1
|
Xu Z, Forno E, Sun Y, Manni ML, Han YY, Kim S, Yue M, Vonk JM, Kersten ETM, Acosta-Perez E, Canino G, Koppelman GH, Chen W, Celedón JC. Nasal epithelial gene expression and total IgE in children and adolescents with asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:122-131. [PMID: 37742934 PMCID: PMC10842443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.09.014] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about nasal epithelial gene expression and total IgE in youth. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify genes whose nasal epithelial expression differs by total IgE in youth, and group them into modules that could be mapped to airway epithelial cell types. METHODS We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study of total IgE in 469 Puerto Ricans aged 9 to 20 years who participated in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study, separately in all subjects and in those with asthma. We then attempted to replicate top findings for each analysis using data from 3 cohorts. Genes with a Benjamini-Hochberg-adjusted P value of less than .05 in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study and a P value of less than .05 in the same direction of association in 1 or more replication cohort were considered differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs for total IgE in subjects with asthma were further dissected into gene modules using coexpression analysis, and such modules were mapped to specific cell types in airway epithelia using public single-cell RNA-sequencing data. RESULTS A higher number of DEGs for total IgE were identified in subjects with asthma (n = 1179 DEGs) than in all subjects (n = 631 DEGs). In subjects with asthma, DEGs were mapped to 11 gene modules. The top module for positive correlation with total IgE was mapped to myoepithelial and mucus secretory cells in lower airway epithelia and was regulated by IL-4, IL5, IL-13, and IL-33. Within this module, hub genes included CDH26, FETUB, NTRK2, CCBL1, CST1, and CST2. Furthermore, an enrichment analysis showed overrepresentation of genes in signaling pathways for synaptogenesis, IL-13, and ferroptosis, supporting interactions between interleukin- and acetylcholine-induced responses. CONCLUSIONS Our findings for nasal epithelial gene expression support neuroimmune coregulation of total IgE in youth with asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yidan Sun
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle L Manni
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yueh Ying Han
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Molin Yue
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Judith M Vonk
- GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elin T M Kersten
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edna Acosta-Perez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Department of Pediatrics, Medical Science Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Margaritte-Jeannin P, Vernet R, Budu-Aggrey A, Ege M, Madore AM, Linhard C, Mohamdi H, von Mutius E, Granell R, Demenais F, Laprise C, Bouzigon E, Dizier MH. TNS1 and NRXN1 Genes Interacting With Early-Life Smoking Exposure in Asthma-Plus-Eczema Susceptibility. ALLERGY, ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH 2023; 15:779-794. [PMID: 37957795 PMCID: PMC10643854 DOI: 10.4168/aair.2023.15.6.779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Numerous genes have been associated with allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema), but they explain only part of their heritability. This is partly because most previous studies ignored complex mechanisms such as gene-environment (G-E) interactions and complex phenotypes such as co-morbidity. However, it was recently evidenced that the co-morbidity of asthma-plus-eczema appears as a sub-entity depending on specific genetic factors. Besides, evidence also suggest that gene-by-early life environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure interactions play a role in asthma, but were never investigated for asthma-plus-eczema. To identify genetic variants interacting with ETS exposure that influence asthma-plus-eczema susceptibility. METHODS To conduct a genome-wide interaction study (GWIS) of asthma-plus-eczema according to ETS exposure, we applied a 2-stage strategy with a first selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide association meta-analysis to be tested at a second stage by interaction meta-analysis. All meta-analyses were conducted across 4 studies including a total of 5,516 European-ancestry individuals, of whom 1,164 had both asthma and eczema. RESULTS Two SNPs showed significant interactions with ETS exposure. They were located in 2 genes, NRXN1 (2p16) and TNS1 (2q35), never reported associated and/or interacting with ETS exposure for asthma, eczema or more generally for allergic diseases. TNS1 is a promising candidate gene because of its link to lung and skin diseases with possible interactive effect with tobacco smoke exposure. CONCLUSIONS This first GWIS of asthma-plus-eczema with ETS exposure underlines the importance of studying sub-phenotypes such as co-morbidities as well as G-E interactions to detect new susceptibility genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Margaritte-Jeannin
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Vernet
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Ashley Budu-Aggrey
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Markus Ege
- Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University; Institute of Asthma and Allergy prevention, Helmholtz Centre Munich; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany
| | - Anne-Marie Madore
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Centre intersectoriel en santé durable (CISD), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
| | - Christophe Linhard
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Hamida Mohamdi
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Erika von Mutius
- Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University; Institute of Asthma and Allergy prevention, Helmholtz Centre Munich; Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich (CPC-M), German Center for Lung Research, Munich, Germany
| | - Raquell Granell
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Florence Demenais
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Cathrine Laprise
- Département des sciences fondamentales, Centre intersectoriel en santé durable (CISD), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
| | - Emmanuelle Bouzigon
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Dizier
- Université Paris Cité, UMRS 1124, INSERM, Genomic Epidemiology and Multifactorial Diseases Group, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan B, Ren Y, Liu C, Shu L, Wang C, Zhang L. Cystatin SN in type 2 inflammatory airway diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 151:1191-1203.e3. [PMID: 36958985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Cystatin SN, encoded by CST1, belongs to the type 2 (T2) cystatin protein superfamily. In the past decade, several publications have highlighted the association between cystatin SN and inflammatory airway diseases including chronic rhinosinusitis, rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It is, therefore, crucial to understand the role of cystatin SN in the wider context of T2 inflammatory diseases. Here, we review the expression of cystatin SN in airway-related diseases with different endotypes. We also emphasize the physiological and pathological roles of cystatin SN. Physiologically, cystatin SN protects host tissues from destructive proteolysis by cysteine proteases present in the external environment or produced via internal dysregulated expression. Pathologically, the secretion of cystatin SN from airway epithelial cells initiates and amplifies T2 immunity and subsequently leads to disease. We further discuss the development of cystatin SN as a T2 immunity marker that can be monitored noninvasively and assist in airway disease management. The discovery, biology, and inhibition capability are also introduced to better understand the role of cystatin SN in airway diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Yan
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yimin Ren
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Linping Shu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengshuo Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Luo Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Nasal Diseases, Beijing Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ministry of Education of China), Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Nasal Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Allergy, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Stikker BS, Hendriks RW, Stadhouders R. Decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma. Allergy 2023; 78:940-956. [PMID: 36727912 DOI: 10.1111/all.15666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is a complex and heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Alongside environmental factors, asthma susceptibility is strongly influenced by genetics. Given its high prevalence and our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility, asthma is frequently studied in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma development. Virtually all these genetic variants reside in non-coding genomic regions, which has obscured the functional impact of asthma-associated variants and their translation into disease-relevant mechanisms. Recent advances in genomics technology and epigenetics now offer methods to link genetic variants to gene regulatory elements embedded within non-coding regions, which have started to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex (epi)genetics of asthma. Here, we provide an integrated overview of (epi)genetic variants associated with asthma, focusing on efforts to link these disease associations to biological insight into asthma pathophysiology using state-of-the-art genomics methodology. Finally, we provide a perspective as to how decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma has the potential to transform clinical management of asthma and to predict the risk of asthma development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernard S Stikker
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi W Hendriks
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralph Stadhouders
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang M, Gong L, Luo Y, He S, Zhang X, Xie X, Li X, Feng X. Transcriptomic analysis of asthma and allergic rhinitis reveals CST1 as a biomarker of unified airways. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1048195. [PMID: 36733482 PMCID: PMC9888248 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1048195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an important risk factor for the development of asthma. The "unified airway" theory considers the upper and lower airways as a morphological and functional whole. However, studies exploring biomarkers linking the upper and lower airways in allergic disease are lacking, which may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying AR comorbid asthma. Purpose To integrate bioinformatics techniques to explore biomarkers in airway allergic diseases, and to provide a molecular etiology profile for preventing the development of asthma in AR patients. Methods Biomarkers were screened by identifying key genes common between AR and asthma through WGCNA and differential gene analysis. GO and KEGG analyses were performed using DAVID. Immuno-infiltration analysis was performed by CIBERSORTx. The predictive value of CST1 to distinguish Th2-high asthma was determined by ROC curves. GSEA was used to analyze the signaling pathways involved in CST1. TargetScan and miRNet were combined with GSE142237 to construct ceRNA network. CMap was used to explore potential therapeutic drugs. Results Validation of datasets showed that CST1 was the only gene that was up-regulated in both upper and lower airways in patients with AR and asthma, and correlation heatmaps showed that CST1 was the gene with the highest sum of correlation coefficients. GO and KEGG analysis demonstrated that the lower airways of AR patients were mainly involved in inflammatory and immune responses, similar to asthma. Immune infiltration showed that CST1 was mainly positively correlated with activated CD4 memory T cells. According to the ROC curve, CST1 showed excellent diagnostic efficiency for Th2-high asthma. GSEA indicated that CST1 was involved in the FcϵRI signaling pathway and O-glycan biosynthesis. A ceRNA network including the lncRNAs KCNQ1OT1 and NEAT1 was constructed. Four drugs, including verrucarin-A, had the potential to prevent the development of asthma in AR patients. In addition, corticosteroids were found to downregulate CST1 expression. Conclusion CST1 plays a key role in the development of AR comorbid asthma and may be a biomarker for airway allergic diseases. Targeted treatment of CST1 has the potential to prevent the development of asthma in AR patients and deserves further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xin Feng
- *Correspondence: Xin Feng, ; Xuezhong Li,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Augustine T, Al-Aghbar MA, Al-Kowari M, Espino-Guarch M, van Panhuys N. Asthma and the Missing Heritability Problem: Necessity for Multiomics Approaches in Determining Accurate Risk Profiles. Front Immunol 2022; 13:822324. [PMID: 35693821 PMCID: PMC9174795 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.822324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is ranked among the most common chronic conditions and has become a significant public health issue due to the recent and rapid increase in its prevalence. Investigations into the underlying genetic factors predict a heritable component for its incidence, estimated between 35% and 90% of causation. Despite the application of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and admixture mapping approaches, the proportion of variants identified accounts for less than 15% of the observed heritability of the disease. The discrepancy between the predicted heritable component of disease and the proportion of heritability mapped to the currently identified susceptibility loci has been termed the ‘missing heritability problem.’ Here, we examine recent studies involving both the analysis of genetically encoded features that contribute to asthma and also the role of non-encoded heritable characteristics, including epigenetic, environmental, and developmental aspects of disease. The importance of vertical maternal microbiome transfer and the influence of maternal immune factors on fetal conditioning in the inheritance of disease are also discussed. In order to highlight the broad array of biological inputs that contribute to the sum of heritable risk factors associated with allergic disease incidence that, together, contribute to the induction of a pro-atopic state. Currently, there is a need to develop in-depth models of asthma risk factors to overcome the limitations encountered in the interpretation of GWAS results in isolation, which have resulted in the missing heritability problem. Hence, multiomics analyses need to be established considering genetic, epigenetic, and functional data to create a true systems biology-based approach for analyzing the regulatory pathways that underlie the inheritance of asthma and to develop accurate risk profiles for disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Augustine
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Systems Biology and Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammad Ameen Al-Aghbar
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Systems Biology and Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Moza Al-Kowari
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Systems Biology and Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Meritxell Espino-Guarch
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Systems Biology and Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nicholas van Panhuys
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Systems Biology and Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Diver S, Sridhar S, Khalfaoui LC, Russell RJ, Emson C, Griffiths JM, de los Reyes M, Yin D, Colice G, Brightling CE. FeNO differentiates epithelial gene expression clusters: exploratory analysis from the MESOS randomised controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 150:830-840. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
8
|
Soliai MM, Kato A, Helling BA, Stanhope CT, Norton JE, Naughton KA, Klinger AI, Thompson EE, Clay SM, Kim S, Celedón JC, Gern JE, Jackson DJ, Altman MC, Kern RC, Tan BK, Schleimer RP, Nicolae DL, Pinto JM, Ober C. Multi-omics colocalization with genome-wide association studies reveals a context-specific genetic mechanism at a childhood onset asthma risk locus. Genome Med 2021; 13:157. [PMID: 34629083 PMCID: PMC8504130 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified thousands of variants associated with asthma and other complex diseases. However, the functional effects of most of these variants are unknown. Moreover, GWASs do not provide context-specific information on cell types or environmental factors that affect specific disease risks and outcomes. To address these limitations, we used an upper airway epithelial cell (AEC) culture model to assess transcriptional and epigenetic responses to rhinovirus (RV), an asthma-promoting pathogen, and provide context-specific functional annotations to variants discovered in GWASs of asthma. METHODS Genome-wide genetic, gene expression, and DNA methylation data in vehicle- and RV-treated upper AECs were collected from 104 individuals who had a diagnosis of airway disease (n=66) or were healthy participants (n=38). We mapped cis expression and methylation quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs and cis-meQTLs, respectively) in each treatment condition (RV and vehicle) in AECs from these individuals. A Bayesian test for colocalization between AEC molecular QTLs and adult onset asthma and childhood onset asthma GWAS SNPs, and a multi-ethnic GWAS of asthma, was used to assign the function to variants associated with asthma. We used Mendelian randomization to demonstrate DNA methylation effects on gene expression at asthma colocalized loci. RESULTS Asthma and allergic disease-associated GWAS SNPs were specifically enriched among molecular QTLs in AECs, but not in GWASs from non-immune diseases, and in AEC eQTLs, but not among eQTLs from other tissues. Colocalization analyses of AEC QTLs with asthma GWAS variants revealed potential molecular mechanisms of asthma, including QTLs at the TSLP locus that were common to both the RV and vehicle treatments and to both childhood onset and adult onset asthma, as well as QTLs at the 17q12-21 asthma locus that were specific to RV exposure and childhood onset asthma, consistent with clinical and epidemiological studies of these loci. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence of functional effects for asthma risk variants in AECs and insight into RV-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic response mechanisms that modulate genetic effects in the airway and risk for asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus M Soliai
- Departments of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Atsushi Kato
- Departments of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Britney A Helling
- Departments of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - James E Norton
- Departments of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Aiko I Klinger
- Departments of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emma E Thompson
- Departments of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Selene M Clay
- Departments of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James E Gern
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Daniel J Jackson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Matthew C Altman
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Systems Immunology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Robert C Kern
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bruce K Tan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert P Schleimer
- Departments of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dan L Nicolae
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jayant M Pinto
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Departments of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yang Y, Jia M, Ou Y, Adcock IM, Yao X. Mechanisms and biomarkers of airway epithelial cell damage in asthma: A review. CLINICAL RESPIRATORY JOURNAL 2021; 15:1027-1045. [PMID: 34097803 DOI: 10.1111/crj.13407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bronchial asthma is a heterogeneous disease with complex pathological mechanisms representing different phenotypes, including severe asthma. The airway epithelium is a major site of complex pathological changes in severe asthma due, in part, to activation of inflammatory and immune mechanisms in response to noxious agents. Current imaging procedures are unable to accurately measure epithelial and airway remodeling. Damage of airway epithelial cells occurs is linked to specific phenotypes and endotypes which provides an opportunity for the identification of biomarkers reflecting epithelial, and airway, remodeling. Identification of patients with more severe epithelial disruption using biomarkers may also provide personalised therapeutic opportunities and/or markers of successful therapeutic intervention. Here, we review the evidence for ongoing epithelial cell dysregulation in the pathogenesis of asthma, the sentinel role of the airway epithelium and how understanding these molecular mechanisms provides the basis for the identification of candidate biomarkers for asthma prediction, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuemei Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Man Jia
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingwei Ou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Emergency Medical, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ian M Adcock
- Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Xin Yao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Di Narzo A, Frades I, Crane HM, Crane PK, Hulot JS, Kasarskis A, Hart A, Argmann C, Dubinsky M, Peter I, Hao K. Meta-analysis of sample-level dbGaP data reveals novel shared genetic link between body height and Crohn's disease. Hum Genet 2021; 140:865-877. [PMID: 33452914 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02250-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
To further explore genetic links between complex traits, we developed a comprehensive framework to harmonize and integrate extensive genotype and phenotype data from the four well-characterized cohorts with the focus on cardiometabolic diseases deposited to the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). We generated a series of polygenic risk scores (PRS) to investigate pleiotropic effects of loci that confer genetic risk for 19 common diseases and traits on body height, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and myocardial infarction (MI). In a meta-analysis of 20,021 subjects, we identified shared genetic determinants of Crohn's Disease (CD), a type of inflammatory bowel disease, and body height (p = 5.5 × 10-5). The association of PRS-CD with height was replicated in UK Biobank (p = 1.1 × 10-5) and an independent cohort of 510 CD cases and controls (1.57 cm shorter height per PRS-CD interquartile increase, p = 5.0 × 10-3 and a 28% reduction in CD risk per interquartile increase in PRS-height, p = 1.1 × 10-3, with the effect independent of CD diagnosis). A pathway analysis of the variants overlapping between PRS-height and PRS-CD detected significant enrichment of genes from the inflammatory, immune-mediated and growth factor regulation pathways. This finding supports the clinical observation of growth failure in patients with childhood-onset CD and demonstrates the value of using individual-level data from dbGaP in searching for shared genetic determinants. This information can help provide a refined insight into disease pathogenesis and may have major implications for novel therapies and drug repurposing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Di Narzo
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Itziar Frades
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Research Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Heidi M Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paul K Crane
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jean-Sebastian Hulot
- Université de Paris, INSERM, PARCC, CIC1418, F-75015, Paris, France.,Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Kasarskis
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy Hart
- Janssen R&D, LLC, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Carmen Argmann
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marla Dubinsky
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Inga Peter
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA. .,Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McCarter C, Howrylak J, Kim S. Learning gene networks underlying clinical phenotypes using SNP perturbation. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007940. [PMID: 33095769 PMCID: PMC7584257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Availability of genome sequence, molecular, and clinical phenotype data for large patient cohorts generated by recent technological advances provides an opportunity to dissect the genetic architecture of complex diseases at system level. However, previous analyses of such data have largely focused on the co-localization of SNPs associated with clinical and expression traits, each identified from genome-wide association studies and expression quantitative trait locus mapping. Thus, their description of the molecular mechanisms behind the SNPs influencing clinical phenotypes was limited to the single gene linked to the co-localized SNP. Here we introduce PerturbNet, a statistical framework for learning gene networks that modulate the influence of genetic variants on phenotypes, using genetic variants as naturally occurring perturbation of a biological system. PerturbNet uses a probabilistic graphical model to directly model the cascade of perturbation from genetic variants to the gene network to the phenotype network along with the networks at each layer of the biological system. PerturbNet learns the entire model by solving a single optimization problem with an efficient algorithm that can analyze human genome-wide data within a few hours. PerturbNet inference procedures extract a detailed description of how the gene network modulates the genetic effects on phenotypes. Using simulated and asthma data, we demonstrate that PerturbNet improves statistical power for detecting disease-linked SNPs and identifies gene networks and network modules mediating the SNP effects on traits, providing deeper insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calvin McCarter
- Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Judie Howrylak
- Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seyoung Kim
- Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Heijink IH, Kuchibhotla VNS, Roffel MP, Maes T, Knight DA, Sayers I, Nawijn MC. Epithelial cell dysfunction, a major driver of asthma development. Allergy 2020; 75:1902-1917. [PMID: 32460363 PMCID: PMC7496351 DOI: 10.1111/all.14421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Airway epithelial barrier dysfunction is frequently observed in asthma and may have important implications. The physical barrier function of the airway epithelium is tightly interwoven with its immunomodulatory actions, while abnormal epithelial repair responses may contribute to remodelling of the airway wall. We propose that abnormalities in the airway epithelial barrier play a crucial role in the sensitization to allergens and pathogenesis of asthma. Many of the identified susceptibility genes for asthma are expressed in the airway epithelium, supporting the notion that events at the airway epithelial surface are critical for the development of the disease. However, the exact mechanisms by which the expression of epithelial susceptibility genes translates into a functionally altered response to environmental risk factors of asthma are still unknown. Interactions between genetic factors and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms may be crucial for asthma susceptibility. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for asthma intervention by targeting the airway epithelium. Moreover, exciting new insights have come from recent studies using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐Seq) to study the airway epithelium in asthma. This review focuses on the role of airway epithelial barrier function in the susceptibility to develop asthma and novel insights in the modulation of epithelial cell dysfunction in asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene H. Heijink
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Department of Pulmonology University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Virinchi N. S. Kuchibhotla
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
| | - Mirjam P. Roffel
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Department of Respiratory Medicine Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Ghent University Hospital Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Tania Maes
- Department of Respiratory Medicine Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Ghent University Hospital Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Darryl A. Knight
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW Australia
- UBC Providence Health Care Research Institute Vancouver BC Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Ian Sayers
- Division of Respiratory Medicine National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute University of Nottingham Nottingham UK
| | - Martijn C. Nawijn
- Department of Pathology & Medical Biology GRIAC Research Institute University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Thompson EE, Dang Q, Mitchell-Handley B, Rajendran K, Ram-Mohan S, Solway J, Ober C, Krishnan R. Cytokine-induced molecular responses in airway smooth muscle cells inform genome-wide association studies of asthma. Genome Med 2020; 12:64. [PMID: 32690065 PMCID: PMC7370514 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-020-00759-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A challenge in the post-GWAS era is to assign function to disease-associated variants. However, available resources do not include all tissues or environmental exposures that are relevant to all diseases. For example, exaggerated bronchoconstriction of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) defines airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a cardinal feature of asthma. However, the contribution of ASMC to genetic and genomic studies has largely been overlooked. Our study aimed to address the gap in data availability from a critical tissue in genomic studies of asthma. METHODS We developed a cell model of AHR to discover variants associated with transcriptional, epigenetic, and cellular responses to two AHR promoting cytokines, IL-13 and IL-17A, and performed a GWAS of bronchial responsiveness (BRI) in humans. RESULTS Our study revealed significant response differences between ASMCs from asthma cases and controls, including genes implicated in asthma susceptibility. We defined molecular quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for expression (eQTLs) and methylation (meQTLs), and cellular QTLs for contractility (coQTLs) and performed a GWAS of BRI in human subjects. Variants in asthma GWAS were significantly enriched for ASM QTLs and BRI-associated SNPs, and near genes enriched for ASM function, many with small P values that did not reach stringent thresholds of significance in GWAS. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified significant differences between ASMCs from asthma cases and controls, potentially reflecting trained tolerance in these cells, as well as a set of variants, overlooked in previous GWAS, which reflect the AHR component of asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Thompson
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Quynh Dang
- Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Kavitha Rajendran
- Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sumati Ram-Mohan
- Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julian Solway
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ramaswamy Krishnan
- Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rajasekaran A, He D, Yue A, Singh A, Shannon CP, FitzGerald JM, Boulet LP, O'Byrne PM, Gauvreau GM, Tebbutt SJ. Cholinergic synapse pathway gene polymorphisms associated with allergen-induced late asthmatic responses. ERJ Open Res 2019; 5:00107-2019. [PMID: 31720291 PMCID: PMC6826244 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00107-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Allergen inhalation challenge triggers well-defined airway responses in mild, allergic asthmatics. Some individuals develop only an isolated early response (early responders (ERs)) characterised by acute airway smooth muscle constriction immediately following allergen inhalation. Others develop a late response (dual responders (DRs)) that begins 3–4 h later, resulting in prolonged reduction of airway function, associated with cellular infiltration, inflammation and hyperresponsiveness of the airways [1]. It is not well understood how certain individuals are protected from developing a late response. Our previous research identified novel RNA transcripts in peripheral blood that are predictive of asthmatics who could develop a late response. Our findings pointed towards the presence of inherent differences underlying molecular mechanisms that predispose asthmatic individuals to the late response [2]. Cholinergic synapse pathway gene polymorphisms may play a role in regulating a type of asthmatic airway response triggered upon allergen challengehttp://bit.ly/2lJx1VG
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Rajasekaran
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel He
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alice Yue
- Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,School of Computing Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Amrit Singh
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Casey P Shannon
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - J Mark FitzGerald
- Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Paul M O'Byrne
- Dept of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Scott J Tebbutt
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Prevention of Organ Failure (PROOF) Centre of Excellence, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Dept of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
A cellular census of human lungs identifies novel cell states in health and in asthma. Nat Med 2019; 25:1153-1163. [PMID: 31209336 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0468-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 502] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Human lungs enable efficient gas exchange and form an interface with the environment, which depends on mucosal immunity for protection against infectious agents. Tightly controlled interactions between structural and immune cells are required to maintain lung homeostasis. Here, we use single-cell transcriptomics to chart the cellular landscape of upper and lower airways and lung parenchyma in healthy lungs, and lower airways in asthmatic lungs. We report location-dependent airway epithelial cell states and a novel subset of tissue-resident memory T cells. In the lower airways of patients with asthma, mucous cell hyperplasia is shown to stem from a novel mucous ciliated cell state, as well as goblet cell hyperplasia. We report the presence of pathogenic effector type 2 helper T cells (TH2) in asthmatic lungs and find evidence for type 2 cytokines in maintaining the altered epithelial cell states. Unbiased analysis of cell-cell interactions identifies a shift from airway structural cell communication in healthy lungs to a TH2-dominated interactome in asthmatic lungs.
Collapse
|
16
|
Association Study of Myosin Heavy Chain 15 Polymorphisms with Asthma Susceptibility in Chinese Han. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:3805405. [PMID: 30906771 PMCID: PMC6398074 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3805405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background The Myosin Heavy Chain 15 gene (MYH15) is expressed in the airway epithelium and variants in the gene have been associated with airway responsiveness. The aim of this study was to perform the first investigation of MYH15 polymorphisms in relation to asthma susceptibility. Methods A total of 410 asthma patients and 418 controls from the Chinese Han population were enrolled in the study. Tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped and associations between the polymorphisms and asthma risk were analyzed by logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors. Dual-luciferase reporter gene analysis was performed to detect allele-dependent promoter activity of MYH15 variants in HEK293 cells. Results The A allele of rs9288876 decreased risk of asthma (allelic model: OR=0.808, 95% CI: 0.658-0.993, additive model: OR=0.747, 95% CI: 0.588-0.947, dominant model: OR=0.693, 95% CI: 0.502-0.955). The G alleles of both rs7635009 and rs1454197 were associated with decreased risk of asthma under the additive model (OR=0.779, 95% CI: 0.618-0.981 and OR=0.756, 95% CI: 0.600-0.953, respectively). rs9288876 allele A was associated with higher luciferase activity than allele T (P<0.001). The luciferase activity of rs7635009 allele A was lower than allele G (P=0.001), while rs1454197 allele T had lower luciferase activity than allele G (P<0.001). Conclusion This is the first study to report the association of MYH15 gene polymorphisms with asthma. Polymorphisms of rs9288876, rs7635009, and rs1454197 altered transcriptional regulation of MYH15 and may be functional variants conferring susceptibility to asthma. Further study with larger sample size in different ethnic populations is needed.
Collapse
|
17
|
Kim KW, Ober C. Lessons Learned From GWAS of Asthma. ALLERGY, ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH 2019; 11:170-187. [PMID: 30661310 PMCID: PMC6340805 DOI: 10.4168/aair.2019.11.2.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is a common complex disease of the airways. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of asthma have identified many risk alleles and loci that have been replicated in worldwide populations. Although the risk alleles identified by GWAS have small effects and explain only a small portion of prevalence, the discovery of asthma loci can provide an understanding of its genetic architecture and the molecular pathways involved in disease pathogenesis. These discoveries can translate into advances in clinical care by identifying therapeutic targets, preventive strategies and ultimately approaches for personalized medicine. In this review, we summarize results from GWAS of asthma from the past 10 years and the insights gleaned from these discoveries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Won Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Severance Hospital, Institute of Allergy, Brain Korea 21 PLUS project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Peng S, Deyssenroth MA, Di Narzo AF, Cheng H, Zhang Z, Lambertini L, Ruusalepp A, Kovacic JC, Bjorkegren JLM, Marsit CJ, Chen J, Hao K. Genetic regulation of the placental transcriptome underlies birth weight and risk of childhood obesity. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007799. [PMID: 30596636 PMCID: PMC6329610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GWAS identified variants associated with birth weight (BW), childhood obesity (CO) and childhood BMI (CBMI), and placenta is a critical organ for fetal development and postnatal health. We examined the role of placental transcriptome and eQTLs in mediating the genetic causes for BW, CO and CBMI, and applied integrative analysis (Colocalization and MetaXcan). GWAS loci associated with BW, CO, and CBMI were substantially enriched for placenta eQTLs (6.76, 4.83 and 2.26 folds, respectively). Importantly, compared to eQTLs of adult tissues, only placental eQTLs contribute significantly to both anthropometry outcomes at birth (BW) and childhood phenotypes (CO/CBMI). Eight, six and one transcripts colocalized with BW, CO and CBMI risk loci, respectively. Our study reveals that placental transcription in utero likely plays a key role in determining postnatal body size, and as such may hold new possibilities for therapeutic interventions to prevent childhood obesity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shouneng Peng
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Maya A. Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Antonio F. Di Narzo
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Haoxiang Cheng
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zhongyang Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Luca Lambertini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Arno Ruusalepp
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jason C. Kovacic
- Cardiovascular Research Centre, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Johan L. M. Bjorkegren
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Environmental Health at Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Singhania A, Wallington JC, Smith CG, Horowitz D, Staples KJ, Howarth PH, Gadola SD, Djukanović R, Woelk CH, Hinks TSC. Multitissue Transcriptomics Delineates the Diversity of Airway T Cell Functions in Asthma. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2018; 58:261-270. [PMID: 28933920 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2017-0162oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma arises from the complex interplay of inflammatory pathways in diverse cell types and tissues. We sought to undertake a comprehensive transcriptomic assessment of the epithelium and airway T cells that remain understudied in asthma and investigate interactions between multiple cells and tissues. Epithelial brushings and flow-sorted CD3+ T cells from sputum and BAL were obtained from healthy subjects (n = 19) and patients with asthma (mild, moderate, and severe asthma; n = 46). Gene expression was assessed using Affymetrix HT HG-U133+ PM GeneChips, and results were validated by real-time quantitative PCR. In the epithelium, IL-13 response genes (POSTN, SERPINB2, and CLCA1), mast cell mediators (CPA3 and TPSAB1), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cystatins (CST1, CST2, and CST4) were upregulated in mild asthma, but, except for cystatins, were suppressed by corticosteroids in moderate asthma. In severe asthma-with predominantly neutrophilic phenotype-several distinct processes were upregulated, including neutrophilia (TCN1 and MMP9), mucins, and oxidative stress responses. The majority of the disease signature was evident in sputum T cells in severe asthma, where 267 genes were differentially regulated compared with health, highlighting compartmentalization of inflammation. This signature included IL-17-inducible chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, IL8, and CSF3) and chemoattractants for neutrophils (IL8, CCL3, and LGALS3), T cells, and monocytes. A protein interaction network in severe asthma highlighted signatures of responses to bacterial infections across tissues (CEACAM5, CD14, and TLR2), including Toll-like receptor signaling. In conclusion, the activation of innate immune pathways in the airways suggests that activated T cells may be driving neutrophilic inflammation and steroid-insensitive IL-17 response in severe asthma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akul Singhania
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and
| | - Joshua C Wallington
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and
| | - Caroline G Smith
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and.,2 National Institute for Health Research Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Horowitz
- 3 Janssen Research and Development, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
| | - Karl J Staples
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and
| | - Peter H Howarth
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and.,2 National Institute for Health Research Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan D Gadola
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and.,4 Roche, F. Hoffman-La Roche AG, Konzern-Hauptsitz, Basel, Switzerland; and
| | - Ratko Djukanović
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and.,2 National Institute for Health Research Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher H Woelk
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and
| | - Timothy S C Hinks
- 1 Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, and.,2 National Institute for Health Research Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom.,5 Nuffield Department of Medicine and National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gon Y, Hashimoto S. Role of airway epithelial barrier dysfunction in pathogenesis of asthma. Allergol Int 2018; 67:12-17. [PMID: 28941636 DOI: 10.1016/j.alit.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bronchial asthma is characterized by persistent cough, increased sputum, and repeated wheezing. The pathophysiology underlying these symptoms is the hyper-responsiveness of the airway along with chronic airway inflammation. Repeated injury, repair, and regeneration of the airway epithelium following exposure to environmental factors and inflammation results in histological changes and functional abnormalities in the airway mucosal epithelium; such changes are believed to have a significant association with the pathophysiology of asthma. Damage to the barrier functions of the airway epithelium enhances mucosal permeability of foreign substances in the airway epithelium of patients with asthma. Thus, epithelial barrier fragility is closely involved in releasing epithelial cytokines (e.g., TSLP, IL-25, and IL-33) because of the activation of airway epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and innate group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2). Functional abnormalities of the airway epithelial cells along with the activation of dendritic cells, Th2 cells, and ILC2 form a single immunopathological unit that is considered to cause allergic airway inflammation. Here we use the latest published literature to discuss the potential pathological mechanisms regarding the onset and progressive severity of asthma with regard to the disruption of the airway epithelial function.
Collapse
|
21
|
Vicente CT, Revez JA, Ferreira MAR. Lessons from ten years of genome-wide association studies of asthma. Clin Transl Immunology 2017; 6:e165. [PMID: 29333270 PMCID: PMC5750453 DOI: 10.1038/cti.2017.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty-five genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of asthma were published between 2007 and 2016, the largest with a sample size of 157242 individuals. Across these studies, 39 genetic variants in low linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other were reported to associate with disease risk at a significance threshold of P<5 × 10−8, including 31 in populations of European ancestry. Results from analyses of the UK Biobank data (n=380 503) indicate that at least 28 of the 31 associations reported in Europeans represent true-positive findings, collectively explaining 2.5% of the variation in disease liability (median of 0.06% per variant). We identified 49 transcripts as likely target genes of the published asthma risk variants, mostly based on LD with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). Of these genes, 16 were previously implicated in disease pathophysiology by functional studies, including TSLP, TNFSF4, ADORA1, CHIT1 and USF1. In contrast, at present, there is limited or no functional evidence directly implicating the remaining 33 likely target genes in asthma pathophysiology. Some of these genes have a known function that is relevant to allergic disease, including F11R, CD247, PGAP3, AAGAB, CAMK4 and PEX14, and so could be prioritized for functional follow-up. We conclude by highlighting three areas of research that are essential to help translate GWAS findings into clinical research or practice, namely validation of target gene predictions, understanding target gene function and their role in disease pathophysiology and genomics-guided prioritization of targets for drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joana A Revez
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of asthma have yielded exciting results and identified novel risk alleles and loci. But, like other common complex diseases, asthma-associated alleles have small effect sizes and account for little of the prevalence of asthma. In this review, I discuss the limitations of GWAS approaches and the major challenges facing geneticists in the post-GWAS era and propose alternative strategies to address these challenges. In particular, I propose that focusing on genetic variations that influences gene expression and using cell models of gene-environment interactions in cell types that are relevant to asthma will allow us to more completely characterize the genetic architecture of asthma.
Collapse
|
23
|
Moheimani F, Hsu ACY, Reid AT, Williams T, Kicic A, Stick SM, Hansbro PM, Wark PAB, Knight DA. The genetic and epigenetic landscapes of the epithelium in asthma. Respir Res 2016; 17:119. [PMID: 27658857 PMCID: PMC5034566 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-016-0434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a global health problem with increasing prevalence. The airway epithelium is the initial barrier against inhaled noxious agents or aeroallergens. In asthma, the airway epithelium suffers from structural and functional abnormalities and as such, is more susceptible to normally innocuous environmental stimuli. The epithelial structural and functional impairments are now recognised as a significant contributing factor to asthma pathogenesis. Both genetic and environmental risk factors play important roles in the development of asthma with an increasing number of genes associated with asthma susceptibility being expressed in airway epithelium. Epigenetic factors that regulate airway epithelial structure and function are also an attractive area for assessment of susceptibility to asthma. In this review we provide a comprehensive discussion on genetic factors; from using linkage designs and candidate gene association studies to genome-wide association studies and whole genome sequencing, and epigenetic factors; DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs (especially microRNAs), in airway epithelial cells that are functionally associated with asthma pathogenesis. Our aims were to introduce potential predictors or therapeutic targets for asthma in airway epithelium. Overall, we found very small overlap in asthma susceptibility genes identified with different technologies. Some potential biomarkers are IRAKM, PCDH1, ORMDL3/GSDMB, IL-33, CDHR3 and CST1 in airway epithelial cells. Recent studies on epigenetic regulatory factors have further provided novel insights to the field, particularly their effect on regulation of some of the asthma susceptibility genes (e.g. methylation of ADAM33). Among the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, microRNA networks have been shown to regulate a major portion of post-transcriptional gene regulation. Particularly, miR-19a may have some therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Moheimani
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. .,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Alan C-Y Hsu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew T Reid
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Teresa Williams
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Anthony Kicic
- Telethon Kids Institute, Centre for Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, 6001, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia.,Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Stephen M Stick
- Telethon Kids Institute, Centre for Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, 6001, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia.,Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter A B Wark
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Darryl A Knight
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, HMRI building, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Revez JA, Matheson MC, Hui J, Baltic S, James A, Upham JW, Dharmage S, Thompson PJ, Martin NG, Hopper JL, Ferreira MAR. Identification of STOML2 as a putative novel asthma risk gene associated with IL6R. Allergy 2016; 71:1020-30. [PMID: 26932604 DOI: 10.1111/all.12869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional variants in the interleukin-6 receptor gene (IL6R) are associated with asthma risk. We hypothesized that genes co-expressed with IL6R might also be regulated by genetic polymorphisms that are associated with asthma risk. The aim of this study was to identify such genes. METHODS To identify genes whose expression was correlated with that of IL6R, we analyzed gene expression levels generated for 373 human lymphoblastoid cell lines by the Geuvadis consortium and for 38 hematopoietic cell types by the Differentiation Map Portal (DMAP) project. Genes correlated with IL6R were then screened for nearby single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were significantly associated with both variation in gene expression levels (eSNPs) and asthma risk. RESULTS We identified 90 genes with expression levels correlated with those of IL6R and that also had a nearby eSNP associated with disease risk in a published asthma GWAS (N = 20 776). For 16 (18%) genes, the association between the eSNP and asthma risk replicated with the same direction of effect in a further independent published asthma GWAS (N = 27 378). Among the top replicated associations (FDR < 0.05) were eSNPs for four known (IL18R1, IL18RAP, BCL6, and STAT6) and one putative novel asthma risk gene, stomatin-like protein 2 (STOML2). The expression of STOML2 was negatively correlated with IL6R, while eSNPs that increased the expression of STOML2 were associated with an increased asthma risk. CONCLUSION The expression of STOML2, a gene that plays a key role in mitochondrial function and T-cell activation, is associated with both IL-6 signaling and asthma risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. A. Revez
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - M. C. Matheson
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. Australia
| | - J. Hui
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine of Western Australia (WA); Nedlands WA Australia
- School of Population Health; The University of WA; Nedlands WA Australia
- School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; The University of WA; Nedlands WA Australia
- Busselton Population Medical Research Institute; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Perth WA Australia
| | - S. Baltic
- Institute for Respiratory Health; University of WA; Perth WA Australia
| | - A. James
- Busselton Population Medical Research Institute; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; Perth WA Australia
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology; University of Western Australia; Nedlands WA Australia
- Department of Pulmonary Physiology; West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute; Nedlands WA Australia
| | - J. W. Upham
- School of Medicine; Translational Research Institute; The University of Queensland; Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - S. Dharmage
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. Australia
| | - P. J. Thompson
- Institute for Respiratory Health; University of WA; Perth WA Australia
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology; University of Western Australia; Nedlands WA Australia
| | - N. G. Martin
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute; Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - J. L. Hopper
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Vic. Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Di Narzo AF, Peters LA, Argmann C, Stojmirovic A, Perrigoue J, Li K, Telesco S, Kidd B, Walker J, Dudley J, Cho J, Schadt EE, Kasarskis A, Curran M, Dobrin R, Hao K. Blood and Intestine eQTLs from an Anti-TNF-Resistant Crohn's Disease Cohort Inform IBD Genetic Association Loci. Clin Transl Gastroenterol 2016; 7:e177. [PMID: 27336838 PMCID: PMC4931595 DOI: 10.1038/ctg.2016.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified loci reproducibly associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other immune-mediated diseases; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying most of genetic susceptibility remain undefined. Expressional quantitative trait loci (eQTL) of disease-relevant tissue can be employed in order to elucidate the genes and pathways affected by disease-specific genetic variance. METHODS: In this study, we derived eQTLs for human whole blood and intestine tissues of anti-tumor necrosis factor-resistant Crohn's disease (CD) patients. We interpreted these eQTLs in the context of published IBD GWAS hits to inform on the disease process. RESULTS: At 10% false discovery rate, we discovered that 5,174 genes in blood and 2,063 genes in the intestine were controlled by a nearby single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (i.e., cis-eQTL), among which 1,360 were shared between the two tissues. A large fraction of the identified eQTLs were supported by the regulomeDB database, showing that the eQTLs reside in regulatory elements (odds ratio; OR=3.44 and 3.24 for blood and intestine eQTLs, respectively) as opposed to protein-coding regions. Published IBD GWAS hits as a whole were enriched for blood and intestine eQTLs (OR=2.88 and 2.05; and P value=2.51E-9 and 0.013, respectively), thereby linking genetic susceptibility to control of gene expression in these tissues. Through a systematic search, we used eQTL data to inform 109 out of 372 IBD GWAS SNPs documented in National Human Genome Research Institute catalog, and we categorized the genes influenced by eQTLs according to their functions. Many of these genes have experimentally validated roles in specific cell types contributing to intestinal inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: The blood and intestine eQTLs described in this study represent a powerful tool to link GWAS loci to a regulatory function and thus elucidate the mechanisms underlying the genetic loci associated with IBD and related conditions. Overall, our eQTL discovery approach empirically identifies the disease-associated variants including their impact on the direction and extent of expression changes in the context of disease-relevant cellular pathways in order to infer the functional outcome of this aspect of genetic susceptibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio F Di Narzo
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lauren A Peters
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carmen Argmann
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Katherine Li
- Janssen R&D, LLC, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, PA, USA
| | | | - Brian Kidd
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer Walker
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joel Dudley
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Judy Cho
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eric E Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew Kasarskis
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark Curran
- Janssen R&D, LLC, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Radu Dobrin
- Janssen R&D, LLC, 1400 McKean Road, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.,Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|