1
|
Frischbutter S, Durek P, Witkowski M, Angermair S, Treskatsch S, Maurer M, Radbruch A, Mashreghi MF. Serum TGF-β as a predictive biomarker for severe disease and fatality of COVID-19. Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2350433. [PMID: 37386908 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
For targeted intervention in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is a high medical need for biomarkers that predict disease progression and severity in the first days after symptom onset. This study assessed the utility of early transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) serum levels in COVID-19 patients to predict disease severity, fatality, and response to dexamethasone therapy. Patients with severe COVID-19 had significantly higher TGF-β levels (416 pg/mL) as compared to patients with mild (165 pg/mL, p < 0.0001) or moderate COVID-19 (241 pg/mL; p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristics area under the curve values were 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-0.99, cut-off: 255 pg/mL) for mild versus severe COVID-19, and 0.83 (95% CI 0.65-1.0, cut-off: 202 pg/mL) for moderate versus severe COVID-19. Patients who died of severe COVID-19 had significantly higher TGF-β levels (453 pg/mL) as compared to convalescent patients (344 pg/mL), and TGF-β levels predicted fatality (area under the curve: 0.75, 95% CI 0.53-0.96). TGF-β was significantly reduced in severely ill patients treated with dexamethasone (301 pg/mL) as compared to untreated patients (416 pg/mL; p < 0.05). Early TGF-β serum levels in COVID-19 patients predict, with high accuracy, disease severity, and fatality. In addition, TGF-β serves as a specific biomarker to assess response to dexamethasone treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Frischbutter
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Allergology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Allergology and Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Durek
- Therapeutic Gene Regulation, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Witkowski
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Mucosal and Developmental Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Angermair
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Treskatsch
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Maurer
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Allergology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Allergology and Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Radbruch
- Cell Biology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mir-Farzin Mashreghi
- Therapeutic Gene Regulation, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), Institute of the Leibniz Association, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Andresen BT. Could a Nebulized or Dry Powder Inhalation of a Dopamine D1R Agonist Be a Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis? J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2023; 386:274-276. [PMID: 37591657 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley T Andresen
- Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tao X, Chen C, Huang Z, Lei Y, Wang M, Wang S, Tian D. Genetic deletion of phosphodiesterase 4D in the liver improves kidney damage in high-fat fed mice: liver-kidney crosstalk. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:273. [PMID: 37072403 PMCID: PMC10113384 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05792-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of epidemiological evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the regulatory mechanism linking NAFLD and CKD remains unclear. Our previous studies have shown that overexpression of PDE4D in mouse liver is sufficient for NAFLD, but little is known about its role in kidney injury. Here, liver-specific PDE4D conditional knockout (LKO) mice, adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8)-mediated gene transfer of PDE4D and the PDE4 inhibitor roflumilast were used to assess the involvement of hepatic PDE4D in NAFLD-associated renal injury. We found that mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks developed hepatic steatosis and kidney injury, with an associated increase in hepatic PDE4D but no changes in renal PDE4D. Furthermore, liver-specific knockout of PDE4D or pharmacological inhibition of PDE4 with roflumilast ameliorated hepatic steatosis and kidney injury in HFD-fed diabetic mice. Correspondingly, overexpression of hepatic PDE4D resulted in significant renal damage. Mechanistically, highly expressed PDE4D in fatty liver promoted the production and secretion of TGF-β1 into blood, which triggered kidney injury by activating SMADs and subsequent collagen deposition. Our findings revealed PDE4D might act as a critical mediator between NAFLD and associated kidney injury and indicated PDE4 inhibitor roflumilast as a potential therapeutic strategy for NAFLD-associated CKD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Tao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Can Chen
- Clinical Center of Human Gene Research, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Muru Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuhui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dean Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhou L, Liu J, Wang L, He Y, Zhang J. Carbocistein improves airway remodeling in asthmatic mice. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:5583-5590. [PMID: 36105069 PMCID: PMC9452364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The alleviating effects of carbocisteine (S-carboxymethylcysteine, SCMC) have been implicated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; however, very little is known about its mechanisms in asthma. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of SCMC on airway remodeling in asthmatic mice induced by ovalbumin (OVA). METHODS The asthma mouse model was generated by OVA sensitization and stimulation and subsequently intervened by SCMC or dexamethasone. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were collected from each group of mice. The TGF-β1 levels in BALF were measured by ELISA. Masson's staining was used to detect collagen fiber deposition in mouse airway tissues, while immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR were conducted to examine the protein and mRNA expression of TGF-β1 in mouse lung airway tissues, respectively. The correlation between TGF-β1 mRNA expression and the area of collagen fiber deposition in airway tissues was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS The area of collagen fiber deposition in the airway tissues of asthmatic mice was significantly increased, while SCMC alleviated the collagen fiber deposition in the airway tissues. TGF-β1 expression was significantly elevated in BALF and airway tissues of asthmatic mice, while SCMC inhibited TGF-β1 expression. TGF-β1 expression was significantly and positively correlated with collagen fiber deposition in mouse airway tissues. CONCLUSIONS SCMC intervention improves collagen fiber deposition in airway tissues and inhibits TGF-β1 expression in asthmatic mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Jibing Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, Guizhou, P. R. China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The People’s Hospital of ZhongjiangDeyang 618100, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Yunfei He
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Jianyong Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyi 563000, Guizhou, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gebski EB, Anaspure O, Panettieri RA, Koziol-White CJ. Airway smooth muscle and airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma - mechanisms of airway smooth muscle dysfunction. Minerva Med 2021; 113:4-16. [PMID: 33496164 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4806.21.07283-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric B Gebski
- Drexel College of Arts and Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Omkar Anaspure
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Reynold A Panettieri
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Cynthia J Koziol-White
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA -
| |
Collapse
|