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Ferguson LB, Mayfield RD, Messing RO. RNA biomarkers for alcohol use disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1032362. [PMID: 36407766 PMCID: PMC9673015 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1032362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent and one of the leading causes of disability in the US and around the world. There are some molecular biomarkers of heavy alcohol use and liver damage which can suggest AUD, but these are lacking in sensitivity and specificity. AUD treatment involves psychosocial interventions and medications for managing alcohol withdrawal, assisting in abstinence and reduced drinking (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, and some off-label medications), and treating comorbid psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression and anxiety). It has been suggested that various patient groups within the heterogeneous AUD population would respond more favorably to specific treatment approaches. For example, there is some evidence that so-called reward-drinkers respond better to naltrexone than acamprosate. However, there are currently no objective molecular markers to separate patients into optimal treatment groups or any markers of treatment response. Objective molecular biomarkers could aid in AUD diagnosis and patient stratification, which could personalize treatment and improve outcomes through more targeted interventions. Biomarkers of treatment response could also improve AUD management and treatment development. Systems biology considers complex diseases and emergent behaviors as the outcome of interactions and crosstalk between biomolecular networks. A systems approach that uses transcriptomic (or other -omic data, e.g., methylome, proteome, metabolome) can capture genetic and environmental factors associated with AUD and potentially provide sensitive, specific, and objective biomarkers to guide patient stratification, prognosis of treatment response or relapse, and predict optimal treatments. This Review describes and highlights state-of-the-art research on employing transcriptomic data and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to serve as molecular biomarkers with the goal of improving the clinical management of AUD. Considerations about future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B. Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Laura B. Ferguson,
| | - R. Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Robert O. Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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Gabay O, Shoshan Y, Kopel E, Ben-Zvi U, Mann TD, Bressler N, Cohen-Fultheim R, Schaffer AA, Roth SH, Tzur Z, Levanon EY, Eisenberg E. Landscape of adenosine-to-inosine RNA recoding across human tissues. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1184. [PMID: 35246538 PMCID: PMC8897444 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28841-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA editing by adenosine deaminases changes the information encoded in the mRNA from its genomic blueprint. Editing of protein-coding sequences can introduce novel, functionally distinct, protein isoforms and diversify the proteome. The functional importance of a few recoding sites has been appreciated for decades. However, systematic methods to uncover these sites perform poorly, and the full repertoire of recoding in human and other mammals is unknown. Here we present a new detection approach, and analyze 9125 GTEx RNA-seq samples, to produce a highly-accurate atlas of 1517 editing sites within the coding region and their editing levels across human tissues. Single-cell RNA-seq data shows protein recoding contributes to the variability across cell subpopulations. Most highly edited sites are evolutionary conserved in non-primate mammals, attesting for adaptation. This comprehensive set can facilitate understanding of the role of recoding in human physiology and diseases. Gabay et al. provide a highly-accurate atlas of recoding by A-to-I RNA editing in human, profiled across tissues and cell subpopulations. Most highly edited sites are evolutionary conserved in non-primate mammals, attesting for adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orshay Gabay
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Yoav Shoshan
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Eli Kopel
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Udi Ben-Zvi
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Tomer D Mann
- Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sackler school of medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noam Bressler
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Roni Cohen-Fultheim
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Amos A Schaffer
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Shalom Hillel Roth
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Ziv Tzur
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Erez Y Levanon
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel. .,The Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel.
| | - Eli Eisenberg
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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Glac W, Dunacka J, Grembecka B, Świątek G, Majkutewicz I, Wrona D. Prolonged Peripheral Immunosuppressive Responses as Consequences of Random Amphetamine Treatment, Amphetamine Withdrawal and Subsequent Amphetamine Challenges in Rats. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2021; 16:870-887. [PMID: 33586062 PMCID: PMC8714631 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-021-09988-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced immunosuppression may underline increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to stress observed following chronic psychostimulant treatment. However, the consequences of random amphetamine (AMPH) treatment, withdrawal and AMPH challenge after withdrawal on the peripheral immunity and systemic corticosterone response are unknown. In this study, the total blood and spleen leukocyte, lymphocyte, T, B, NK, TCD4+/TCD8+ cell numbers and ratio, pro-inflammatory interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and anti-inflammatory interleukin-4 (IL-4) production, and plasma corticosterone concentration in Wistar rats were investigated after: chronic, random AMPH/SAL treatment alone (20 injections in 60 days, 1 mg/kg b.w., i.p.), AMPH/SAL withdrawal (for 20 consecutive days after random AMPH/SAL exposure) or AMPH/SAL challenge after withdrawal (single injection after the AMPH/SAL withdrawal phase). The results showed blood and spleen leukopenia, lymphopenia, lower blood production of IFN-ɤ, and increased plasma corticosterone concentration after the AMPH treatment, which were more pronounced in the AMPH after withdrawal group. In contrast, an increased number of blood NK cells and production of IL-4 after chronic, random AMPH treatment alone, were found. Blood AMPH-induced leukopenia and lymphopenia were due to decreased total number of T, B lymphocytes and, at least in part, of granulocytes and monocytes. Moreover, decreases in the number of blood TCD4+ and TCD8+ lymphocytes both in the AMPH chronic alone and withdrawal phases, were found.The major findings of this study are that AMPH treatment after the long-term withdrawal from previous random AMPH exposure, accelerates the drug-induced immunosuppressive and systemic corticosterone responses, suggesting prolonged immunosuppressive effects and an increase in incidence of infectious diseases. Prolonged peripheral immunosuppressive responses as consequences of random amphetamine…The results indicate that the chronic and random AMPH exposure alone and the acute (single injection) challenge of the drug after the withdrawal phase induced long-term immunosuppressive effects, which were similar to those occurring during the stress response, and sensitized the peripheral immunosuppressive and corticosterone responses of the rat to the disinhibitory effects of this stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Glac
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Joanna Dunacka
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Beata Grembecka
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Świątek
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Irena Majkutewicz
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Danuta Wrona
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308, Gdansk, Poland.
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Hubbard WB, Banerjee M, Vekaria H, Prakhya KS, Joshi S, Wang QJ, Saatman KE, Whiteheart SW, Sullivan PG. Differential Leukocyte and Platelet Profiles in Distinct Models of Traumatic Brain Injury. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030500. [PMID: 33652745 PMCID: PMC7996744 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 3 million individuals every year in the U.S. There is growing appreciation that TBI can produce systemic modifications, which are in part propagated through blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and blood–brain cell interactions. As such, platelets and leukocytes contribute to mechanisms of thromboinflammation after TBI. While these mechanisms have been investigated in experimental models of contusion brain injury, less is known regarding acute alterations following mild closed head injury. To investigate the role of platelet dynamics and bioenergetics after TBI, we employed two distinct, well-established models of TBI in mice: the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of contusion brain injury and the closed head injury (CHI) model of mild diffuse brain injury. Hematology parameters, platelet-neutrophil aggregation, and platelet respirometry were assessed acutely after injury. CCI resulted in an early drop in blood leukocyte counts, while CHI increased blood leukocyte counts early after injury. Platelet-neutrophil aggregation was altered acutely after CCI compared to sham. Furthermore, platelet bioenergetic coupling efficiency was transiently reduced at 6 h and increased at 24 h post-CCI. After CHI, oxidative phosphorylation in intact platelets was reduced at 6 h and increased at 24 h compared to sham. Taken together, these data demonstrate that brain trauma initiates alterations in platelet-leukocyte dynamics and platelet metabolism, which may be time- and injury-dependent, providing evidence that platelets carry a peripheral signature of brain injury. The unique trend of platelet bioenergetics after two distinct types of TBI suggests the potential for utilization in prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Brad Hubbard
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (W.B.H.); (H.V.); (K.E.S.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Lexington Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System, Lexington, KY 40502, USA;
| | - Meenakshi Banerjee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.B.); (K.S.P.); (S.J.)
| | - Hemendra Vekaria
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (W.B.H.); (H.V.); (K.E.S.)
| | | | - Smita Joshi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.B.); (K.S.P.); (S.J.)
| | - Qing Jun Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
| | - Kathryn E. Saatman
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (W.B.H.); (H.V.); (K.E.S.)
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Sidney W. Whiteheart
- Lexington Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System, Lexington, KY 40502, USA;
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (M.B.); (K.S.P.); (S.J.)
| | - Patrick G. Sullivan
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; (W.B.H.); (H.V.); (K.E.S.)
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
- Lexington Veterans’ Affairs Healthcare System, Lexington, KY 40502, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-859-323-4684
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Camacho L, Silva CS, Hanig JP, Schleimer RP, George NI, Bowyer JF. Identification of whole blood mRNA and microRNA biomarkers of tissue damage and immune function resulting from amphetamine exposure or heat stroke in adult male rats. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210273. [PMID: 30779732 PMCID: PMC6380594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This work extends the understanding of how toxic exposures to amphetamine (AMPH) adversely affect the immune system and lead to tissue damage. Importantly, it determines which effects of AMPH are and are not due to pronounced hyperthermia. Whole blood messenger RNA (mRNA) and whole blood and serum microRNA (miRNA) transcripts were identified in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats after exposure to toxic AMPH under normothermic conditions, AMPH when it produces pronounced hyperthermia, or environmentally-induced hyperthermia (EIH). mRNA transcripts with large increases in fold-change in treated relative to control rats and very low expression in the control group were a rich source of organ-specific transcripts in blood. When severe hyperthermia was produced by either EIH or AMPH, significant increases in circulating organ-specific transcripts for liver (Alb, Fbg, F2), pancreas (Spink1), bronchi/lungs (F3, Cyp4b1), bone marrow (Np4, RatNP-3b), and kidney (Cesl1, Slc22a8) were observed. Liver damage was suggested also by increased miR-122 levels in the serum. Increases in muscle/heart-enriched transcripts were produced by AMPH even in the absence of hyperthermia. Expression increases in immune-related transcripts, particularly Cd14 and Vcan, indicate that AMPH can activate the innate immune system in the absence of hyperthermia. Most transcripts specific for T-cells decreased 50–70% after AMPH exposure or EIH, with the noted exception of Ccr5 and Chst12. This is probably due to T-cells leaving the circulation and down-regulation of these genes. Transcript changes specific for B-cells or B-lymphoblasts in the AMPH and EIH groups ranged widely from decreasing ≈ 40% (Cd19, Cd180) to increasing 30 to 100% (Tk1, Ahsa1) to increasing ≥500% (Stip1, Ackr3). The marked increases in Ccr2, Ccr5, Pld1, and Ackr3 produced by either AMPH or EIH observed in vivo provide further insight into the initial immune system alterations that result from methamphetamine and AMPH abuse and could modify risk for HIV and other viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Camacho
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Camila S. Silva
- Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Joseph P. Hanig
- Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert P. Schleimer
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Nysia I. George
- Division of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, NCTR/U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - John F. Bowyer
- Division of Neurotoxicology, NCTR/U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Correia CN, McLoughlin KE, Nalpas NC, Magee DA, Browne JA, Rue-Albrecht K, Gordon SV, MacHugh DE. RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) Reveals Extremely Low Levels of Reticulocyte-Derived Globin Gene Transcripts in Peripheral Blood From Horses ( Equus caballus) and Cattle ( Bos taurus). Front Genet 2018; 9:278. [PMID: 30154823 PMCID: PMC6102425 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-seq has emerged as an important technology for measuring gene expression in peripheral blood samples collected from humans and other vertebrate species. In particular, transcriptomics analyses of whole blood can be used to study immunobiology and develop novel biomarkers of infectious disease. However, an obstacle to these methods in many mammalian species is the presence of reticulocyte-derived globin mRNAs in large quantities, which can complicate RNA-seq library sequencing and impede detection of other mRNA transcripts. A range of supplementary procedures for targeted depletion of globin transcripts have, therefore, been developed to alleviate this problem. Here, we use comparative analyses of RNA-seq data sets generated from human, porcine, equine, and bovine peripheral blood to systematically assess the impact of globin mRNA on routine transcriptome profiling of whole blood in cattle and horses. The results of these analyses demonstrate that total RNA isolated from equine and bovine peripheral blood contains very low levels of globin mRNA transcripts, thereby negating the need for globin depletion and greatly simplifying blood-based transcriptomic studies in these two domestic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina N Correia
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kirsten E McLoughlin
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nicolas C Nalpas
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David A Magee
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John A Browne
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kevin Rue-Albrecht
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen V Gordon
- UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David E MacHugh
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Crabtree NM, Moore JH, Bowyer JF, George NI. Multi-class computational evolution: development, benchmark evaluation and application to RNA-Seq biomarker discovery. BioData Min 2017; 10:13. [PMID: 28450890 PMCID: PMC5404302 DOI: 10.1186/s13040-017-0134-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A computational evolution system (CES) is a knowledge discovery engine that can identify subtle, synergistic relationships in large datasets. Pareto optimization allows CESs to balance accuracy with model complexity when evolving classifiers. Using Pareto optimization, a CES is able to identify a very small number of features while maintaining high classification accuracy. A CES can be designed for various types of data, and the user can exploit expert knowledge about the classification problem in order to improve discrimination between classes. These characteristics give CES an advantage over other classification and feature selection algorithms, particularly when the goal is to identify a small number of highly relevant, non-redundant biomarkers. Previously, CESs have been developed only for binary class datasets. In this study, we developed a multi-class CES. Results The multi-class CES was compared to three common feature selection and classification algorithms: support vector machine (SVM), random k-nearest neighbor (RKNN), and random forest (RF). The algorithms were evaluated on three distinct multi-class RNA sequencing datasets. The comparison criteria were run-time, classification accuracy, number of selected features, and stability of selected feature set (as measured by the Tanimoto distance). The performance of each algorithm was data-dependent. CES performed best on the dataset with the smallest sample size, indicating that CES has a unique advantage since the accuracy of most classification methods suffer when sample size is small. Conclusion The multi-class extension of CES increases the appeal of its application to complex, multi-class datasets in order to identify important biomarkers and features. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13040-017-0134-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel M Crabtree
- Bioinformatics, Department of Information Science, University of Arkansas at Little Rock and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Joint Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Little Rock, AR USA
| | - Jason H Moore
- Division of Informatics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Institute for Biomedical Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021 USA
| | - John F Bowyer
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, AR USA
| | - Nysia I George
- Division of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, Jefferson, AR USA
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Chomczynski P, Wilfinger WW, Eghbalnia HR, Kennedy A, Rymaszewski M, Mackey K. Inter-Individual Differences in RNA Levels in Human Peripheral Blood. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148260. [PMID: 26863434 PMCID: PMC4749217 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively little is known about the range of RNA levels in human blood. This report provides assessment of peripheral blood RNA level and its inter-individual differences in a group of 35 healthy humans consisting of 25 females and 10 males ranging in age from 50 to 89 years. In this group, the average total RNA level was 14.59 μg/ml of blood, with no statistically significant difference between females and males. The individual RNA level ranged from 6.7 to 22.7 μg/ml of blood. In healthy subjects, the repeated sampling of an individual’s blood showed that RNA level, whether high or low, was stable. The inter-individual differences in RNA level in blood can be attributed to both, differences in cell number and the amount of RNA per cell. The 3.4-fold range of inter-individual differences in total RNA levels, documented herein, should be taken into account when evaluating the results of quantitative RT-PCR and/or RNA sequencing studies of human blood. Based on the presented results, a comprehensive assessment of gene expression in blood should involve determination of both the amount of mRNA per unit of total RNA (U / ng RNA) and the amount of mRNA per unit of blood (U / ml blood) to assure a thorough interpretation of physiological or pathological relevance of study results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Chomczynski
- Molecular Research Center, Inc. Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Hamid R. Eghbalnia
- University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Amy Kennedy
- Molecular Research Center, Inc. Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Michal Rymaszewski
- Molecular Research Center, Inc. Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Karol Mackey
- Molecular Research Center, Inc. Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
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