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Wang J, Li J. Research progress in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria. ZHONG NAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF CENTRAL SOUTH UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCES 2023; 48:1602-1610. [PMID: 38432889 PMCID: PMC10929888 DOI: 10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2023.230037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Chronic urticaria is very common in clinic, but its pathogenesis is not fully elucidated. Most patients can't find the exact cause, resulting in misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. Previous studies have found that mast cell activation is the central link in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria. Genetics, autoimmune, coagulation disorders, and infection may also be involved in the pathophysiological process of chronic urticaria. With the deepening of research, more immune and non-immune mechanisms have been gradually revealed in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria, such as the interaction of immune cells in the microenvironment of urticaria, intestinal flora and metabolism, neuroimmunity, environmental factors and hormones. Clarifying the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria will help to find more treatment targets and provide more diversified ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
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2
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Llobet MO, Johansson A, Gyllensten U, Allen M, Enroth S. Forensic prediction of sex, age, height, body mass index, hip-to-waist ratio, smoking status and lipid lowering drugs using epigenetic markers and plasma proteins. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2023; 65:102871. [PMID: 37054667 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The prediction of human characteristics from blood using molecular markers would be very helpful in forensic science. Such information can be particularly important in providing investigative leads in police casework from, for example, blood found at crime scenes in cases without a suspect. Here, we investigated the possibilities and limitations of predicting seven phenotypic traits (sex, age, height, body mass index [BMI], hip-to-waist [WTH] ratio, smoking status and lipid-lowering drug use) using either DNA methylation or plasma proteins separately or in combination. We developed a prediction pipeline starting with the prediction of sex followed by sex-specific, stepwise, individual age, sex-specific anthropometric traits and, finally, lifestyle-related traits. Our data revealed that age, sex and smoking status can be accurately predicted from DNA methylation alone, while the use of plasma proteins was highly accurate for prediction of the WTH ratio, and a combined analysis of the best predictions for BMI and lipid-lowering drug use. In unseen individuals, age was predicted with a standard error of 3.3 years for women and 6.5 years for men, while the accuracy in smoking prediction across both men and women was 0.86. In conclusion, we have developed a stepwise approach for the de-novo prediction of individual characteristics from plasma proteins and DNA methylation markers. These models are accurate and may provide valuable information and investigative leads in future forensic casework.
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3
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Batdorj E, AlOgayil N, Zhuang QKW, Galvez JH, Bauermeister K, Nagata K, Kimura T, Ward MA, Taketo T, Bourque G, Naumova AK. Genetic variation in the Y chromosome and sex-biased DNA methylation in somatic cells in the mouse. Mamm Genome 2023; 34:44-55. [PMID: 36454369 PMCID: PMC9947081 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-022-09970-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that the presence of the Y chromosome influences DNA methylation of autosomal loci. To better understand the impact of the Y chromosome on autosomal DNA methylation patterns and its contribution to sex bias in methylation, we identified Y chromosome dependent differentially methylated regions (yDMRs) using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing methylation data from livers of mice with different combinations of sex-chromosome complement and gonadal sex. Nearly 90% of the autosomal yDMRs mapped to transposable elements (TEs) and most of them had lower methylation in XY compared to XX or XO mice. Follow-up analyses of four reporter autosomal yDMRs showed that Y-dependent methylation levels were consistent across most somatic tissues but varied in strains with different origins of the Y chromosome, suggesting that genetic variation in the Y chromosome influenced methylation levels of autosomal regions. Mice lacking the q-arm of the Y chromosome (B6.NPYq-2) as well as mice with a loss-of-function mutation in Kdm5d showed no differences in methylation levels compared to wild type mice. In conclusion, the Y-linked modifier of TE methylation is likely to reside on the short arm of Y chromosome and further studies are required to identify this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enkhjin Batdorj
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada
| | - Najla AlOgayil
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada
| | - Qinwei Kim-Wee Zhuang
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Jose Hector Galvez
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Klara Bauermeister
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada
| | - Kei Nagata
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Biosciences, Kitasato University School of Science, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Tohru Kimura
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Biosciences, Kitasato University School of Science, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-Ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1960 East-West Road, HonoluluHonolulu, HIHI, 96822, USA
| | - Teruko Taketo
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bourque
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Anna K Naumova
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 1C7, Canada.
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
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Kaplan G, Xu H, Abreu K, Feng J. DNA Epigenetics in Addiction Susceptibility. Front Genet 2022; 13:806685. [PMID: 35145550 PMCID: PMC8821887 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.806685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a chronically relapsing neuropsychiatric disease that occurs in some, but not all, individuals who use substances of abuse. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms which contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to addiction. Neural gene expression regulation underlies the pathogenesis of addiction, which is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA modifications. A growing body of work has demonstrated distinct DNA epigenetic signatures in brain reward regions that may be associated with addiction susceptibility. Furthermore, factors that influence addiction susceptibility are also known to have a DNA epigenetic basis. In the present review, we discuss the notion that addiction susceptibility has an underlying DNA epigenetic basis. We focus on major phenotypes of addiction susceptibility and review evidence of cell type-specific, time dependent, and sex biased effects of drug use. We highlight the role of DNA epigenetics in these diverse processes and propose its contribution to addiction susceptibility differences. Given the prevalence and lack of effective treatments for addiction, elucidating the DNA epigenetic mechanism of addiction vulnerability may represent an expeditious approach to relieving the addiction disease burden.
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Landen S, Jacques M, Hiam D, Alvarez-Romero J, Harvey NR, Haupt LM, Griffiths LR, Ashton KJ, Lamon S, Voisin S, Eynon N. Skeletal muscle methylome and transcriptome integration reveals profound sex differences related to muscle function and substrate metabolism. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:202. [PMID: 34732242 PMCID: PMC8567658 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01188-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly all human complex traits and diseases exhibit some degree of sex differences, with epigenetics being one of the main contributing factors. Various tissues display sex differences in DNA methylation; however, this has not yet been explored in skeletal muscle, despite skeletal muscle being among the tissues with the most transcriptomic sex differences. For the first time, we investigated the effect of sex on autosomal DNA methylation in human skeletal muscle across three independent cohorts (Gene SMART, FUSION, and GSE38291) using a meta-analysis approach, totalling 369 human muscle samples (222 males and 147 females), and integrated this with known sex-biased transcriptomics. We found 10,240 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at FDR < 0.005, 94% of which were hypomethylated in males, and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that differentially methylated genes were involved in muscle contraction and substrate metabolism. We then investigated biological factors underlying DNA methylation sex differences and found that circulating hormones were not associated with differential methylation at sex-biased DNA methylation loci; however, these sex-specific loci were enriched for binding sites of hormone-related transcription factors (with top TFs including androgen (AR), estrogen (ESR1), and glucocorticoid (NR3C1) receptors). Fibre type proportions were associated with differential methylation across the genome, as well as across 16% of sex-biased DNA methylation loci (FDR < 0.005). Integration of DNA methylomic results with transcriptomic data from the GTEx database and the FUSION cohort revealed 326 autosomal genes that display sex differences at both the epigenome and transcriptome levels. Importantly, transcriptional sex-biased genes were overrepresented among epigenetic sex-biased genes (p value = 4.6e−13), suggesting differential DNA methylation and gene expression between male and female muscle are functionally linked. Finally, we validated expression of three genes with large effect sizes (FOXO3A, ALDH1A1, and GGT7) in the Gene SMART cohort with qPCR. GGT7, involved in antioxidant metabolism, displays male-biased expression as well as lower methylation in males across the three cohorts. In conclusion, we uncovered 8420 genes that exhibit DNA methylation differences between males and females in human skeletal muscle that may modulate mechanisms controlling muscle metabolism and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanie Landen
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia
| | - Macsue Jacques
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia
| | - Danielle Hiam
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia.,Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Javier Alvarez-Romero
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Harvey
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, 4226, Australia.,Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 60 Musk Ave., Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Larisa M Haupt
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 60 Musk Ave., Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Lyn R Griffiths
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Genomics Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 60 Musk Ave., Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Kevin J Ashton
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, 4226, Australia
| | - Séverine Lamon
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Sarah Voisin
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia
| | - Nir Eynon
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia.
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Yu P, Chen Y, Ge C, Wang H. Sexual dimorphism in placental development and its contribution to health and diseases. Crit Rev Toxicol 2021; 51:555-570. [PMID: 34666604 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2021.1977237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
According to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD), intrauterine exposure to adverse environments can affect fetus and birth outcomes and lead to long-term disease susceptibility. Evidence has shown that neonatal outcomes and the timing and severity of adult diseases are sexually dimorphic. As the link between mother and fetus, the placenta is an essential regulator of fetal development programming. It is found that the physiological development trajectory of the placenta has sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, under pathological conditions, the placental function undergoes sex-specific adaptation to ensure fetal survival. Therefore, the placenta may be an important mediator of sexual dimorphism in neonatal outcomes and adult disease susceptibility. Few systematic reviews have been conducted on sexual dimorphism in placental development and its underlying mechanisms. In this review, sex chromosomes and sex hormones, as the main reasons for sexual differentiation of the placenta, will be discussed. Besides, in the etiology of fetal-originated adult diseases, overexposure to glucocorticoids is closely related to adverse neonatal outcomes and long-term disease susceptibility. Studies have found that prenatal glucocorticoid overexposure leads to sexually dimorphic expression of placental glucocorticoid receptor isoforms, resulting in different sensitivity of the placenta to glucocorticoids, and may further affect fetal development. The present review examines what is currently known about sex differences in placental development and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of this sex bias. This review highlights the importance of placental contributions to the origins of sexual dimorphism in health and diseases. It may help develop personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies for fetal development in pathological pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yawen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caiyun Ge
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
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7
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Marco Hernández AV, Caro A, Montoya Filardi A, Tomás Vila M, Monfort S, Beseler Soto B, Nieto-Barceló JJ, Martínez F. Extending the clinical phenotype of SPTAN1: From DEE5 to migraine, epilepsy, and subependymal heterotopias without intellectual disability. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 188:147-159. [PMID: 34590414 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in SPTAN1 gene, encoding the nonerythrocyte αII-spectrin, are responsible for a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE5) and a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, as epilepsy with or without intellectual disability (ID) or ID with cerebellar syndrome. A certain genotype-phenotype correlation has been proposed according to the type and location of the mutation. Herein, we report three novel cases with de novo SPTAN1 mutations, one of them associated to a mild phenotype not previously described. They range from (1) severe developmental encephalopathy with ataxia and a mild cerebellar atrophy, without epilepsy; (2) moderate intellectual disability, severe language delay, ataxia and tremor; (3) normal intelligence, chronic migraine, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Remarkably, all these patients showed brain MRI abnormalities, being of special interest the subependymal heterotopias detected in the latter patient. Thus we extend the SPTAN1-related phenotypic spectrum, both in its radiological and clinical involvement. Furthermore, after systematic analysis of all the patients so far reported, we noted an excess of male versus female patients (20:9, p = 0.04), more pronounced among the milder phenotypes. Consequently, some protection factor might be suspected among female carriers, which if confirmed should be considered when establishing the pathogenicity of milder genetic variants in this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Victoria Marco Hernández
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain.,Neuropediatrics Section, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alfonso Caro
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Miguel Tomás Vila
- Neuropediatrics Section, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Monfort
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Beseler Soto
- Neuropediatrics Section, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Martínez
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
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Videira G, Gabriel D, Freitas J, Samões R, Chorão R, Lopes J, Ramalheira J, Lemos C, Leal B, da Silva AM, Chaves J. Female preponderance in genetic generalized epilepsies. Seizure 2021; 91:167-171. [PMID: 34171625 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epilepsy is more prevalent in men but Genetic Generalized Epilepsies (GGE) seem to be more common in women. A predominant maternal inheritance has been previously described in GGE. Our objective was to determine sex and inheritance patterns in a GGE population compared to mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLEHS). METHODS We performed a prospective observational study including adult GGE and MTLEHS patients followed up at a tertiary epilepsy center from January 2016 to December 2019. Patients' familial history was obtained by a detailed questionnaire. Clinical and demographic data was retrieved from clinical notes. RESULTS A cohort of 641 patients, 403 with GGE and 238 with MTLEHS, was analyzed. GGE was more common in women than MTLEHS (58.8% vs 44.5%, OR=1.63, p = 0.004). Compared to MTLEHS patients, more GGE patients had familial history of epilepsy (45.4% vs 25.2%; p<0.001). The GGE group had a higher percentage of female relatives with epilepsy (55% vs 37%; p = 0.006). The prevalence of maternal inheritance was not different between GGE and MTLEHS groups (62.9% vs 57.7%; p = 0.596). Photosensitivity was more common in females than in males (44.7% vs 34.3%, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION There is a female preponderance in GGE when compared to MTLEHS, as both GGE patients and their affected relatives are more frequently women. The prevalence of maternal inheritance was not higher in GGE than in MTLEHS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Videira
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal.
| | - Denis Gabriel
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - Joel Freitas
- Neurophysiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Samões
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Chorão
- Neurophysiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - João Lopes
- Neurophysiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - João Ramalheira
- Neurophysiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal
| | - Carolina Lemos
- UnIGENe, IBMC - Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Portugal; Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Leal
- Immunogenetics Laboratory, Pathology and Molecular Immunology Department, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Portugal; Biomedical Investigation Multidisciplinary Unit, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - António Martins da Silva
- Neurophysiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal; Biomedical Investigation Multidisciplinary Unit, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - João Chaves
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal; Biomedical Investigation Multidisciplinary Unit, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Portugal
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Deegan DF, Nigam P, Engel N. Sexual Dimorphism of the Heart: Genetics, Epigenetics, and Development. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021; 8:668252. [PMID: 34124200 PMCID: PMC8189176 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.668252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The democratization of genomic technologies has revealed profound sex biases in expression patterns in every adult tissue, even in organs with no conspicuous differences, such as the heart. With the increasing awareness of the disparities in cardiac pathophysiology between males and females, there are exciting opportunities to explore how sex differences in the heart are established developmentally. Although sexual dimorphism is traditionally attributed to hormonal influence, expression and epigenetic sex biases observed in early cardiac development can only be accounted for by the difference in sex chromosome composition, i.e., XX in females and XY in males. In fact, genes linked to the X and Y chromosomes, many of which encode regulatory factors, are expressed in cardiac progenitor cells and at every subsequent developmental stage. The effect of the sex chromosome composition may explain why many congenital heart defects originating before gonad formation exhibit sex biases in presentation, mortality, and morbidity. Some transcriptional and epigenetic sex biases established soon after fertilization persist in cardiac lineages, suggesting that early epigenetic events are perpetuated beyond early embryogenesis. Importantly, when sex hormones begin to circulate, they encounter a cardiac genome that is already functionally distinct between the sexes. Although there is a wealth of knowledge on the effects of sex hormones on cardiac function, we propose that sex chromosome-linked genes and their downstream targets also contribute to the differences between male and female hearts. Moreover, identifying how hormones influence sex chromosome effects, whether antagonistically or synergistically, will enhance our understanding of how sex disparities are established. We also explore the possibility that sexual dimorphism of the developing heart predicts sex-specific responses to environmental signals and foreshadows sex-biased health-related outcomes after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nora Engel
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Fels Institute for Cancer Research, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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10
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Hormonal Effects on Urticaria and Angioedema Conditions. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2021; 9:2209-2219. [PMID: 33895364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Women appear to be more frequently affected with urticaria and angioedema. Sex hormones are believed to have an important mechanistic role in regulating pathways involved in these conditions. This effect is likely nonspecific for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) or many forms of angioedema (AE), because many other chronic diseases such as asthma are also affected by sex hormones. The role of sex hormones has been better elucidated for hereditary AE, because they have been shown to have multiple effects including upregulation of FXII, an important activator of the kallikrein pathway. However, their role in the underlying pathogenesis for CSU is less clear. Autoimmunity is clearly linked to CSU, which is more common in women. This suggests that sex hormones could act as adjuvants in activating or upregulating autoimmune pathways. The purpose of this review is to discuss in detail the role of sex hormones in CSU and AE and how a better understanding of the impact hormones has on these conditions might lead to new treatment advancements with better clinical outcomes.
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Pellegrini C, Pirazzini C, Sala C, Sambati L, Yusipov I, Kalyakulina A, Ravaioli F, Kwiatkowska KM, Durso DF, Ivanchenko M, Monti D, Lodi R, Franceschi C, Cortelli P, Garagnani P, Bacalini MG. A Meta-Analysis of Brain DNA Methylation Across Sex, Age, and Alzheimer's Disease Points for Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in Neurodegeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:639428. [PMID: 33790779 PMCID: PMC8006465 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.639428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by specific alterations of brain DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns. Age and sex, two major risk factors for AD, are also known to largely affect the epigenetic profiles in brain, but their contribution to AD-associated DNAm changes has been poorly investigated. In this study we considered publicly available DNAm datasets of four brain regions (temporal, frontal, entorhinal cortex, and cerebellum) from healthy adult subjects and AD patients, and performed a meta-analysis to identify sex-, age-, and AD-associated epigenetic profiles. In one of these datasets it was also possible to distinguish 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) profiles. We showed that DNAm differences between males and females tend to be shared between the four brain regions, while aging differently affects cortical regions compared to cerebellum. We found that the proportion of sex-dependent probes whose methylation is modified also during aging is higher than expected, but that differences between males and females tend to be maintained, with only a few probes showing age-by-sex interaction. We did not find significant overlaps between AD- and sex-associated probes, nor disease-by-sex interaction effects. On the contrary, we found that AD-related epigenetic modifications are significantly enriched in probes whose DNAm varies with age and that there is a high concordance between the direction of changes (hyper or hypo-methylation) in aging and AD, supporting accelerated epigenetic aging in the disease. In summary, our results suggest that age-associated DNAm patterns concur to the epigenetic deregulation observed in AD, providing new insights on how advanced age enables neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Pellegrini
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Pirazzini
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Sala
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luisa Sambati
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Igor Yusipov
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Alena Kalyakulina
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Francesco Ravaioli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Katarzyna M. Kwiatkowska
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Danielle F. Durso
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Mikhail Ivanchenko
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Daniela Monti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio,” University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Raffaele Lodi
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Applied Biomedical Research Center, Policlinico S.Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Bologna, Italy
- National Research Council of Italy Institute of Molecular Genetics “Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza,” Unit of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Giulia Bacalini
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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12
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Lopes-Ramos CM, Quackenbush J, DeMeo DL. Genome-Wide Sex and Gender Differences in Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:597788. [PMID: 33330090 PMCID: PMC7719817 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.597788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their known importance in clinical medicine, differences based on sex and gender are among the least studied factors affecting cancer susceptibility, progression, survival, and therapeutic response. In particular, the molecular mechanisms driving sex differences are poorly understood and so most approaches to precision medicine use mutational or other genomic data to assign therapy without considering how the sex of the individual might influence therapeutic efficacy. The mandate by the National Institutes of Health that research studies include sex as a biological variable has begun to expand our understanding on its importance. Sex differences in cancer may arise due to a combination of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors, as well as differences in gene regulation, and expression. Extensive sex differences occur genome-wide, and ultimately influence cancer biology and outcomes. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about sex-specific genetic and genome-wide influences in cancer, describe how differences in response to environmental exposures and genetic and epigenetic alterations alter the trajectory of the disease, and provide insights into the importance of integrative analyses in understanding the interplay of sex and genomics in cancer. In particular, we will explore some of the emerging analytical approaches, such as the use of network methods, that are providing a deeper understanding of the drivers of differences based on sex and gender. Better understanding these complex factors and their interactions will improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes for all individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila M Lopes-Ramos
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John Quackenbush
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dawn L DeMeo
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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13
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Zhuang QKW, Galvez JH, Xiao Q, AlOgayil N, Hyacinthe J, Taketo T, Bourque G, Naumova AK. Sex Chromosomes and Sex Phenotype Contribute to Biased DNA Methylation in Mouse Liver. Cells 2020; 9:E1436. [PMID: 32527045 PMCID: PMC7349295 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex biases in the genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation and gene expression levels are some of the manifestations of sexual dimorphism in mammals. To advance our understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to sex biases in DNA methylation and gene expression, we conducted whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) as well as RNA-seq on liver samples from mice with different combinations of sex phenotype and sex-chromosome complement. We compared groups of animals with different sex phenotypes, but the same genetic sexes, and vice versa, same sex phenotypes, but different sex-chromosome complements. We also compared sex-biased DNA methylation in mouse and human livers. Our data show that sex phenotype, X-chromosome dosage, and the presence of Y chromosome shape the differences in DNA methylation between males and females. We also demonstrate that sex bias in autosomal methylation is associated with sex bias in gene expression, whereas X-chromosome dosage-dependent methylation differences are not, as expected for a dosage-compensation mechanism. Furthermore, we find partial conservation between the repertoires of mouse and human genes that are associated with sex-biased methylation, an indication that gene function is likely to be an important factor in this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinwei Kim-Wee Zhuang
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 1C7, Canada; (Q.K.-W.Z.); (N.A.)
| | - Jose Hector Galvez
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, Montréal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada;
| | - Qian Xiao
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Najla AlOgayil
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 1C7, Canada; (Q.K.-W.Z.); (N.A.)
| | - Jeffrey Hyacinthe
- Department of Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada;
| | - Teruko Taketo
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada;
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Guillaume Bourque
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 1C7, Canada; (Q.K.-W.Z.); (N.A.)
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, Montréal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada;
| | - Anna K. Naumova
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 1C7, Canada; (Q.K.-W.Z.); (N.A.)
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada;
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
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14
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Ma C, Wu X, Shen X, Yang Y, Chen Z, Sun X, Wang Z. Sex differences in traumatic brain injury: a multi-dimensional exploration in genes, hormones, cells, individuals, and society. Chin Neurosurg J 2019; 5:24. [PMID: 32922923 PMCID: PMC7398330 DOI: 10.1186/s41016-019-0173-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is exceptionally prevalent in society and often imposes a massive burden on patients' families and poor prognosis. The evidence reviewed here suggests that gender can influence clinical outcomes of TBI in many aspects, ranges from patients' mortality and short-term outcome to their long-term outcome, as well as the incidence of cognitive impairment. We mainly focused on the causes and mechanisms underlying the differences between male and female after TBI, from both biological and sociological views. As it turns out that multiple factors contribute to the gender differences after TBI, not merely the perspective of gender and sex hormones. Centered on this, we discussed how female steroid hormones exert neuroprotective effects through the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanism, along with the cognitive impairment and the social integration problems it caused. As to the treatment, both instant and long-term treatment of TBI requires adjustments according to gender. A further study with more focus on this topic is therefore suggested to provide better treatment options for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
| | - Xiaotian Shen
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Yanbo Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
| | - Zhouqing Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
| | - Xiaoou Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery & Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, 188 Shizi Street, Suzhou, 215006 China
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15
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To give an overview of recently published articles addressing the mechanisms underlying sex bias in autoimmune disease. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies investigating the origins of sex bias in autoimmune disease have revealed an extensive and interconnected network of genetic, hormonal, microbial, and environmental influences. Investigation of sex hormones has moved beyond profiling the effects of hormones on activity and prevalence of immune cell types to defining the specific immunity-related genes driving these changes. Deeper examination of the genetic content of the X and Y chromosomes and genetic escapees of X chromosome inactivation has revealed some key drivers of female-biased autoimmunity. Animal studies are offering further insights into the connections among microbiota, particularly that of the gut, and the immune system. SUMMARY Sex bias in autoimmune disease is the manifestation of a complex interplay of the sex chromosomes, sex hormones, the microbiota, and additional environmental and sociological factors.
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16
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Engel N. Sex Differences in Early Embryogenesis: Inter-Chromosomal Regulation Sets the Stage for Sex-Biased Gene Networks: The dialogue between the sex chromosomes and autosomes imposes sexual identity soon after fertilization. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800073. [PMID: 29943439 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sex-specific transcriptional and epigenomic profiles are detectable in the embryo very soon after fertilization. I propose that in male (XY) and female (XX) pre-implantation embryos sex chromosomes establish sexually dimorphic interactions with the autosomes, before overt differences become apparent and long before gonadogenesis. Lineage determination restricts expression biases between the sexes, but the epigenetic differences are less constrained and can be perpetuated, accounting for dimorphisms that arise later in life. In this way, sexual identity is registered in the epigenome very early in development. As development progresses, sex-specific regulatory modules are harbored within shared transcriptional networks that delineate common traits. In reviewing this field, I propose that analyzing the mechanisms for sexual dimorphisms at the molecular and biochemical level and incorporating developmental and environmental factors will lead to a greater understanding of sex differences in health and disease. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/9BPlbrHtkHQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Engel
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University - Fels Institute for Cancer Research, 3400 North Broad St., AHB Room 201, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140, USA
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