Deficient Regulatory Innate Lymphoid Cells and Differential Expression of miRNAs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Quantified by Next Generation Sequence

Construction of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network Reveal Functional circRNAs and Key Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction

CircRNA is closely correlated with a wide variety of processes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), whereas the novel circRNAs, their molecular mechanism and the specific function they played in AML should be explored in depth.

Methods

The microarray chip data of AML patients and normal samples in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were selected to differentially expressed (DE) circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA genes. The miRNA gene was the intersection of the circRNA target gene predicted using CSCD and the miRNA gene screened from AML patients, while the mRNA gene was the intersection of the target gene mRNA of miRNA predicted using miRanda and miRTarBase software and the mRNA gene screened from AML patients. The hub mRNAs related to survival were further screened through Cox proportional hazard regression. CircRNA/miRNA/mRNA interaction network was constructed by using Cytoscape software.10 circRNAs and 6 miRNAs in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) of AML patients (n=43) and healthy controls (n=35) were determined by RT-qPCR. Correlations between them were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results

10 circRNAs, 6 miRNAs, and 33 mRNAs were identified. Subsequently, the network of circRNAs, miRNAs, and hub genes was built using Cystoscope. Four key circRNAs, seven hub genes and their regulatory pathways were identified. The result of RT-qPCRs showed that hsa_circ_0009581 and hsa_circ_0005273 were significantly upregulated in AML patients while hsa_circ_0000497 and hsa_circ_0001947 were significantly downregulated. Hsa-miR-150-5p was significantly downregulated; hsa-miR-454-3p was upregulated in AML patients. Hsa_circ_0009581 and hsa-miR-150-5p; hsa_ circ_0001947 and hsa-miR-454-3p were inversely correlated using Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Conclusion

This study suggests that differentially expressed circRNAs take on a critical significance to AML development and may be the effective therapeutic targets. We suppose that hsa_circ_0009581 promotes leukemia development through hsa-miR-150-5p and hsa_circ_0001947 through hsa-miR-454-3p. hsa_circ_0001947 and hsa_circ_0009581 may provide new directions in the pathogenesis of AML.

Harnessing Unconventional T Cells and Innate Lymphoid Cells to Prevent and Treat Hematological Malignancies: Prospects for New Immunotherapy

Unconventional T cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) make up a heterogeneous set of cells that characteristically show prompt responses toward specific antigens. Unconventional T cells recognize non-peptide antigens, which are bound and presented by diverse non-polymorphic antigen-presenting molecules and comprise γδ T cells, MR1-restricted mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAITs), and natural killer T cells (NKTs). On the other hand, ILCs lack antigen-specific receptors and act as the innate counterpart to the T lymphocytes found in the adaptive immune response. The alteration of unconventional T cells and ILCs in frequency and functionality is correlated with the onset of several autoimmune diseases, allergy, inflammation, and tumor. However, depending on the physio-pathological framework, unconventional T cells may exhibit either protective or pathogenic activity in a range of neoplastic diseases. Nonetheless, experimental models and clinical studies have displayed that some unconventional T cells are potential therapeutic targets, as well as prognostic and diagnostic markers. In fact, cell-mediated immune response in tumors has become the focus in immunotherapy against neoplastic disease. This review concentrates on the present knowledge concerning the function of unconventional T cell sets in the antitumor immune response in hematological malignancies, such as acute and chronic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoproliferative disorders. Moreover, we discuss the possibility that modulating the activity of unconventional T cells could be useful in the treatment of hematological neoplasms, in the prevention of specific conditions (such as graft versus host disease), and in the formulation of an effective anticancer vaccine therapy. The exact knowledge of the role of these cells could represent the prerequisite for the creation of a new form of immunotherapy for hematological neoplasms.

Myosin 1g and 1f: A Prospective Analysis in NK Cell Functions

NK cells are contained in the ILC1 group; they are recognized for their antiviral and antitumor cytotoxic capacity; NK cells also participate in other immune response processes through cytokines secretion. However, the mechanisms that regulate these functions are poorly understood since NK cells are not as abundant as other lymphocytes, which has made them difficult to study. Using public databases, we identified that NK cells express mRNA encoding class I myosins, among which Myosin 1g and Myosin 1f are prominent. Therefore, this mini-review aims to generate a model of the probable participation of Myosin 1g and 1f in NK cells, based on information reported about the function of these myosins in other leukocytes.

Decreased bone marrow regulatory innate lymphoid cells show a distinctive miRNA profiling in aplastic anemia

OBJECTIVES

A new regulatory subpopulation of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), regulatory innate lymphoid cells (ILCregs), has been identified with both innate lymphoid cells and regulatory cells characteristics. The purpose of this study is to explore ILCregs and its associated miRNAs in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) by evaluating ILCregs frequency, associated miRNA quantification, and their significance.

METHODS

Using 4 color combinations of surface and intracellular antibody staining, the CD45+Lin-CD127+IL-10+ ILCregs from 30 healthy donors and 30 patients newly diagnosed with AA were measured by flow cytometry. Bone marrow cells were studied by next-generation sequence miRNAs quantification.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the frequency of ILCregs in bone marrow cells from healthy donors (HD) and AA patients were 0.703 ± 0.941 and 0.171 ± 0.233%, respectively. The frequencies of ILCregs in AA patients were significantly lower than that in HD (p <0.05). miRNA detection results showed different expression patterns in the AA patient group comparing with HD. Comparing with HD, there were 52 miRNAs up-regulated and 130 miRNAs down-regulated from AA patients. Analysis of miRNAs from ILCregs associated genes demonstrated different miRNAs expression patterns between HD and AA patient.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated the deficiency of ILCregs and differential expression pattern of ILCregs gene-related miRNA in patients with AA. Further studies need to be done to explore the clinical significance of ILCregs and related miRNAs in patients with AA with large samples size and clinical follow-up.

miR-155-5p regulates macrophage M1 polarization and apoptosis in the synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent degenerative joint diseases that affects millions of individuals worldwide. During OA, proinflammatory factors (including IL-1, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α) are released from chondrocytes and proliferating synoviocytes potentiate the proinflammatory microenvironment of the synovial fluid (SF). The altered SF microenvironment affects the infiltration, polarization and apoptosis of macrophages, though the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. In the present study, the hypothesis that the knee synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA SF) promotes the polarization of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived M1 macrophages and inhibits PBMC-derived macrophage apoptosis was investigated. KOA SF increased PBMC-derived macrophage M1 polarization via the microRNA (miR)-155-5p/suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 signaling pathway. Caspase-3 (CASP3) was identified as a novel target of miR-155-5p, where KOA SF inhibited macrophage apoptosis via the miR-155-5p/CASP3 signaling pathway. The results suggested that the proinflammatory environment of KOA SF promoted macrophage M1 polarization and reduced macrophage apoptosis via miR-155-5p. The results provided a potential explanation for the increased number of M1 macrophages observed in KOA SF during OA. In addition, the present study suggested that miR-155-5p may serve as a potential therapeutic target for KOA.