above the median had a higher incidence of MACE compared with those whose FKN@day-1 levels below the median (log-rank test x² = 13.29, p < 0.001). In addition, multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that FKN@day-1 was an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio: 4.63; 95% confidence interval: 1.53-14.01; p = 0.00), together with WBC count and 3-vessel disease for STEMI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that FKN@day-1 is negative correlated with myocardial salvage after acute myocardial infarction and might be a valuable prognostic marker of MACE in patients with STEMI undergone PCI.

Intermediate and nonclassical monocytes show heterogeneity in patients with different types of acute coronary syndrome

This study was performed to gain further insight in the heterogeneity of monocytes in the different categories of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), especially between patients with unstable angina pectoris, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). For this purpose, blood samples were collected in the acute phase from patients presenting with an ACS. These samples were examined with multiparameter flow cytometry to identify the different monocyte subsets and to analyze the expression of monocyte-associated molecules. Leukocytes, as well as an absolute number of monocytes, showed a clear and significant increase in patients with STEMI. This increase was seen in all subtypes of monocytes. The classical monocytes (CD14++CD16-) of patients with an NSTEMI had a significantly increased CD11b expression when compared to the control group, while these cells showed a decreased expression pattern in STEMI patients. This increased CD11b-expression was also seen in the intermediate monocytes of NSTEMI, while it was almost completely downregulated on the intermediate monocytes of STEMI. Finally, CX3CR1, which is almost exclusively expressed on intermediate and nonclassical monocytes, showed a significant decrease in expression in patients with STEMI. In conclusion, intermediate and nonclassical monocytes have a different immunophenotypic pattern in patients with STEMI versus NSTEMI. These differences reflect the pro-inflammatory state of the monocytes in NSTEMI and can be used as target molecules for novel therapeutic strategies to diminish the migration of proinflammatory monocytes into the myocardial tissue. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Peripheral leucocytes and tissue gene expression of granzyme B/perforin system and serpinB9: Impact on inflammation and insulin resistance in coronary atherosclerosis

AIM

The imbalance between proapoptotic granzyme B (GZB)/perforin (PRF) system and proteinase inhibitor-9 (PI-9; serpinB9); the only known inhibitor of human GZB, has been demonstrated in atherosclerosis. However, their role in atherosclerosis with the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) as well as their contribution to hallmarks of atherosclerosis is not clear.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

ELISA for serum insulin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and GZB levels in atherosclerotic coronary artery diseases (CAD) patients were estimated in comparison to apparently healthy controls, while GZB, PRF and PI-9 mRNA expression levels were quantified by Taqman RT-PCR in both peripheral leucocytes and atherosclerotic tissues.

RESULTS

Atherosclerotic patients showed significantly higher insulin, hsCRP and GZB levels than controls. There was a significant increase in GZB mRNA expression and significant reduction in PI-9 mRNA in both patient peripheral leucocytes and atherosclerotic lesions, while PRF mRNA increased significantly only in atherosclerotic tissues. PI-9 mRNA levels were significantly lower in patients with diabetes than patients without diabetes. In contrast to positive modulating effect of GZB, regression analysis revealed negative modulating effect of PI-9 on inflammation and insulin resistance. Circulating PI-9 mRNA was inversely contributed to CAD severity.

CONCLUSIONS

GZB and PI-9 could be effective modulators for inflammation and insulin resistance in atherosclerosis.

The evaluation of plasma and leukocytic IL-37 expression in early inflammation in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after PCI

OBJECTIVE

Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI) is accompanied by increased expression of inflammation and decreased expression of anti-inflammation. IL-37 was found to be involved in the atherosclerosis-related diseases and increased in acute coronary syndrome. However, the level of IL-37 in blood plasma and leukocytes from patients with ASTEMI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been explored.

METHODS

We collected peripheral venous blood from consented patients at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after PCI and healthy volunteers. Plasma IL-37, IL-18, IL-18-binding protein (BP), and high sensitive C reaction protein (hs-CRP) were quantified by ELISA and leukocytic IL-37 and ICAM-1 by immunoblotting.

RESULTS

Plasma IL-37, IL-18, and IL-18 BP expression decreased compared to those in healthy volunteers while hs-CRP level was high. Both leukocytic IL-37 and ICAM-1 were highest expressed at 12 h point but significantly decreased at 48 h point.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest L-37 does not play an important role in the systematic inflammatory response but may be involved in leukocytic inflammation in ASTEMI after PCI.