Polymorphisms of IRAK1 Gene on X Chromosome Is Associated with Hashimoto Thyroiditis in Korean Children

Assessment of XCI skewing and demonstration of XCI escape region based on single-cell RNA sequencing: comparison between female Grave's disease and control

BACKGROUND

The reactivation and loss of mosaicism hypothesis due to X chromosome inactivation (XCI) skewing and escape could influence gender differences in autoimmune diseases. XCI selectively inactivates one of the two X chromosomes in females.

METHODS

To estimate XCI skewing and the occurrence of XCI escape, we conducted a normal female (NF) without a history of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and a patient with Grave's disease (GD) based on a thyroid diagnosis. After single-cell RNA sequencing, heterozygous variants were converted and transformed. XCI skewing was calculated using the formula and the skewing degree was defined. NF/GD genes were compared using correction methods. Positions are heterozygous within a single cell as indicated by a unique barcode.

RESULTS

XCI skewing showed 45.8%/48.9% relatively random, 29.4%/27.0% skewing, 24.6%/23.7% severe skewing, and 0.2%/0.4% extreme severe skewing. 24.8%/24.1% in NF/GD exhibited severe skewing or higher. A total of 13 genes were significantly associated with XCI skewing ratios in NF/GD cells. In total, 371/250 nucleotide positions with only one barcode (representing a unique cell) were identified for XCI escape. A total of 143/52 nucleotide positions spanned 20/6 genes, and 12/1 genes were identified as XCI escapes.

CONCLUSIONS

These results could aid in understanding the immunogenetics of gender differences in various autoimmune disease pathophysiologies.

Interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase 1 gene polymorphism association with risk of rheumatological diseases in Egyptian population

BACKGROUND

Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase1 (IRAK1) plays a considerable role in the inflammatory signaling pathway. The current study aimed to identify any association between (rs1059703) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and vulnerability to rheumatological diseases in the pediatric and adult Egyptian population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The current study included four patient groups: adult Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Two healthy matched age and sex groups were included as controls. Genotypes of IRAK1 (rs1059703) SNP in patients and controls were determined using the TaqMan allelic discrimination method.

RESULTS

The frequency of AA homozygous genotype and allele A of IRAK1 (rs1059703) SNP is higher in adult SLE patients compared to adult healthy controls (p-value < 0.005). No similar association was detected regarding RA, JSLE, or JIA. However, JSLE patients carrying the A allele have a higher SLE International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index (SDI) SDI score and a higher stage of renal biopsy than those carrying the G allele (p-value < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Carriers of the A allele and its homozygous genotype of rs1059703 SNP are more prone to develop SLE in adult life and to have a more severe form of the disease in children in Egypt. No significant association was detected between this SNP and RA or JIA.

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and ferroptosis: a review of pathological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an inflammatory orbital disease associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders. Owing to the ambiguous nature of the pathogenesis, contemporary pharmacological treatment strategies predominantly involve the use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants. However, the adverse effects associated with these agents in clinical practice necessitate further investigation into the disease's pathogenesis and the identification of novel therapeutic targets and pharmacological interventions. Recent studies suggest that ferroptosis, a novel form of regulated cell death, may play a role in TAO pathogenesis. This review aims to explore the involvement of ferroptosis in TAO and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target. Key topics include the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and pathophysiology of TAO, along with the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis. Evidence supporting ferroptosis in TAO and the therapeutic implications of targeting this pathway are also discussed, alongside challenges and future directions in this emerging research area.

Association of KIR Genes with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection in South Koreans

BACKGROUND

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a lower respiratory tract disease caused by a beta coronavirus (CoV) called MERS-CoV, characterized by a high mortality rate. We aimed to evaluate the association between genetic variation in killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and the risk of MERS in South Koreans.

METHODS

KIR genes were genotyped by multiplex polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). A case-control study was performed to identify the odds ratios (OR) of KIR genes for MERS and the association of KIR genes and their ligands, human leukocyte antigens (HLA) genes.

RESULTS

KIR2DS4D and KIR3DP1F showed higher frequencies in the group of all patients infected with MERS-CoV than in the control group (p = 0.023, OR = 2.4; p = 0.039, OR = 2.7). KIR2DL1, KIR2DP1, and KIR3DP1D were significantly associated with moderate/mild (Mo/Mi) cases. KIR2DL2, KIR2DS1, and KIR3DP1F were affected in severe cases. When we investigated the association between KIR genes and their ligands in MERS patient and control groups, KIR3DL1+/Bw4(80I)+, KIR3DL1+/Bw6+, KIR3DL1+/Bw6-, KIR2DS1+/C2+, and KIR3DS+/Bw4(80I)+ were associated with MERS. KIR3DL1+/Bw6- was found in Mo/Mi cases. KIR2DS1+/C2+ and KIR2DS2+/C1+ were found in severe cases.

CONCLUSION

Further investigations are needed to prove the various immune responses of MERS-CoV-infected cells according to variations in the KIR gene and ligand gene. A treatment strategy based on current research on the KIR gene and MERS-CoV will suggest potential treatment targets.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BIOLOGICAL SEX AND THE X-LINKED VARIANT IRAK1 HAPLOTYPE IN MODULATING CLINICAL OUTCOME AND CELLULAR PHENOTYPES AFTER TRAUMA

ABSTRACT

Sex-related outcome differences in trauma remain controversial. The mechanisms causing sex-biased outcomes are likely to have hormonal and genetic components, in which X-linked genetic polymorphisms may play distinct roles because of X-linked inheritance, hemizygosity in males, and X chromosome mosaicism in females. The study aimed to elucidate the contribution of biological sex and the common X-linked IRAK1 haplotype to posttrauma clinical complications, inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, and polymorphonuclear cell and monocyte activation. Postinjury clinical outcome was tested in 1507 trauma patients (1,110 males, 397 females) after stratification by sex or the variant IRAK1 haplotype. Males showed a three- to fivefold greater frequency of posttrauma sepsis, but similar mortality compared to females. Stratification by the variant IRAK1 haplotype revealed increased pneumonia and urinary tract infection in Wild type (WT) versus variant IRAK1 males, whereas increased respiratory failures in variant versus WT females. Cytokine/chemokine profiles were tested in whole blood from a subset of patients (n = 81) and healthy controls (n = 51), which indicated sex-related differences in ex vivo lipopolysaccharide responsiveness manifesting in a 1.5- to 2-fold increased production rate of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-10, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 Alpha, and MIP1β in WT male compared to WT female trauma patients. Variant IRAK1 decreased IL-6, IL-8, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 production in male trauma subjects compared to WT, whereas cytokine/chemokine responses were similar in variant IRAK1 and WT female trauma subjects. Trauma-induced and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated polymorphonuclear cell and monocyte activation determined by using a set of cluster of differentiation markers and flow cytometry were not influenced by sex or variant IRAK1. These findings suggest that variant IRAK1 is a potential contributor to sex-based outcome differences, but its immunomodulatory impacts are modulated by biological sex.

Associations of IRAK1 Gene Polymorphisms and mRNA Expression With NMOSD Risk in the Northern Chinese Han Population

Objectives: Interleukin (IL)-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) is a very important immunomodulatory gene for autoimmune diseases located on the X chromosome. However, there was little study about the correlation of IRAK1 functional single nucleotide polymorphisms with mRNA expression in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the plausible association of IRAK1 polymorphism, IRAK1 mRNA expression, and NMOSD risk in the northern Chinese Han population. Methods: Four loci of IRAK1 gene (rs1059702, rs7061789, rs1059703, and rs3027898) were genotyped using multiplex SNaPshot technique in 102 NMOSD patients and 213 healthy subjects. Allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies were compared. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, AQP4 status, and age of onset. IRAK1 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 30 NMOSD patients (of active phase) and 15 healthy control subjects were detected using qPCR. The correlations between the SNP polymorphisms and mRNA expression levels of genes were tested using non-parametric tests. Results: The minor allele frequencies (MAF) of these four locis were significantly lower in NMOSD cases than that of the controls. The frequencies of rs1059703G/G genotype, rs1059702A/A genotype, rs3027898 C/C genotype, and rs7061789G/G genotype were higher in the case group than that of the control group. Haplotype analysis revealed that the major haplotype "G-A-C-G" (alleles in the order of SNPs rs1059703, rs1059702, rs3027898, and rs7061789), containing the risk alleles, conferred an adverse effect on NMOSD. The level of IRAK1mRNA was markedly higher in NMOSD when compared to the healthy control groups. The IRAK1mRNA levels of female patients with the major haplotype were significantly higher compared to those with other haplotypes and to the male patients with the same genotype. Conclusion: IRAK1 polymorphisms were highly correlated with NMOSD susceptibility. Its haplotype G-A-C-G (rs1059703-rs1059702-rs3027898-rs7061789) confers increasing the risk of NMOSD in female patients. The IRAK1 risk haplotype G-A-C-G upregulated IRAK1 mRNA expression in female NMOSD patients. Our study provides a novel insight into the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of NMOSD and reveals that IRAK1 is the potential mechanism-specific druggable target in NMOSD disease.

GPR174 and ITM2A Gene Polymorphisms rs3827440 and rs5912838 on the X chromosome in Korean Children with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

(1) Background: Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) are female predominant and much attention has been focused on G protein-coupled receptor 174 (GPR174) and integral membrane protein 2A (ITM2A) on the X chromosome as Grave's disease (GD) susceptible locus. (2) Methods: We genotyped four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs3810712, rs3810711, rs3827440, and rs5912838, of GPR174 and ITM2A in 115 Korean children with AITD (M = 25 and F = 90; GD = 74 (14.7 ± 3.6 years), HD = 41 (13.4 ± 3.2 years); GD-thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) = 40, GD-non-TAO=34) and 204 healthy Korean individuals (M = 104 and F = 100). The data were analyzed by sex-stratified or combined. (3) Results: Three SNPs, rs3810712, rs3810711 and rs3827440, were found to be in perfect linkage disequilibrium (D' = 1, r² = 1). In AITD, HD, GD, GD-TAO, and GD-non-TAO patients, rs3827440 TT/T and rs5912838 AA/A were susceptible and rs3827440 CC/C and rs5912838 CC/C were protective genotypes. When analyzed by sex, rs3827440 TT and rs5912838 AA were susceptible and rs3827440 CC and rs5912838 CC were protective genotypes in female AITD, GD, GD-TAO, and GD-non-TAO subjects. In male AITD patients, rs3827440 T and rs5912838 A were susceptible and rs3827440 C and rs5912838 C were protective genotypes. (4) Conclusions: Polymorphisms in GPR174 and ITM2A genes on the X chromosome might be associated with AITD in Korean children.