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Wang M, Sun Y, Yuan D, Yue S, Yang Z. Follicular fluid derived exosomal miR-4449 regulates cell proliferation and oxidative stress by targeting KEAP1 in human granulosa cell lines KGN and COV434. Exp Cell Res 2023; 430:113735. [PMID: 37517590 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovary morphology, affecting more and more women of reproductive age. Our study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism and effect of exosomal miR-4449 on granulosa cells (GCs). Two immortalized human ovarian granulosa cells (KGN and COV434 cells) were used for in vitro functional studies. Our study found that follicular fluid (FF) derived exosomal miR-4449 was significantly decreased in women with PCOS compared with the control patients. And exosomal miR-4449 could alleviate GCs oxidative stress (OS) and promote GCs proliferation, while the opposite trend was observed after inhibiting the expression of miR-4449. In addition, we demonstrated that Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(KEAP1) was a direct target of miR-4449 through dual-luciferase reporter assay, and the expression patterns of KEAP1 and miR-4449 in PCOS FF-derived exosomes were exactly opposite. In addition, KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway may play an important role in GCs proliferation and OS. Our results demonstrated that the decreased FF-derived exosomal miR-4449 expression in PCOS might aggravate the OS of GCs and inhibit GCs proliferation via KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway. Exosomal miR-4449 might be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of PCOS. Our study contributes to a new understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Yixuan Sun
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Dong Yuan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Song Yue
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Zhu Yang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
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2
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Ma Z, Zhong P, Yue P, Sun Z. Uncovering of Key Pathways and miRNAs for Intracranial Aneurysm Based on Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis. Eur Neurol 2022; 85:212-223. [PMID: 35034029 DOI: 10.1159/000521390] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a serious cerebrovascular disease. The identification of key regulatory genes can provide research directions for early diagnosis and treatment of IA. METHODS Initially, the miRNA and mRNA data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Subsequently, the limma package in R was used to screen for differentially expressed genes. In order to investigate the function of the differentially expressed genes, a functional enrichment analysis was performed. Moreover, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify the hub module and hub miRNAs. The correlations between miRNAs and mRNAs were assessed by constructing miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. In addition, in vitro validation was performed. Finally, diagnostic analysis and electronic expression verification were performed on the GSE122897 dataset. RESULTS In the present study, 955 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs, 480 with increased and 475 with decreased expression) and 46 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs, 36 with increased and 10 with decreased expression) were identified. WGCNA demonstrated that the yellow module was the hub module. Moreover, 16 hub miRNAs were identified. A total of 1,124 negatively regulated miRNA-mRNA relationship pairs were identified. Functional analysis demonstrated that DEmRNAs in the targeted network were enriched in vascular smooth muscle contraction and focal adhesion pathways. In addition, the area under the curve of 16 hub miRNAs was >0.8. It is implied that 16 hub miRNAs may be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers of IA. CONCLUSION Hub miRNAs and key signaling pathways were identified by bioinformatics analysis. This evidence lays the foundation for understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of IA and provided potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengfei Ma
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Neurology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ping Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Peidong Yue
- Department of Neurosurgery, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhongwu Sun
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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3
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Cherqaoui B, Crémazy F, Hue C, Garchon HJ, Breban M, Costantino F. Epigenetics of spondyloarthritis. Joint Bone Spine 2020; 87:565-571. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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4
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Meydan C, Madrer N, Soreq H. The Neat Dance of COVID-19: NEAT1, DANCR, and Co-Modulated Cholinergic RNAs Link to Inflammation. Front Immunol 2020; 11:590870. [PMID: 33163005 PMCID: PMC7581732 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.590870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exerts inflammation-related parasympathetic complications and post-infection manifestations with major inter-individual variability. To seek the corresponding transcriptomic origins for the impact of COVID-19 infection and its aftermath consequences, we sought the relevance of long and short non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) for susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. We selected inflammation-prone men and women of diverse ages among the cohort of Genome Tissue expression (GTEx) by mining RNA-seq datasets from their lung, and blood tissues, followed by quantitative qRT-PCR, bioinformatics-based network analyses and thorough statistics compared to brain cell culture and infection tests with COVID-19 and H1N1 viruses. In lung tissues from 57 inflammation-prone, but not other GTEx donors, we discovered sharp declines of the lung pathology-associated ncRNA DANCR and the nuclear paraspeckles forming neuroprotective ncRNA NEAT1. Accompanying increases in the acetylcholine-regulating transcripts capable of controlling inflammation co-appeared in SARS-CoV-2 infected but not H1N1 influenza infected lung cells. The lung cells-characteristic DANCR and NEAT1 association with inflammation-controlling transcripts could not be observed in blood cells, weakened with age and presented sex-dependent links in GTEx lung RNA-seq dataset. Supporting active involvement in the inflammatory risks accompanying COVID-19, DANCR's decline associated with decrease of the COVID-19-related cellular transcript ACE2 and with sex-related increases in coding transcripts potentiating acetylcholine signaling. Furthermore, transcription factors (TFs) in lung, brain and cultured infected cells created networks with the candidate transcripts, indicating tissue-specific expression patterns. Supporting links of post-infection inflammatory and cognitive damages with cholinergic mal-functioning, man and woman-originated cultured cholinergic neurons presented differentiation-related increases of DANCR and NEAT1 targeting microRNAs. Briefly, changes in ncRNAs and TFs from inflammation-prone human lung tissues, SARS-CoV-2-infected lung cells and man and woman-derived differentiated cholinergic neurons reflected the inflammatory pathobiology related to COVID-19. By shifting ncRNA differences into comparative diagnostic and therapeutic profiles, our RNA-sequencing based Resource can identify ncRNA regulating candidates for COVID-19 and its associated immediate and predicted long-term inflammation and neurological complications, and sex-related therapeutics thereof. Our findings encourage diagnostics of involved tissue, and further investigation of NEAT1-inducing statins and anti-cholinergic medications in the COVID-19 context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanan Meydan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, Bnei Brak, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Central District, Leumit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nimrod Madrer
- The Department of Biological Chemistry and The Edmond and Lilly Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Department of Biological Chemistry and The Edmond and Lilly Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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5
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Analysis of genetically independent phenotypes identifies shared genetic factors associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. Commun Biol 2020; 3:329. [PMID: 32587327 PMCID: PMC7316754 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic musculoskeletal pain affects all aspects of human life. However, mechanisms of its genetic control remain poorly understood. Genetic studies of pain are complicated by the high complexity and heterogeneity of pain phenotypes. Here, we apply principal component analysis to reduce phenotype heterogeneity of chronic musculoskeletal pain at four locations: the back, neck/shoulder, hip, and knee. Using matrices of genetic covariances, we constructed four genetically independent phenotypes (GIPs) with the leading GIP (GIP1) explaining 78.4% of the genetic variance of the analyzed conditions, and GIP2–4 explain progressively less. We identified and replicated five GIP1-associated loci and one GIP2-associated locus and prioritized the most likely causal genes. For GIP1, we showed enrichment with multiple nervous system-related terms and genetic correlations with anthropometric, sociodemographic, psychiatric/personality traits and osteoarthritis. We suggest that GIP1 represents a biopsychological component of chronic musculoskeletal pain, related to physiological and psychological aspects and reflecting pain perception and processing. Yakov Tsepilov, Maxim Freidin et al. find that chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions at four distinct anatomical sites share a common genetic background. The authors constructed genetically independent phenotypes (GIP) from principal components analysis of the different pain phenotypes and used the GIPs to perform genome-wide association studies to identify underlying genetic factors.
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6
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Emamgolizadeh Gurt Tapeh B, Mosayyebi B, Samei M, Beyrampour Basmenj H, Mohammadi A, Alivand MR, Hassanpour P, Solali S. microRNAs involved in T-cell development, selection, activation, and hemostasis. J Cell Physiol 2020; 235:8461-8471. [PMID: 32324267 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) characterized by small, noncoding RNAs have a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Additionally, miRNAs have recently been identified as potential regulators of various genes involved in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune and inflammatory disease. So far, the interaction between miRNAs and T lymphocytes in the immune response as a new and significant topic has not been emphasized substantially. The role of miRNAs in different biological processes including apoptosis, immune checkpoints and the activation of immune cells is still unclear. Aberrant miRNA expression profile affects various aspects of T-cell function. Accordingly, in this literature review, we summarized the role of significant miRNAs in T-cell development processes. Consequently, we demonstrated precise mechanisms that candidate miRNAs interfere in Immune response mediated by different types of T cells. We believe that a good understanding of the interaction between miRNAs and immune response contributes to the new therapeutic strategies in relation to disease with an immunological origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnam Emamgolizadeh Gurt Tapeh
- Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Bashir Mosayyebi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Samei
- Department of Immunology, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | | | - Ali Mohammadi
- Department of cancer and inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mohammad R Alivand
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Parviz Hassanpour
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Solali
- Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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7
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Xu K, Meng Z, Xian XM, Deng MH, Meng QG, Fang W, Zhang D, Long X. LncRNA PVT1 induces chondrocyte apoptosis through upregulation of TNF-α in synoviocytes by sponging miR-211-3p. Mol Cell Probes 2020; 52:101560. [PMID: 32171788 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2020.101560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is an important subtype of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Articular cartilage destruction is considered a common pathological feature of TMJ OA, which is reported to be mainly induced by chondrocyte apoptosis. Synovial sterile inflammation is an initial factor of TMJ OA-associated articular cartilage destruction. Therefore, determining the mechanism of synovial membrane inflammation-induced articular cartilage destruction in TMJ OA is important for the TMJ OA therapy. In this study, we detected the function of synoviocytes in chondrocyte apoptosis under lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory conditions and explored the underlying mechanism. We found that synoviocytes in inflammatory conditions facilitated LPS-induced chondrocytes apoptosis by secreting increased Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α), which was induced by long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) upregulation. PVT1 served as a competing endogenous RNA that sponged the microRNA miR-211-3p and prevented the inhibition of TNF-α expression. In conclusion, our in vitro study revealed that PVT1 has a previously unknown role in chondrocyte apoptosis, which may also be a mechanism underlying synoviocyte involvement in TMJ OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Xu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Stomatology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng University, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Zhen Meng
- Department of Stomatology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng University, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China; Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory of Liaocheng, Liaocheng People's Hospital, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Xin-Miao Xian
- Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory of Liaocheng, Liaocheng People's Hospital, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Mo-Hong Deng
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Qing-Gong Meng
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Wei Fang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng University, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China; Precision Biomedical Key Laboratory of Liaocheng, Liaocheng People's Hospital, 67 Dongchangxi Road, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Xing Long
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Rd, Wuhan, 430079, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China.
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8
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Light exercise without lactate elevation induces ischemic tolerance through the modulation of microRNA in the gerbil hippocampus. Brain Res 2020; 1732:146710. [PMID: 32035888 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Previously we studied the possible neuroprotective effects of ischemia-resistant exercise in a gerbil model of transient whole-brain ischemia and evaluated the histology, expression of specific proteins, and brain function under different conditions. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of light exercise, without lactate elevation, in a gerbil model of ischemia/reperfusion injury. Transient whole-brain ischemia was induced by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries for 5 min. A group of animals was subjected to treadmill exercise before ischemia induction. Hippocampal neuronal damage and miRNA expression, as well as behavioral deficits and plasma lactate levels, were evaluated. Light exercise suppressed hippocampal neuron loss and preserved short-term memory. Moreover, 14 miRNAs (mmu-miR-211-3p, -327, -451b, -711, -3070-3p, -3070-2-3p, -3097-5p, -3620-5p, -6240, -6916-5p, -6944-5p, 7083-5p, -7085-5p, and -7674-5p) were upregulated and 6 miRNAs (mmu-miR-148b-3p, -152-3p, -181c-5p, -299b-5p, -455-3p, and -664-3p) were downregulated due to ischemia. However, the expression of these miRNAs remained unchanged when animals performed light exercise before the ischemic event. Differentially expressed miRNAs regulate multiple biological processes such as inflammation, metabolism, and cell death. These findings suggest that light exercise reduces neuronal death and behavioral deficits after transient ischemia by regulating hippocampal miRNAs.
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9
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Tseng CC, Wu LY, Tsai WC, Ou TT, Wu CC, Sung WY, Kuo PL, Yen JH. Differential Expression Profiles of the Transcriptome and miRNA Interactome in Synovial Fibroblasts of Rheumatoid Arthritis Revealed by Next Generation Sequencing. Diagnostics (Basel) 2019; 9:diagnostics9030098. [PMID: 31426562 PMCID: PMC6787660 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics9030098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Using next-generation sequencing to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASF) activation, we performed transcriptome-wide RNA-seq and small RNA-seq on synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) subject and normal donor. Differential expression of mRNA and miRNA was integrated with interaction analysis, functional annotation, regulatory network mapping and experimentally verified miRNA–target interaction data, further validated with microarray expression profiles. In this study, 3049 upregulated mRNA and 3552 downregulated mRNA, together with 50 upregulated miRNA and 35 downregulated miRNA in RASF were identified. Interaction analysis highlighted contribution of miRNA to altered transcriptome. Functional annotation revealed metabolic deregulation and oncogenic signatures of RASF. Regulatory network mapping identified downregulated FOXO1 as master transcription factor resulting in altered transcriptome of RASF. Differential expression in three miRNA and corresponding targets (hsa-miR-31-5p:WASF3, hsa-miR-132-3p:RB1, hsa-miR-29c-3p:COL1A1) were also validated. The interactions of these three miRNA–target genes were experimentally validated with past literature. Our transcriptomic and miRNA interactomic investigation identified gene signatures associated with RASF and revealed the involvement of transcription factors and miRNA in an altered transcriptome. These findings help facilitate our understanding of RA with the hope of serving as a springboard for further discoveries relating to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chun Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung 80145, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Yu Wu
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chan Tsai
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Tsan-Teng Ou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chin Wu
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Yu Sung
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Po-Lin Kuo
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biomedical Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
| | - Jeng-Hsien Yen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biomedical Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
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10
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Klasen C, Meyer A, Wittekind PS, Waqué I, Nabhani S, Kofler DM. Prostaglandin receptor EP4 expression by Th17 cells is associated with high disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Res Ther 2019; 21:159. [PMID: 31253169 PMCID: PMC6599260 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-019-1948-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Th17 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the mechanism underlying enhanced Th17 cell accumulation in AS remains unknown. The prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2/EP4 signaling pathway plays a critical role in the development of autoimmune Th17 cells. Interestingly, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified five risk alleles for AS in PTGER4, the gene encoding for EP4. The aim of this study was to reveal a possible link between EP4 and disease activity in patients with AS. METHODS Th17 cells from patients with AS were analyzed for the transcriptional expression of prostaglandin receptor genes by quantitative RT-PCR. Th17 cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and from healthy individuals served as controls. EP4 receptor expression in Th17 cells was assessed ex vivo by flow cytometry and by western blot. Functional analysis using EP4-specific agonists was performed to reveal how EP4 regulates Th17 cells. RESULTS EP4 is significantly overexpressed in Th17 cells from patients with AS compared to Th17 cells from healthy individuals or patients with RA or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). EP4 upregulation is unique to Th17 cells and is not found in other CD4+ T cell subsets. Specific activation of EP4 drives Th17 cell development and promotes EP4 expression in a positive feedback loop in AS but not in RA or PsA. Mechanistically, EP4 acts via upregulation of the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R), by suppressing the RORγt inhibitor FoxO1 and by enhancing STAT3 phosphorylation. Increased EP4 expression levels in Th17 cells from AS patients correlate with high disease activity as defined by a Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score ≥ 4 (r = 0.7591, p = 0.0016). CONCLUSIONS EP4 is a potential marker of disease activity in patients with AS. Aberrant EP4 expression might contribute to pathogenic Th17 cell accumulation and represent a new target for the treatment of AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Klasen
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anja Meyer
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Paula S Wittekind
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Iris Waqué
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Schafiq Nabhani
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - David M Kofler
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
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