CCR2 and CCR5 genes polymorphisms in women with cervical lesions from Pernambuco, Northeast Region of Brazil: a case-control study

Significant association of MCP1 rs1024611 and CCR2 rs1799864 polymorphisms with colorectal cancer and liver metastases susceptibility and aggressiveness: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

The MCP-1/CCR2 axis is one of the major chemokine signaling pathways that play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment and has been involved in triggering various tumor progression mechanisms, such as increasing the immunosuppressive cells recruitment and promoting tumor cell proliferation and invasiveness.

AIM

The current study investigated the association of MCP1 (rs1024611) and CCR2 (rs1799864) genes variants with the risk as well as prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal liver metastases (CRLM).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study involved 408 patients (284 CRC and 124 CRLM), and 284 healthy control was conducted. Genotyping of selected polymorphisms was performed by PCR-RFLP assays and confirmed by microchip and capillary electrophoresis.

RESULTS

The results highlighted a positive association between MCP1 rs1024611 (non-AA) and CCR2 rs1799864 (GA) genotypes with increased CRC and CRLM risk. Correlation between SNPs and clinicopathological characteristics revealed a positive association between MCP1 rs1024611 and CCR2 rs1799864 (dominant model) and CRC poor prognosis features. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significant association between MCP1 rs1024611 non-AA carriers and decreased survival rate. Neoadjuvant treatment showed an improvement in CRC and CRLM survival rates among carriers of MCP1 and CCR2 wild-type genotype. FOLFIRI chemotherapy exhibits reduced survival rates for patients who carried mutated genotypes of MCP1 and CCR2 polymorphisms.

CONCLUSION

Considering our results, we suggest That both MCP1 and CCR2 polymorphisms may constitute independent factors for CRC and CRLM occurrence and can be helpful targets for an efficient therapeutic approach.

A novel ten-gene prognostic signature for cervical cancer based on CD79B-related immunomodulators

The identification of immune-related prognostic biomarkers opens up the possibility of developing new immunotherapy strategies against tumors. In this study, we investigated immune-related biomarkers in the tumor microenvironment to predict the prognosis of cervical cancer (CC) patients. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms were used to calculate the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and the amount of immune and stromal components in cervical samples (n = 309) from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Ten immune-related differentially expressed genes associated with CC survival were identified via intersection analyses of multivariate Cox regression and protein-protein interactions. CD79B was chosen for further study, and its prognostic value and role in anti-CC immune functions were analyzed. Differential expression analysis and qRT-PCR validation both revealed that CD79B expression was down-regulated in CC tissues. Survival analysis suggested that a high level of CD79B expression was associated with good prognosis. In the clinical correlation analysis, CD79B expression was found to be related to primary therapy outcome, race, histological type, degree of cell differentiation, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval. GSEA showed that the function and pathway of CD79B were mainly related to immune activities. Meanwhile, CD79B expression was correlated with 10 types of TICs. Based on CD79B-associated immunomodulators, a novel immune prognostic signature consisting of 10 genes (CD96, LAG3, PDCD1, TIGIT, CD27, KLRK1, LTA, PVR, TNFRSF13C, and TNFRSF17) was established and validated as possessing good independent prognostic value for CC patients. Finally, a nomogram to predict personalized 3- and 5-year overall survival probabilities in CC patients was built and validated. In summary, our findings demonstrated that CD79B might be a potential prognostic biomarker for CC. The 10-gene prognostic signature independently predicted the overall survival of patients with CC, which could improve individualized treatment and aid clinical decision-making.

Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 is associated with the pathological grade and inflammatory response in IgAN children

Background

Chemokine (C–C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) is involved in important physiological and pathological processes, such as inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Abnormal immune and inflammatory responses play a critical role in the development and progression of IgA nephritis (IgAN). However, the role of CCR2 in IgAN is unknown.

Methods

Fifteen IgAN children who were diagnosed by kidney biopsy provided kidney biopsy tissue, blood and urine samples, and age-matched healthy control subjects (blood donators n = 12; tissue donators n = 8) were included. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect the expression of CCR2, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α in the kidney tissues. Relative optical density (OD) was calculated by Image J software, and the correlation between CCR2 expression and pathological grade in IgAN children was analyzed.

Results

The expression of CCR2 significantly increased in mesangial cells of children with IgAN compared to that in control group (P < 0.001), especially in IgAN patients with Lee’s grade III to IV (P < 0.001). Interestingly, CCR2 expression was positively correlated with Lee’s grade (r = 0.9152, P = 0.0001) in IgAN children. The expression levels of inflammatory factors were markedly increased in IgAN children, and importantly CCR2 expression was positively correlated with it’s expression level.

Conclusions

The results suggest that CCR2 signaling might be involved in pathological process and inflammatory responses of children IgAN, and could potentially be an intervention target in children IgAN.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-022-02839-y.

CCR5Δ32 in Brazil: Impacts of a European Genetic Variant on a Highly Admixed Population

The genetic background of Brazilians encompasses Amerindian, African, and European components as a result of the colonization of an already Amerindian inhabited region by Europeans, associated to a massive influx of Africans. Other migratory flows introduced into the Brazilian population genetic components from Asia and the Middle East. Currently, Brazil has a highly admixed population and, therefore, the study of genetic factors in the context of health or disease in Brazil is a challenging and remarkably interesting subject. This phenomenon is exemplified by the genetic variant CCR5Δ32, a 32 base-pair deletion in the CCR5 gene. CCR5Δ32 originated in Europe, but the time of origin as well as the selective pressures that allowed the maintenance of this variant and the establishment of its current frequencies in the different human populations is still a field of debates. Due to its origin, the CCR5Δ32 allele frequency is high in European-derived populations (~10%) and low in Asian and African native human populations. In Brazil, the CCR5Δ32 allele frequency is intermediate (4-6%) and varies on the Brazilian States, depending on the migratory history of each region. CCR5 is a protein that regulates the activity of several immune cells, also acting as the main HIV-1 co-receptor. The CCR5 expression is influenced by CCR5Δ32 genotypes. No CCR5 expression is observed in CCR5Δ32 homozygous individuals. Thus, the CCR5Δ32 has particular effects on different diseases. At the population level, the effect that CCR5Δ32 has on European populations may be different than that observed in highly admixed populations. Besides less evident due to its low frequency in admixed groups, the effect of the CCR5Δ32 variant may be affected by other genetic traits. Understanding the effects of CCR5Δ32 on Brazilians is essential to predict the potential use of pharmacological CCR5 modulators in Brazil. Therefore, this study reviews the impacts of the CCR5Δ32 on the Brazilian population, considering infectious diseases, inflammatory conditions, and cancer. Finally, this article provides a general discussion concerning the impacts of a European-derived variant, the CCR5Δ32, on a highly admixed population.

Polymorphic variants INSIG2 rs6726538, HLA-DRB1 rs9272143, and GCNT1P5 rs7780883 contribute to the susceptibility of cervical cancer in the Bangladeshi women

Objective

Cervical cancer is a gynecological health problem, affecting nearly 500,000 women each year worldwide. Genome‐wide association studies have revealed multiple susceptible genes and their polymorphisms for cervical carcinoma risk. We have carried out this case‐control study to investigate the association of INSIG2 rs6726538 (A; T), HLA‐DRB1 rs9272143 (T; C), and GCNT1P5 rs7780883 (G; A) with cervical cancer.

Methods

The present study recruited 234 cervical cancer patients as cases and 212 healthy females as controls. We have applied the tetra‐primer amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (T‐ARMS‐PCR) method for genotyping.

Results

The SNP rs6726538 was significantly associated with increased risk of cervical cancer in all genetic models (AT vs. AA: OR = 3.30, 95% CI = 2.19–4.97, p < 0.0001; TT vs. AA: OR = 8.72, 95% CI = 3.87–19.7, p < 0.0001; AT+TT vs. AA: OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 2.61–5.73, p < 0.0001; T vs. A: OR = 2.97, 95% CI = 2.20–4.01, p < 0.0001) except the recessive model which showed a significantly reduced risk (TT vs. AA+AT: OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.09–0.44, p = 0.0001). rs9272143 showed significantly reduced risk for the additive model 1, dominant model, and allelic model (TC vs. TT: OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.31–0.70, p = 0.0004; TC+CC vs. TT: OR = 0.47 95% CI = 0.32–0.70, p = 0.0002; C vs. T: OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.40–0.78, p = 0.0006, respectively). The third variant, rs7780883, was significantly associated with increased risk in additive model 2, dominant, and allelic models (AA vs. GG: OR = 5.08, 95% CI = 2.45–10.5, p < 0.0001; GA+AA vs. GG: OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.06–2.24, p = 0.0237; A vs. G: OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.34–2.52, p < 0.0001, consecutively), whereas recessive model reduced the risk of cervical cancer (AA vs. GG+GA: OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.09–0.41, p < 0.0001). Other models of these SNPs were not associated with cervical cancer. All significant associations for three SNPs withstand after Bonferroni correction except the additive model 2 of rs7780883.

Conclusion

Our study concludes that INSIG2 rs6726538, HLA‐DRB1 rs9272143, and GCNT1P5 rs7780883 polymorphisms may contribute to the development of cervical cancer in the Bangladeshi population.

Beyond HIV infection: Neglected and varied impacts of CCR5 and CCR5Δ32 on viral diseases

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CCR5 regulates multiple cell types (e.g., T regulatory and Natural Killer cells) and immune responses.

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The effects of CCR5, CCR5Δ32 (variant associated with reduced CCR5 expression) and CCR5 antagonists vary between infections.

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CCR5 affects the pathogenesis of flaviviruses, especially in the brain.

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The genetic variant CCR5Δ32 increases the risk of symptomatic West Nile virus infection.

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The triad “CCR5, extracellular vesicles and infections” is an emerging topic.

The interactions between chemokine receptors and their ligands may affect susceptibility to infectious diseases as well as their clinical manifestations. These interactions mediate both the traffic of inflammatory cells and virus-associated immune responses. In the context of viral infections, the human C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) receives great attention from the scientific community due to its role as an HIV-1 co-receptor. The genetic variant CCR5Δ32 (32 base-pair deletion in CCR5 gene) impairs CCR5 expression on the cell surface and is associated with protection against HIV infection in homozygous individuals. Also, the genetic variant CCR5Δ32 modifies the CCR5-mediated inflammatory responses in various conditions, such as inflammatory and infectious diseases. CCR5 antagonists mimic, at least in part, the natural effects of the CCR5Δ32 in humans, which explains the growing interest in the potential benefits of using CCR5 modulators for the treatment of different diseases. Nevertheless, beyond HIV infection, understanding the effects of the CCR5Δ32 variant in multiple viral infections is essential to shed light on the potential effects of the CCR5 modulators from a broader perspective. In this context, this review discusses the involvement of CCR5 and the effects of the CCR5Δ32 in human infections caused by the following pathogens: West Nile virus, Influenza virus, Human papillomavirus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Poliovirus, Dengue virus, Human cytomegalovirus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Enterovirus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and Hantavirus. Subsequently, this review addresses the impacts of CCR5 gene editing and CCR5 modulation on health and viral diseases. Also, this article connects recent findings regarding extracellular vesicles (e.g., exosomes), viruses, and CCR5. Neglected and emerging topics in “CCR5 research” are briefly described, with focus on Rocio virus, Zika virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Rhinovirus. Finally, the potential influence of CCR5 on the immune responses to coronaviruses is discussed.

Combined Effect of HPV and Several Gene SNPs in Laryngeal Cancer

Background and objectives: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common head and neck tumors. The molecular mechanism of LSCC remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TP53, MDM2, MDM4, MTHFR, CASP8, and CCR5 genes in LSCC, and to assess their correlations with patient survival. Materials and Methods: 49 LSCC patients were enrolled in this study. PCR and qRT-PCR were used to detect, identify, and quantify HPV. SNPs were genotyped using PCR and PCR-RFLP. Results: By analyzing the interactions of the SNPs of the genes with clinical parameters, the majority of patients with lymph node status (N1,2) were identified as carriers of MDM2T/G, CASP8ins/del, CCR5wt/wt SNP. Cluster analysis showed that patients with MDM2T/T SNP survive longer than patients identified as CASP8ins/ins, MTHFRC/C, and MDM4A/A variant carriers; meanwhile, LSCC patients with MDM2T/T polymorphic variant had the best survival. Multivariate analysis showed that HPV-positive patients without metastasis in regional lymph nodes (N0) and harboring CASP8ins/del variant had the best survival. Meanwhile, HPV-negative patients with identified metastasis in lymph nodes (N1 and N2) and CASP8ins/del variant had poor survival. Conclusions: This finding suggests patients survival prognosis and tumor behavior are different according HPV status, SNP variants, and clinical characteristics of the LSCC.

CCR5 genetic variants and epidemiological determinants for HPV infection and cervical premalignant lesions

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection can lead to the development of productive epithelial lesions and cervical cancer. Most cervical HPV infections are solved by cell-mediated immunity within 1-2 years, and it is known that chronic inflammation predisposes to lesions progression and tumour development. In this context, we highlight the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) which is involved in leucocytes chemotaxis to sites of inflammation, controlling the immune response. The CCR5 rs333 genotyping of 164 HPV infected women and 185 non-infected women was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HPV infection was more frequent among women under 34 years old (p < 0.001), single (p = 0.001), that received 1 minimum wage or less (p = 0.002), tobacco smokers (p = 0.007), who had the first sexual intercourse before 17 years old (p = 0.038) and that had 4 or more sexual partners during lifetime (p = 0.001). No significant difference regarding genotypes and alleles distribution according to HPV infection was observed. CCR5/CCR5 genotype was observed in 94.1% of HPV non-infected women and in 89% of infected ones, CCR5/Δ32 in 5.9% of HPV infected and in 10.4% of non-infected women, and Δ32/Δ32 was observed in only one (0.6%) infected patient. CCR5 genotypes were also not associated with cervical lesions development among HPV infected women (p = 0.167). Since CCR5 may control the antitumour immune response and cervical lesions and the studied rs333 polymorphism is not very frequent, other studies are necessary, in order to establish CCR5 role on HPV infection and squamous intraepithelial lesions development.

Genetic Susceptibility for Cervical Cancer in African Populations: What Are the Host Genetic Drivers?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an essential but not a sufficient cervical cancer etiological factor. Cancer promoters, such as host genetic mutations, significantly modulate therapeutic responses and susceptibility. In cervical cancer, of interest have been viral clearing genes and HPV oncoprotein targets, for which conflicting data have been reported among different populations. This expert analysis evaluates cervical cancer genetic susceptibility biomarkers studied in African populations. Notably, the past decade has seen Africa as a hotbed of biomarker and precision medicine innovations, thus potentially informing worldwide biomarker development strategies. We conducted a critical literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for case-control studies reporting on cervical cancer genetic polymorphisms among Africans. We found that seven African countries conducted cervical cancer molecular epidemiology studies in one of Casp8, p53, CCR2, FASL, HLA, IL10, TGF-beta, and TNF-alpha genes. This analysis reveals a remarkable gap in cervical cancer molecular epidemiology among Africans, whereas cervical cancer continues to disproportionately have an impact on African populations. Genome-wide association, whole exome- and whole-genome sequencing studies confirmed the contribution of candidate genes in cervical cancer. With such advances and omics technologies, the role of genetic susceptibility biomarkers can be exploited to develop novel interventions to improve current screening, diagnostic and prognostic methods worldwide. Exploring these genetic variations is crucial because African populations are genetically diverse and some variants or their combined effects are yet to be discovered and translated into tangible clinical applications. Thus, translational medicine and flourishing system sciences in Africa warrant further emphasis in the coming decade.

Genetic variants of MCP-1 and CCR2 genes and IgA nephropathy risk

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and its receptor CCR2 stimulate inflammation response by activating and recruiting monocytes/macrophages. MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms were reported to be associated with various diseases. To explore the relationship between MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms and IgA nephropathy (IgAN), we conducted this case-control study by enrolling 351 IgAN patients and 310 health controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate potential associations of MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms with susceptibility and clinical parameters of IgAN. No statistical differences between IgAN group and the control group in the MCP-1 -2518 and CCR2 +190 genotypic groups were observed (P > 0.05). Individuals with MCP-1 -2518 GG genotypes had a higher blood pressure (GG vs. AA+AG: OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.07-2.99, P = 0.026) and Lee's grade (GG vs. AA+AG: OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.19-3.54, P = 0.009; GG vs. AA: OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.19-4.20, P = 0.01), compared with patients with AA/AG genotypes. A significant association between CCR2 +190 polymorphism and Lee's grades was observed (GA+AA vs. GG: OR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.63-4.35, P < 0.001; GA vs. AA+GG: OR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.39-3.70, P = 0.001). Our results indicated that MCP-1 and CCR2 polymorphisms may influence the progression of IgAN, but not increase/decrease its susceptibility.

Significance of CCL2, CCL5 and CCR2 polymorphisms for adverse prognosis of Japanese encephalitis from an endemic population of India

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a major contributor for viral encephalitis in Asia. Vaccination programme has limited success for largely populated JE endemic countries like India and disease exposure is unavoidable. Involvement of chemokines and its co-receptors for adverse prognosis of JE have been documented both in vitro and in vivo. Identification of the genetic predisposing factor for JE infection in humans is crucial but not yet established. Therefore, we investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in chemokines (CCL2 and CCL5) and its co-receptors (CCR2 and CCR5) with their protein level for JE. The study enrolled 87 symptomatic JE cases (mild: severe = 24:63) and 94 asymptomatic controls. Our study demonstrated that CCL2 (rs1024611G), CCL5 (rs2280788G) and CCR2 (rs1799864A) significantly associated with JE (Odds ratio = 1.63, 2.95 and 2.62, respectively and P = 0.045, P = 0.05 and P = 0.0006, respectively). The study revealed that rs1024611G allele was associated with elevated level of CCL2. CCL5 elevation associated with JE mortality having a Cox proportional hazard of 1.004 (P = 0.033). In conclusion, SNPs of chemokine viz. CCL2 (rs1024611G) and its receptor CCR2 (rs1799864A) significantly associated with JE which may serve as possible genetic predisposing factor and CCL5 protein level may act as marker for disease survival.

Possible Impact of 190G > A CCR2 and Δ32 CCR5 Mutations on Decrease of the HBV Vaccine Immunogenicity-A Preliminary Report

Background: Chemokine genetic variations are involved in infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV). Several allelic variants might, in theory, affect the outcome of vaccination. Objectives: This study was carried out to examine the associations of Δ32 CCR5 and 190G > A CCR2 polymorphisms with a response to a primary course of three HBV vaccinations. Methods: Between December 2014 and December 2016, patients from three randomly selected primary care clinics in the West Pomeranian region (Poland), 1 month after receiving the third dose of HBV vaccine, were enrolled. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system version 3.0 was used to detect anti-HBs and anti-HBc totals. The identification of polymorphisms were performed by a polymerase chain reaction technique using a single primer extension assay. Genotype distributions of responders versus non-responders to HBV vaccination were compared on the basis of anti-HBs level. Results: In 149 patients (mean age 60 years) the mean anti-HBs level was 652.2 ± 425.9 mIU/mL (range: 0–1111.0 mIU/mL). There were 14.1% (n = 21) non-responders to the HBV vaccine (anti-HBs < 10.0 mIU/mL). The wild type/Δ32 genotype of CCR5 gene was found in 18.1% participants, and 1.3% were Δ32/Δ32 homozygotes. The frequency of allele A of the CCR2 gene was 11.1%. Lower anti-HBs levels in Δ32/Δ32 homozygotes were observed (Me = 61 mIU/mL vs. Me = 660.2 mIU/mL; p = 0.048). As age was found to be a correlate to the anti-HBs titer (r = −0.218, p = 0.0075; 95% CI: −0.366–−0.059)—an analysis of a co-variance was performed which found a statistically significant (p = 0.04) difference in anti-HBs titres between Δ32/Δ32 homozygotes and other CCR5 genotypes. The association between anti-HBs titres and CCR2 genotypes was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our study—which is a preliminary report that suggest this topic deserves further observation with larger sample sizes, different ethnicities, and other single nucleotide poly-morphisms (SNPs)—suggests the possible involvement of CCR5 polymorphism in impairing the immunologic response to HBV vaccination, predominantly in relation to the passage of time.