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Buscher K, Rixen R, Schütz P, Van Marck V, Heitplatz B, Gabriels G, Jehn U, Braun DA, Pavenstädt H, Reuter S. Unveiling systemic responses in kidney transplantation: interplay between the allograft transcriptome and serum proteins. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1398000. [PMID: 39081308 PMCID: PMC11286594 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1398000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunity, as defined by systems biology, encompasses a holistic response throughout the body, characterized by intricate connections with various tissues and compartments. However, this concept has been rarely explored in kidney transplantation. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated a direct association between the allograft phenotype and serum protein signatures. Time-matched samples of graft biopsies and blood serum were collected in a heterogeneous cohort of kidney-transplanted patients (n = 15) for bulk RNA sequencing and proteomics, respectively. RNA transcripts exhibit distinct and reproducible, coregulated gene networks with specific functional profiles. We measured 159 serum proteins and investigated correlations with gene expression networks. Two opposing axes-one related to metabolism and the other to inflammation-were identified. They may represent a biological continuum between the allograft and the serum and correlate with allograft function, but not with interstitial fibrosis or proteinuria. For signature validation, we used two independent proteomic data sets (n = 21). Our findings establish a biological link between the allograft transcriptome and the blood serum proteome, highlighting systemic immune effects in kidney transplantation and offering a promising framework for developing allograft-linked biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Buscher
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Rebecca Rixen
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Paula Schütz
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Veerle Van Marck
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Barbara Heitplatz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Gert Gabriels
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ulrich Jehn
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Daniela Anne Braun
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hermann Pavenstädt
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Reuter
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine D, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
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Bian R, Xu X, Li W. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms between heart failure and end-stage renal disease via a bioinformatics study. Front Genet 2023; 13:1037520. [PMID: 36704339 PMCID: PMC9871391 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1037520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Heart failure (HF) is not only a common complication in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) but also a major cause of death. Although clinical studies have shown that there is a close relationship between them, the mechanism of its occurrence is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the molecular mechanisms between HF and ESRD through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, providing a new perspective on the crosstalk between these two diseases. Methods: The HF and ESRD datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database; we identified and analyzed common differentially expressed genes (DEGs). First, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and gene set variation analyses (GSVA) were applied to explore the potential biological functions and construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Also, four algorithms, namely, random forest (RF), Boruta algorithm, logical regression of the selection operator (LASSO), and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), were used to identify the candidate genes. Subsequently, the diagnostic efficacy of hub genes for HF and ESRD was evaluated using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm. CIBERSORT was used to analyze the infiltration of immune cells. Thereafter, we predicted target microRNAs (miRNAs) using databases (miRTarBase, TarBase, and ENOCRI), and transcription factors (TFs) were identified using the ChEA3 database. Cytoscape software was applied to construct mRNA-miRNA-TF regulatory networks. Finally, the Drug Signatures Database (DSigDB) was used to identify potential drug candidates. Results: A total of 68 common DEGs were identified. The enrichment analysis results suggest that immune response and inflammatory factors may be common features of the pathophysiology of HF and ESRD. A total of four hub genes (BCL6, CCL5, CNN1, and PCNT) were validated using RF, LASSO, Boruta, and SVM-RFE algorithms. Their AUC values were all greater than 0.8. Immune infiltration analysis showed that immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, and NK cells were altered in HF myocardial tissue, while neutrophils were significantly correlated with all four hub genes. Finally, 11 target miRNAs and 10 TFs were obtained, and miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network construction was performed. In addition, 10 gene-targeted drugs were discovered. Conclusion: Our study revealed important crosstalk between HF and ESRD. These common pathways and pivotal genes may provide new ideas for further clinical treatment and experimental studies.
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Jouve T, Laheurte C, Noble J, Weinhard J, Daligault M, Renaudin A, Naciri Bennani H, Masson D, Gravelin E, Bugnazet M, Bardy B, Malvezzi P, Saas P, Rostaing L. Immune responses following tocilizumab therapy to desensitize HLA-sensitized kidney transplant candidates. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:71-84. [PMID: 34080291 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Kidney transplant candidates (KTCs) who are HLA highly sensitized (calculated panel-reactive alloantibodies >95%) have poor access to deceased kidney transplantation. In this single-center prospective study, 13 highly sensitized desensitization-naïve KTCs received IV tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) every 4 weeks. We evaluated tolerability as well as immune responses, that is, T cell, B cell, T follicular helper (Tfh) subsets, blood cytokines (IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor-sIL-6R-, IL-21), blood chemokines (CXCL10, CXCL13), and anti-HLA alloantibodies. Tocilizumab treatment was well-tolerated except in one patient who presented spondylodiscitis, raising a note of caution. Regarding immune parameters, there were no significant changes of percentages of lymphocyte subsets, that is, CD3+ , CD3+ /CD4+ , CD3+ /CD8+ T cells, and NK cells. This was also the case for Tfh cell subsets, B cells, mature B cells, plasma cells, pre-germinal center (GC) B cells, and post-GC B cells, whereas we observed a significant increase in naïve B cells (p = .02) and a significant decrease in plasmablasts (p = .046) over the tocilizumab treatment course. CXCL10, CXCL13, IL-21, total IgG, IgA, and IgM levels did not significantly change during tocilizumab therapy; conversely, there was a significant increase in IL-6 levels (p = .03) and a huge increase in sIL-6R (p = .00004). There was a marginal effect on anti-HLA alloantibodies (class I and class II). To conclude in highly sensitized KTCs, tocilizumab as a monotherapy limited B cell maturation; however, it had almost no effect on anti-HLA alloantibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jouve
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France.,Faculty of Health, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Caroline Laheurte
- University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, Interactions Hôte-Greffon-Tumeur/Ingénierie Cellulaire et Génique, LabEx LipSTIC, Besançon, France.,INSERM CIC-1431, CHU de Besançon, Plateforme de BioMonitoring, Besançon, France
| | - Johan Noble
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Jules Weinhard
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Mélanie Daligault
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Adeline Renaudin
- INSERM CIC-1431, CHU de Besançon, Plateforme de BioMonitoring, Besançon, France
| | - Hamza Naciri Bennani
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Dominique Masson
- Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS Rhône-Alpes), Grenoble, France
| | - Eléonore Gravelin
- INSERM CIC-1431, CHU de Besançon, Plateforme de BioMonitoring, Besançon, France
| | - Mathilde Bugnazet
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Béatrice Bardy
- Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS Rhône-Alpes), Grenoble, France
| | - Paolo Malvezzi
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Saas
- University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, Interactions Hôte-Greffon-Tumeur/Ingénierie Cellulaire et Génique, LabEx LipSTIC, Besançon, France.,INSERM CIC-1431, CHU de Besançon, Plateforme de BioMonitoring, Besançon, France
| | - Lionel Rostaing
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis, and Kidney Transplantation, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France.,Faculty of Health, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Gelzo M, Cacciapuoti S, Pinchera B, De Rosa A, Cernera G, Scialò F, Comegna M, Mormile M, Fabbrocini G, Parrella R, Corso G, Gentile I, Castaldo G. Further Findings Concerning Endothelial Damage in COVID-19 Patients. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1368. [PMID: 34572581 PMCID: PMC8468524 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic vascular damage with micro/macro-thrombosis is a typical feature of severe COVID-19. However, the pathogenesis of this damage and its predictive biomarkers remain poorly defined. For this reason, in this study, serum monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-2 and P- and E-selectin levels were analyzed in 204 patients with COVID-19. Serum MCP-2 and P-selectin were significantly higher in hospitalized patients compared with asymptomatic patients. Furthermore, MCP-2 increased with the WHO stage in hospitalized patients. After 1 week of hospitalization, MCP-2 levels were significantly reduced, while P-selectin increased in patients in WHO stage 3 and decreased in patients in WHO stages 5-7. Serum E-selectin was not significantly different between asymptomatic and hospitalized patients. The lower MCP-2 levels after 1 week suggest that endothelial damage triggered by monocytes occurs early in COVID-19 disease progression. MCP-2 may also predict COVID-19 severity. The increase in P-selectin levels, which further increased in mild patients and reduced in severe patients after 1 week of hospitalization, suggests that the inactive form of the protein produced by the cleavage of the active protein from the platelet membrane is present. This may be used to identify a subset of patients that would benefit from targeted therapies. The unchanged levels of E-selectin in these patients suggest that endothelial damage is less relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Gelzo
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Cacciapuoti
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.C.); (B.P.); (M.M.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Biagio Pinchera
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.C.); (B.P.); (M.M.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Annunziata De Rosa
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive e Emergenze Infettive, Divisione di Malattie Infettive Respiratorie, Ospedale Cotugno, AORN dei Colli, 80131 Naples, Italy; (A.D.R.); (R.P.)
| | - Gustavo Cernera
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Filippo Scialò
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università della Campania L. Vanvitelli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Marika Comegna
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Mauro Mormile
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.C.); (B.P.); (M.M.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Gabriella Fabbrocini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.C.); (B.P.); (M.M.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Roberto Parrella
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive e Emergenze Infettive, Divisione di Malattie Infettive Respiratorie, Ospedale Cotugno, AORN dei Colli, 80131 Naples, Italy; (A.D.R.); (R.P.)
| | - Gaetano Corso
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università di Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
| | - Ivan Gentile
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (S.C.); (B.P.); (M.M.); (G.F.); (I.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Castaldo
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, scarl, 80145 Naples, Italy; (M.G.); (G.C.); (F.S.); (M.C.); (G.C.)
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Martínez-Burgo B, Cobb SL, Pohl E, Kashanin D, Paul T, Kirby JA, Sheerin NS, Ali S. A C-terminal CXCL8 peptide based on chemokine-glycosaminoglycan interactions reduces neutrophil adhesion and migration during inflammation. Immunology 2019; 157:173-184. [PMID: 31013364 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucocyte recruitment is critical during many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Chemokines are key mediators of leucocyte recruitment during the inflammatory response, by signalling through specific chemokine G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). In addition, chemokines interact with cell-surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) to generate a chemotactic gradient. The chemokine interleukin-8/CXCL8, a prototypical neutrophil chemoattractant, is characterized by a long, highly positively charged GAG-binding C-terminal region, absent in most other chemokines. To examine whether the CXCL8 C-terminal peptide has a modulatory role in GAG binding during neutrophil recruitment, we synthesized the wild-type CXCL8 C-terminal [CXCL8 (54-72)] (Peptide 1), a peptide with a substitution of glutamic acid (E) 70 with lysine (K) (Peptide 2) to increase positive charge; and also, a scrambled sequence peptide (Peptide 3). Surface plasmon resonance showed that Peptide 1, corresponding to the core CXCL8 GAG-binding region, binds to GAG but Peptide 2 binding was detected at lower concentrations. In the absence of cellular GAG, the peptides did not affect CXCL8-induced calcium signalling or neutrophil chemotaxis along a diffusion gradient, suggesting no effect on GPCR binding. All peptides equally inhibited neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells under physiological flow conditions. Peptide 2, with its greater positive charge and binding to polyanionic GAG, inhibited CXCL8-induced neutrophil transendothelial migration. Our studies suggest that the E70K CXCL8 peptide, may serve as a lead molecule for further development of therapeutic inhibitors of neutrophil-mediated inflammation based on modulation of chemokine-GAG binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Martínez-Burgo
- Applied Immunobiology and Transplantation Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Ehmke Pohl
- Chemistry Department, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | | | | | - John A Kirby
- Applied Immunobiology and Transplantation Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Neil S Sheerin
- Applied Immunobiology and Transplantation Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Simi Ali
- Applied Immunobiology and Transplantation Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Newcastle NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Zahran A, Attia A, Mansell H, Shoker A. Contribution of diminished kidney transplant GFR to increased circulating chemokine ligand 27 level. JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION-LONDON 2018; 15:18. [PMID: 30214382 PMCID: PMC6131940 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-018-0194-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Inflammatory chemokine ligands (CCLs) play an important role in cardiovascular disease and allograft injury. CCLs may independently associate with diminished estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in stable renal transplant recipients (RTR). Methods Plasma levels of 19 CCLs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 24, 26, 27, CXCL5, 8, 10, 12 and 13) were measured in a cohort of 101 RTR. The cohort was divided according to CKD-EPI equation into three groups; group 1: eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min, group 2: eGFR 30–59.9 ml/min and group 3 eGFR ≤ 29.9 ml/min. ANOVA, Krusklwallis, Mann- Whitney Spearman correlation and regression analysis tests were used to determine association between reduced eGFR and inflammatory CCLs plasma levels measured by multiplex techniques. 20 healthy subjects with eGFR above 90 ml/min were included as control. Significance was sat at < 0.05. Results Levels of CCLs 1, 4, 15, 27, CXCL8 and CXCL10 were significantly different among the four studied groups. Multivariate regression analysis (MVA) between eGFR and all CCLs demonstrated that CCL27 was the only ligand to remain significantly associated with diminished eGFR {P = 0.021 and r = − 0.35,(P = 0.001)}. In a second MVA between CCL 27 and patient’s demographics and laboratory variables, diminished eGFR, and elevated PTH, out of the twenty one available variables remained significantly associated with elevated CCL27levels. Conclusion Diminished eGFR in stable RTR is associated with elevated plasma levels of CCL27. This association may explain, at least in part, the independent contribution of reduced eGFR to enhanced inflammation in RTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Zahran
- 1Nephrology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Menoufia, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Attia
- 2National Liver Institute, University of Menoufia, Shibin El Kom, Egypt
| | - Holly Mansell
- 3College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | - Ahmed Shoker
- 4Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada.,5Saskatchewan Transplant Program, St Paul's Hospital, 1702- 20th Street West, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Z9 Canada
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