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Choi YJ, Han K, Cho WK, Jung MH, Suh BK. Cancer and Mortality Risks of Graves' Disease in South Korea Based on National Data from 2010 to 2019. Clin Epidemiol 2023; 15:535-546. [PMID: 37159800 PMCID: PMC10163882 DOI: 10.2147/clep.s406361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to investigate Graves' disease (GD) associated cancer and mortality risk using a Korean population-based study. Patients and Methods We included 6435 patients with GD using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort database from 2010 to 2019. Data concerning such patients were compared in a 1:5 ratio with age- and sex-matched non-GD group (n=32,175). Eighteen subdivided types of cancer and cancers-in-total were analyzed. In addition to the mortality analysis, subgroup analyses were performed according to age and sex. Results After adjustment, the hazard ratio (HR) of the GD group for cancer-in-total was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91-1.27), showing no difference when compared to the non-GD group. However, among different types of cancer, the thyroid cancer risk of the GD group was higher than that of the non-GD group (HR=1.70; 95% CI, 1.20-2.39). When subdivided by age and sex, the thyroid cancer risk of the GD group in males aged 20-39 years was higher than that of the non-GD group (HR=7.00; 95% CI, 1.48-33.12). The mortality risk of the GD group was not different from that of the non-GD group (HR=0.86; 95% CI, 0.70-1.05). Conclusion In South Korea, patients with GD had a higher risk of thyroid cancer than the non-GD group. In particular, males aged 20-39 years with GD were more likely to have thyroid cancer than the non-GD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ju Choi
- Department of Pediatrics, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungdo Han
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, College of Natural Sciences, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Kyoung Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: Won Kyoung Cho, Department of Pediatrics, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 93, Jungbu-daero, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16247, Republic of Korea, Tel +82-31-249-8869, Fax +82-2-783-2589, Email
| | - Min Ho Jung
- Department of Pediatrics, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Kyu Suh
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Human Melanoma Cells Differentially Express RNASEL/RNase-L and miR-146a-5p under Sex Hormonal Stimulation. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:4790-4802. [PMID: 36286041 PMCID: PMC9601115 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the ribonuclease L (RNASEL) coding gene and hsa-miR-146a-5p (miR-146a) have been associated with melanoma in a sex-specific manner. We hypothesized that RNASEL and miR-146a expression could be influenced by sex hormones playing a role in the female advantages observed in melanoma incidence and survival. Thus, we explored the effects of testosterone and 17β-estradiol on RNASEL and miR-146a expression in LM-20 and A375 melanoma cell lines. Direct targeting of miR-146a to the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of RNASEL was examined using a luciferase reporter system. Our results indicate that RNASEL is a direct target of miR-146a in both melanoma cell lines. Trough qPCR and western blot analyses, we explored the effect of miR-146a mimic transfection in the presence of each hormone either on RNASEL mRNA level or on protein expression of RNase-L, the enzyme codified by RNASEL gene. In the presence of testosterone or 17β-estradiol, miR-146a overexpression did not influence RNASEL transcript level in LM-20 cell line, but it slightly induced RNASEL mRNA level in A375 cells. Remarkably, miR-146a overexpression was able to repress the protein level of RNase-L in both LM-20 and A375 cells in the presence of each hormone, as well as to elicit high expression levels of the activated form of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2, hence confirming the pro-tumorigenic role of miR-146a overexpression in melanoma. Thereafter, we assessed if the administration of each hormone could affect the endogenous expression of RNASEL and miR-146a genes in LM-20 and A375 cell lines. Testosterone exerted no significant effect on RNASEL gene expression in both cell lines, while 17β-estradiol enhanced RNASEL transcript level at least in LM-20 melanoma cells. Conversely, miR-146a transcript augmented only in the presence of testosterone in either melanoma cell line. Importantly, each hormone acted quite the opposite regarding the RNase-L protein expression, i.e., testosterone significantly decreased RNase-L expression, whereas 17β-estradiol increased it. Overall, the data show that, in melanoma cells treated with 17β-estradiol, RNase-L expression increased likely by transcriptional induction of its gene. Testosterone, instead, decreased RNase-L expression in melanoma cell lines with a post-transcriptional mechanism in which miR-146a could play a role. In conclusion, the pro-tumor activity of androgen hormone in melanoma cells could be exacerbated by both miR-146a increase and RNase-L downregulation. These events may contribute to the worse outcome in male melanoma patients.
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Ojeda‐Rodríguez A, Assmann TS, Alonso‐Pedrero L, Azcona‐Sanjulian MC, Milagro FI, Marti A. Circulating miRNAs in girls with abdominal obesity: miR-221-3p as a biomarker of response to weight loss interventions. Pediatr Obes 2022; 17:e12910. [PMID: 35289984 PMCID: PMC9539627 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have associated several microRNAs (miRNAs) with childhood obesity and energy homeostasis, suggesting that an individual miRNA profile could be used as an early predictor to estimate the response to weight loss interventions in the design of precision nutrition. OBJECTIVE To investigate associations between the expression of circulating adiposity-related miRNAs and the response to a weight loss intervention. METHODS A total of 51 Spanish girls (age 7-16 years) with abdominal obesity underwent 8 weeks of a multidisciplinary intervention for weight loss. Participants were stratified into two groups in accordance with changes in body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score: low-responders (LR) and high-responders (HR). The expression of 39 circulating miRNAs (c-miRNAs) was evaluated in plasma of all subjects before the intervention. RESULTS Six miRNAs were differentially expressed between LR and HR. However, after adjustment for Tanner stage, the association was maintained only for miR-126-3p and miR-221-3p with a higher expression in HR group compared to LR group. After the intervention, miR-221-3p expression decreased in all subjects with a significant difference in the change within groups. However, changes in miR-126-3p levels were not significant. The expression of miR-221-3p was positively correlated with body weight, BMI and waist circumference, and negatively correlated with quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. CONCLUSIONS Bioinformatic analysis evidenced that miR-221-3p participates in several obesity-related pathways, and more interestingly, this miRNA targets several candidate genes to childhood obesity according to DisGeNet database. Thus, miR-221-3p could be used for predicting the response to a multidisciplinary intervention for weight loss in young girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ojeda‐Rodríguez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and PhysiologyUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Taís Silveira Assmann
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and PhysiologyUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,Endocrinology, Faculty of MedicineFederal University of Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Lucia Alonso‐Pedrero
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and PhysiologyUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Maria Cristina Azcona‐Sanjulian
- IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de NavarraPamplonaSpain,Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of PediatricsClínica Universidad de NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Fermín I. Milagro
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and PhysiologyUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de NavarraPamplonaSpain,Center for Nutrition ResearchUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn)Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - Amelia Marti
- Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and PhysiologyUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de NavarraPamplonaSpain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn)Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health Carlos IIIMadridSpain
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Abstract
Despite numerous studies of immune sexual dimorphism, sexual differences are not rigorously mapped and dimorphic mechanisms are incompletely understood. Current immune research typically studies sex differences in specific cells, tissues, or diseases but without providing an integrated picture. To connect the dots, we suggest comprehensive research approaches to better our understanding of immune sexual dimorphism and its mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Talia Gal-Oz
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Tal Shay
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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5
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Cosandey J, Hamza E, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Blaszczyk K, Unger L. Diagnostic and prognostic potential of eight whole blood microRNAs for equine sarcoid disease. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261076. [PMID: 34941894 PMCID: PMC8699634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoids, the most prevalent equine skin tumors globally. This study served to validate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of whole blood microRNAs identified in a previous study for long-term equine sarcoid diagnosis and outcome prediction. Based on findings of a clinical examination at the age of 3 years and a follow-up following a further 5–12 years, 32 Franches-Montagnes and 45 Swiss Warmblood horses were assigned to four groups: horses with regression (n = 19), progression (n = 9), new occurrences of sarcoid lesions (n = 19) and tumor-free control horses (n = 30). The expression levels for eight microRNAs (eca-miR-127, eca-miR-432, eca-miR-24, eca-miR-125a-5p, eca-miR-134, eca-miR-379, eca-miR-381, eca-miR-382) were analyzed through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction in whole blood samples collected on initial examination. Associations of sex, breed, diagnosis, and prognosis with microRNA expression levels were examined using multivariable analysis of variance. Sex and breed influenced the expression level of five and two microRNAs, respectively. Eca-miR-127 allowed discrimination between sarcoid-affected and tumor-free horses. No variation in microRNA expression was found when comparing horses with sarcoid regression and progression. Expression levels of eca-miR-125a-5p and eca-miR-432 varied in male horses that developed sarcoids throughout the study period in comparison to male control horses. While none of the investigated miRNAs was validated for predicting the prognosis of sarcoid regression / progression within young horses with this condition, two miRNAs demonstrated potential to predict if young male (though not female) tumor-free horse can develop sarcoids within the following years. Sex- and breed- biased miRNAs exist within the equine species and have an impact on biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Cosandey
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eman Hamza
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Vinzenz Gerber
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Ramseyer
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tosso Leeb
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Klaudia Blaszczyk
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lucia Unger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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Significance of Sex Differences in ncRNAs Expression and Function in Pregnancy and Related Complications. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111509. [PMID: 34829737 PMCID: PMC8614665 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the era of personalized medicine, fetal sex-specific research is of utmost importance for comprehending the mechanisms governing pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications. In recent times, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have gained increasing attention as critical players in gene regulation and disease pathogenesis, and as candidate biomarkers in human diseases as well. Different types of ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), participate in every step of pregnancy progression, although studies taking into consideration fetal sex as a central variable are still limited. To date, most of the available data have been obtained investigating sex-specific placental miRNA expression. Several studies revealed that miRNAs regulate the (patho)-physiological processes in a sexually dimorphic manner, ensuring normal fetal development, successful pregnancy, and susceptibility to diseases. Moreover, the observation that ncRNA profiles differ according to cells, tissues, and developmental stages of pregnancy, along with the complex interactions among different types of ncRNAs in regulating gene expression, strongly indicates that more studies are needed to understand the role of sex-specific ncRNA in pregnancy and associated disorders.
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7
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Age and Sex Modulate SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Kinetics: A Longitudinal Analysis of 1735 Subjects. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11090882. [PMID: 34575659 PMCID: PMC8470027 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11090882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 represents a public health emergency, which became even more challenging since the detection of highly transmissible variants and strategies against COVID-19 were indistinctly established. We characterized the temporal viral load kinetics in individuals infected by original and variant strains. Naso-oropharyngeal swabs from 33,000 individuals (admitted to the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation Drive-in, healthcare professionals and hospitalized patients who underwent routinary screening) from November 2020 to June 2021 were analyzed. Of them, 1735 subjects were selected and grouped according to the viral strain. Diagnostic analyses were performed by CE-IVD RT-PCR-based kits. The subgenomic-RNA component was assessed in 36 subjects using digital PCR. Infection duration, viral load decay speed, effects of age and sex were assessed and compared by extensive statistical analyses. Overall, infection duration and viral load differed between the groups (p < 0.05). Male sex was more present among both original and variant carriers affected with high viral load and showing fast decay speed, whereas original strain carriers with slow decay speed resulted in older (p < 0.05). Subgenomic-RNA was detected in the positive samples, including those with low viral load. This study provides a picture of the viral load kinetics, identifying individuals with similar patterns and showing differential effects of age and sex, thus providing potentially useful information for personalized management of infected subjects.
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Morsiani C, Terlecki‐Zaniewicz L, Skalicky S, Bacalini MG, Collura S, Conte M, Sevini F, Garagnani P, Salvioli S, Hackl M, Grillari J, Franceschi C, Capri M. Circulating miR-19a-3p and miR-19b-3p characterize the human aging process and their isomiRs associate with healthy status at extreme ages. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13409. [PMID: 34160893 PMCID: PMC8282272 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood circulating microRNAs (c-miRs) are potential biomarkers to trace aging and longevity trajectories to identify molecular targets for anti-aging therapies. Based on a cross-sectional study, a discovery phase was performed on 12 donors divided into four groups: young, old, healthy, and unhealthy centenarians. The identification of healthy and unhealthy phenotype was based on cognitive performance and capabilities to perform daily activities. Small RNA sequencing identified 79 differentially expressed c-miRs when comparing young, old, healthy centenarians, and unhealthy centenarians. Two miRs, that is, miR-19a-3p and miR-19b-3p, were found increased at old age but decreased at extreme age, as confirmed by RT-qPCR in 49 donors of validation phase. The significant decrease of those miR levels in healthy compared to unhealthy centenarians appears to be due to the presence of isomiRs, not detectable with RT-qPCR, but only with a high-resolution technique such as deep sequencing. Bioinformatically, three main common targets of miR-19a/b-3p were identified, that is, SMAD4, PTEN, and BCL2L11, converging into the FoxO signaling pathway, known to have a significant role in aging mechanisms. For the first time, this study shows the age-related increase of plasma miR-19a/b-3p in old subjects but a decrease in centenarians. This decrease is more pronounced in healthy centenarians and was confirmed by the modified pattern of isomiRs comparing healthy and unhealthy centenarians. Thus, our study paves the way for functional studies using c-miRs and isomiRs as additional parameter to track the onset of aging and age-related diseases using new potential biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Morsiani
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | - Lucia Terlecki‐Zaniewicz
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Biotechnology of Skin Aging Vienna Austria
- Department of Biotechnology Institute of Molecular Biotechnology BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | | | | | - Salvatore Collura
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | - Maria Conte
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Interdepartmental Center "Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate)" University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | - Federica Sevini
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Applied Biomedical Research Center (CRBA) S. Orsola‐Malpighi Polyclinic Bologna Italy
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli‐Sforza" – Unit of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine Clinical Chemistry Karolinska Institutet Karolinska University Hospital Stockholm Sweden
| | - Stefano Salvioli
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Interdepartmental Center "Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate)" University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | | | - Johannes Grillari
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Biotechnology of Skin Aging Vienna Austria
- Department of Biotechnology Institute of Molecular Biotechnology BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration Vienna Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology Vienna Austria
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Laboratory of Systems Medicine of Healthy Aging and Department of Applied Mathematics Lobachevsky University Nizhny Novgorod Russia
| | - Miriam Capri
- DIMES‐Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Interdepartmental Center "Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate)" University of Bologna Bologna Italy
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Mayr B, Müller EE, Schäfer C, Droese S, Schönfelder M, Niebauer J. Exercise-induced changes in miRNA expression in coronary artery disease. Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 59:1719-1727. [PMID: 33977686 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2021-0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that control gene expression by translational inhibition. Exercise has been shown to affect several miRNAs' expression in healthy subjects, but this has not yet been studied in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Since exercise training confers beneficial long-term effects and may also trigger acute coronary events, it is of utmost interest to be able to identify those who are risk for untoward effects. Therefore, we set out to assess miRNA expression in response to maximal ergospirometry in patients with CAD. METHODS Total RNA was extracted from blood drawn immediately before and 5 min after maximal cycle-ergospirometry (10 male and 10 female CAD patients). A qRT-PCR was performed for 187 target miRNAs associated with endothelial function/dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. RESULTS In response to a maximal ergospirometry, 33 miRNAs significantly changed their expression levels. Of these miRNAs 16 were significantly differently expressed between gender. Using multi-variance analysis, nine miRNAs (let-7e-5p; miR-1; miR-19b-1-5p; miR-103a-3p; miR-148b-3p; miR-181b-5p; miR-188-5p; miR-423-5p; miR-874-3p) showed significantly different responses to maximal ergospirometry between genders. CONCLUSIONS We report for the first time that in patients with CAD, miRNA expression is amenable to maximal ergospirometry and that the extent of changes differs between genders. Affected by exercise and gender were miRNAs that are associated, among others, with pathways for glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and angiogenesis. Future studies should assess whether disease-specific miRNA expression in response to maximal exercise might serve as a marker for patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Mayr
- University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Edith E Müller
- University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christine Schäfer
- University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Silke Droese
- University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Schönfelder
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Exercise Biology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Josef Niebauer
- University Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation and Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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10
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Dai R, Wang Z, Ahmed SA. Epigenetic Contribution and Genomic Imprinting Dlk1-Dio3 miRNAs in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:680. [PMID: 34062726 PMCID: PMC8147206 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease that afflicts multiple organs, especially kidneys and joints. In addition to genetic predisposition, it is now evident that DNA methylation and microRNAs (miRNAs), the two major epigenetic modifications, are critically involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. DNA methylation regulates promoter accessibility and gene expression at the transcriptional level by adding a methyl group to 5' cytosine within a CpG dinucleotide. Extensive evidence now supports the importance of DNA hypomethylation in SLE etiology. miRNAs are small, non-protein coding RNAs that play a critical role in the regulation of genome expression. Various studies have identified the signature lupus-related miRNAs and their functional contribution to lupus incidence and progression. In this review, the mutual interaction between DNA methylation and miRNAs regulation in SLE is discussed. Some lupus-associated miRNAs regulate DNA methylation status by targeting the DNA methylation enzymes or methylation pathway-related proteins. On the other hand, DNA hyper- and hypo-methylation are linked with dysregulated miRNAs expression in lupus. Further, we specifically discuss the genetic imprinting Dlk1-Dio3 miRNAs that are subjected to DNA methylation regulation and are dysregulated in several autoimmune diseases, including SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujuan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;
| | | | - S. Ansar Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;
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11
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Guo S, Huang S, Jiang X, Hu H, Han D, Moreno CS, Fairbrother GL, Hughes DA, Stoneking M, Khaitovich P. Variation of microRNA expression in the human placenta driven by population identity and sex of the newborn. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:286. [PMID: 33879051 PMCID: PMC8059241 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07542-0] [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: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Analysis of lymphocyte cell lines revealed substantial differences in the expression of mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) among human populations. The extent of such population-associated differences in actual human tissues remains largely unexplored. The placenta is one of the few solid human tissues that can be collected in substantial numbers in a controlled manner, enabling quantitative analysis of transient biomolecules such as RNA transcripts. Here, we analyzed microRNA (miRNA) expression in human placental samples derived from 36 individuals representing four genetically distinct human populations: African Americans, European Americans, South Asians, and East Asians. All samples were collected at the same hospital following a unified protocol, thus minimizing potential biases that might influence the results. RESULTS Sequence analysis of the miRNA fraction yielded 938 annotated and 70 novel miRNA transcripts expressed in the placenta. Of them, 82 (9%) of annotated and 11 (16%) of novel miRNAs displayed quantitative expression differences among populations, generally reflecting reported genetic and mRNA-expression-based distances. Several co-expressed miRNA clusters stood out from the rest of the population-associated differences in terms of miRNA evolutionary age, tissue-specificity, and disease-association characteristics. Among three non-environmental influenced demographic parameters, the second largest contributor to miRNA expression variation after population was the sex of the newborn, with 32 miRNAs (3% of detected) exhibiting significant expression differences depending on whether the newborn was male or female. Male-associated miRNAs were evolutionarily younger and correlated inversely with the expression of target mRNA involved in neuron-related functions. In contrast, both male and female-associated miRNAs appeared to mediate different types of hormonal responses. Demographic factors further affected reported imprinted expression of 66 placental miRNAs: the imprinting strength correlated with the mother's weight, but not height. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that among 12 assessed demographic variables, population affiliation and fetal sex had a substantial influence on miRNA expression variation among human placental samples. The effect of newborn-sex-associated miRNA differences further led to expression inhibition of the target genes clustering in specific functional pathways. By contrast, population-driven miRNA differences might mainly represent neutral changes with minimal functional impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Guo
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 121205, Moscow, Russia
| | - Shuyun Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xi Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Haiyang Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Dingding Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Carlos S Moreno
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Genevieve L Fairbrother
- Obstetrics and Gynecology of Atlanta, 1100 Johnson Ferry Rd NE Suite 800, Center 2, Atlanta, GA, 30342, USA
| | - David A Hughes
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Mark Stoneking
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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12
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Computational Identification of Sex-Biased Biomarker MicroRNAs and Genes Associated with Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040570. [PMID: 33919884 PMCID: PMC8070832 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) perform their functions through targeting messenger RNAs (mRNAs). X chromosome-located (X-linked) miRNAs have a broad role in cell lineage determination, immune regulation, and oncogenesis. The regulating roles of miRNAs in cancer and immunity are often altered when aberrant expression happens. Sex-biased genes could contribute to cancer sex bias in the context of their expression change due to targeting miRNAs. How biological roles and associations with immune cell abundance levels for sex-biased gene-miRNA pairs in gender-related cancer (e.g., breast cancer) change due to the alteration of their expression pattern to identify candidate therapeutic markers has not been investigated thoroughly. Upon analyzing anti-correlated genes and miRNAs within significant clusters of 12 The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cancer types and the list of sex-biased genes and miRNAs reported from previous studies, 125 sex-biased genes (11 male-biased and 114 female-biased) were identified in breast cancer (BC). Seventy-three sex-biased miRNAs (40 male-biased and 33 female-biased) were identified across 5 out of 12 cancers (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), kidney chromophobe (KICH), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD)). Correlation between the BC sex-biased genes and tumor infiltrating immune cell types was further evaluated. We found eight genes having high correlation with immune infiltration. Fifteen candidate female-biased BC genes targeted by 3 X-linked miRNAs (has-mir-18hashsa-mir-221, and hsa-mir-224) were pinpointed in this study. Our computational result indicates that many identified female-biased genes which have positive associations with immune cell abundance levels could serve as alternative therapeutic markers. Our analysis suggests that female-biased expression of BC candidate genes is likely influenced by their targeting miRNA(s).
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13
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Baulina N, Kiselev I, Favorova O. Imprinted Genes and Multiple Sclerosis: What Do We Know? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1346. [PMID: 33572862 PMCID: PMC7866243 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that arises from interplay between non-genetic and genetic risk factors. The epigenetics functions as a link between these factors, affecting gene expression in response to external influence, and therefore should be extensively studied to improve the knowledge of MS molecular mechanisms. Among others, the epigenetic mechanisms underlie the establishment of parent-of-origin effects that appear as phenotypic differences depending on whether the allele was inherited from the mother or father. The most well described manifestation of parent-of-origin effects is genomic imprinting that causes monoallelic gene expression. It becomes more obvious that disturbances in imprinted genes at the least affecting their expression do occur in MS and may be involved in its pathogenesis. In this review we will focus on the potential role of imprinted genes in MS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Baulina
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (I.K.); (O.F.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Kiselev
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (I.K.); (O.F.)
| | - Olga Favorova
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (I.K.); (O.F.)
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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14
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Mousavi MJ, Mahmoudi M, Ghotloo S. Escape from X chromosome inactivation and female bias of autoimmune diseases. Mol Med 2020; 26:127. [PMID: 33297945 PMCID: PMC7727198 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-020-00256-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Generally, autoimmune diseases are more prevalent in females than males. Various predisposing factors, including female sex hormones, X chromosome genes, and the microbiome have been implicated in the female bias of autoimmune diseases. During embryogenesis, one of the X chromosomes in the females is transcriptionally inactivated, in a process called X chromosome inactivation (XCI). This equalizes the impact of two X chromosomes in the females. However, some genes escape from XCI, providing a basis for the dual expression dosage of the given gene in the females. In the present review, the contribution of the escape genes to the female bias of autoimmune diseases will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Mousavi
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Mahmoudi
- Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Somayeh Ghotloo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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15
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Thorenoor N, Phelps DS, Floros J. Differential Sex-Dependent Regulation of the Alveolar Macrophage miRNome of SP-A2 and co-ex (SP-A1/SP-A2) and Sex Differences Attenuation after 18 h of Ozone Exposure. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9121190. [PMID: 33260937 PMCID: PMC7768498 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9121190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Human SP-A1 and SP-A2, encoded by SFTPA1 and SFTPA2, and their genetic variants differentially impact alveolar macrophage (AM) functions and regulation, including the miRNome. We investigated whether miRNome differences previously observed between AM from SP-A2 and SP-A1/SP-A2 mice are due to continued qualitative differences or a delayed response of mice carrying a single gene. Methods: Human transgenic (hTG) mice, carrying SP-A2 or both SP-A genes, and SP-A-KO mice were exposed to filtered air (FA) or ozone (O3). AM miRNA levels, target gene expression, and pathways determined 18 h after O3 exposure. RESULTS: We found (a) differences in miRNome due to sex, SP-A genotype, and exposure; (b) miRNome of both sexes was largely downregulated by O3, and co-ex had fewer changed (≥2-fold) miRNAs than either group; (c) the number and direction of the expression of genes with significant changes in males and females in co-ex are almost the opposite of those in SP-A2; (d) the same pathways were found in the studied groups; and (e) O3 exposure attenuated sex differences with a higher number of genotype-dependent and genotype-independent miRNAs common in both sexes after O3 exposure. Conclusion: Qualitative differences between SP-A2 and co-ex persist 18 h post-O3, and O3 attenuates sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nithyananda Thorenoor
- Center for Host Defense, Inflammation, and Lung Disease (CHILD) Research, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; (N.T.); (D.S.P.)
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - David S. Phelps
- Center for Host Defense, Inflammation, and Lung Disease (CHILD) Research, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; (N.T.); (D.S.P.)
| | - Joanna Floros
- Center for Host Defense, Inflammation, and Lung Disease (CHILD) Research, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; (N.T.); (D.S.P.)
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
- Correspondence:
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16
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Tsamou M, Vrijens K, Wang C, Winckelmans E, Neven KY, Madhloum N, de Kok TM, Nawrot TS. Genome-wide microRNA expression analysis in human placenta reveals sex-specific patterns: an ENVIR ONAGE birth cohort study. Epigenetics 2020; 16:373-388. [PMID: 32892695 PMCID: PMC7993149 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1803467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in microRNAs (miRNAs) as they are of utmost importance in gene regulation at the posttranscriptional level. Sex-related susceptibility for non-communicable diseases later in life could originate in early life. Until now, no data on sex-specific miRNA expression are available for the placenta. Therefore, we investigated the difference by sex of newborn's miRNA expression in human placental tissue. Within the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, miRNA and mRNA expression profiling was performed in 60 placentae (50% boys) using Agilent (8 × 60 K) microarrays. The distribution of chromosome locations was studied and pathway analysis of the identified sex-specific miRNAs in the placenta was carried out. Of the total 2558 miRNAs on the array, 597 miRNAs were expressed in over 70% of the samples and were included for further analyses. A total of 142 miRNAs were significantly (FDR<0.05) associated with the newborn's sex. In newborn girls, 76 miRNAs had higher expression (hsa-miR-361-5p as most significant) and 66 miRNAs had lower expression (hsa-miR-4646-5p as most significant) than in newborn boys. In the same study population, placental differentially expressed genes by sex were also identified using a whole genome approach. The placental gene expression revealed 27 differentially expressed genes by comparing girls to boys. Ultimately, we studied the miRNA-RNA interactome and identified 14 miRNA-mRNA interactions as sex-specific. Sex differences in placental m(i)RNA expression may reveal sex-specific patterns already present during pregnancy, which may influence physiological conditions in early or later life. These molecular processes might play a role in sex-specific disease susceptibility in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsamou
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Karen Vrijens
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Congrong Wang
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Ellen Winckelmans
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Kristof Y Neven
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Narjes Madhloum
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Theo M de Kok
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW Institute of Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.,Department of Public Health, Environment & Health Unit, Leuven University (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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17
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Chanana N, Palmo T, Sharma K, Kumar R, Graham BB, Pasha Q. Sex-derived attributes contributing to SARS-CoV-2 mortality. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 319:E562-E567. [PMID: 32726128 PMCID: PMC7473885 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00295.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological data in COVID-19 mortality indicate that men are more prone to die of SARS-CoV-2 infection than women, but biological causes for this sexual dimorphism are unknown. We discuss the prospective behavioral and biological differences between the sexes that could be attributed to this sex-based differentiation. The female sex hormones and the immune stimulatory genes, including Toll-like receptors, interleukins, and micro-RNAs present on X-chromosome, may impart lesser infectivity and mortality of the SARS-CoV-2 in females over males. The sex hormone estrogen interacts with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, one of the most critical pathways in COVID-19 infectivity, and modulates the vasomotor homeostasis. Testosterone on the contrary enhances the levels of the two most critical molecules, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the transmembrane protease serine-type 2 (TMPRSS2), transcriptionally and posttranslationally, thereby increasing viral load and delaying viral clearance in men as compared with women. We propose that modulating sex hormones, either by increasing estrogen or antiandrogen, may be a therapeutic option to reduce mortality from SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Chanana
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India
| | - Tsering Palmo
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India
| | - Kavita Sharma
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India
| | - Rahul Kumar
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Brian B Graham
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Qadar Pasha
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India
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18
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Cho WK, Shin HR, Lee NY, Kim SK, Ahn MB, Baek IC, Kim TG, Suh BK. GPR174 and ITM2A Gene Polymorphisms rs3827440 and rs5912838 on the X chromosome in Korean Children with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080858. [PMID: 32727090 PMCID: PMC7465061 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
(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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Kyoung Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea;
| | - Hye-Ri Shin
- Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (H.-R.S.); (I.-C.B.)
| | - Na Yeong Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (N.Y.L.); (S.K.K.); (M.B.A.)
| | - Seul Ki Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (N.Y.L.); (S.K.K.); (M.B.A.)
| | - Moon Bae Ahn
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (N.Y.L.); (S.K.K.); (M.B.A.)
| | - In-Cheol Baek
- Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (H.-R.S.); (I.-C.B.)
| | - Tai-Gyu Kim
- Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (H.-R.S.); (I.-C.B.)
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea
- Correspondence: (T.-G.K.); (B.-K.S.); Tel.: +82-2-2258-7341 (T.-G.K.); +82-2-2258-6185 (B.-K.S.); Fax: +82-2-594-7355 (T.-G.K.); 82-2-532-6185 (B.-K.S.)
| | - Byung-Kyu Suh
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 065941, Korea; (N.Y.L.); (S.K.K.); (M.B.A.)
- Correspondence: (T.-G.K.); (B.-K.S.); Tel.: +82-2-2258-7341 (T.-G.K.); +82-2-2258-6185 (B.-K.S.); Fax: +82-2-594-7355 (T.-G.K.); 82-2-532-6185 (B.-K.S.)
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19
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Assmann TS, Cuevas-Sierra A, Salas-Pérez F, Riezu-Boj JI, Milagro FI, Martínez JA. Crosstalk between circulating microRNAs and chronotypical features in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Chronobiol Int 2020; 37:1048-1058. [PMID: 32633152 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2020.1782419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are valuable biomarkers that may provide important insight into the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Moreover, there is an association between chronotypical characteristics and MetS predisposition. Considering that expression of some miRNAs is circadian-rhythm-dependent, the aim of this study was to investigate the circulating miRNA profile in subjects with and without MetS in association with chronotype. The expression of 86 metabolic syndrome-related miRNAs was investigated in the plasma of 21 subjects with MetS and in 82 subjects without MetS using miRCURY LNA miRNA PCR System technology. Chronotype was assessed using the Horne and Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to explore the target genes and biological pathways regulated by the selected miRNAs. Subjects with MetS were more often evening chronotype compared to non-MetS controls. Additionally, four miRNAs (miR-140-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-375, and miR-29 c-3p) demonstrated interaction with MetS and chronotype. Interestingly, the target genes of these four miRNAs participate in pathways related to the circadian clock. In conclusion, we identified four circulating miRNAs whose circulating levels could interact with MetS and chronotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taís Silveira Assmann
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amanda Cuevas-Sierra
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain
| | - Francisca Salas-Pérez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain
| | - José I Riezu-Boj
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain.,Centro De Investigación Biomédica En Red Fisiopatología De La Obesidad Y Nutrición (Ciberobn), Instituto De Salud Carlos III , Madrid, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research , Pamplona, Spain
| | - Fermín I Milagro
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain.,Centro De Investigación Biomédica En Red Fisiopatología De La Obesidad Y Nutrición (Ciberobn), Instituto De Salud Carlos III , Madrid, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research , Pamplona, Spain
| | - J Alfredo Martínez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology; Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra , Pamplona, Spain.,Centro De Investigación Biomédica En Red Fisiopatología De La Obesidad Y Nutrición (Ciberobn), Instituto De Salud Carlos III , Madrid, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research , Pamplona, Spain.,Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies (IMDEA Food), Food Institute , Madrid, Spain
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20
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Xiong L, Yang M, Zheng K, Wang Z, Gu S, Tong J, Liu J, Shah NA, Nie L. Comparison of Adult Testis and Ovary MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Reeves' Pond Turtles ( Mauremys reevesii) With Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. Front Genet 2020; 11:133. [PMID: 32194623 PMCID: PMC7061903 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that encode key enzymes involved in steroidogenic biosynthesis (CYP19A1) and key molecules related to gonadal functions (DMRT1, SOX9, AMH, FOXL2, WNT4, RSPO2, and GDF9) have been identified in adult gonadal RNA-seq studies of Reeves' pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Gonadal functional maintenance and gametogenesis comprises a highly regulated and coordinated biological process, and increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) may be involved in this dynamic program. However, it is not clear how the regulatory network comprising miRNAs changes the expression levels of these genes. In this study, miRNA sequencing of adult testis and ovary tissues from M. reevesii detected 25 known and 379 novel miRNAs, where 60 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the testis and ovary. A total of 1,477 target genes based on the differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted, where 221 target genes also exhibited differential expression. To verify the accuracy of the sequencing data, 10 differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by quantitative reverse transcription real-time PCR, and were found to be consistent with the transcriptome sequencing results. Moreover, several miRNA/target gene pairs, i.e., mre-let-7a-5p/mre-let-7e-5p and CYP19A1, mre-miR-200a-3p and DMRT1, mre-miR-101-3p and SOX9, and mre-miR-138-5p and AMH were identified. To explore the regulatory role of miRNAs, we conducted target gene enrichment analysis of the miRNAs and 221 target genes in the regulatory network. The signaling pathways related to gonadal functional maintenance and gametogenesis based on the DEGs and target genes were then compared. Our findings provide crucial information to facilitate further research into the regulatory mechanisms involving miRNAs in turtle species with TSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xiong
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Biochemistry Department, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Mengli Yang
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Kai Zheng
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Ziming Wang
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Shengli Gu
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Biochemistry Department, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Jiucui Tong
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.,Biochemistry Department, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Nadar Ali Shah
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Liuwang Nie
- Life Science College, Provincial Key Lab of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
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21
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Wang N, Lv H, Huang M. Impact of gender on survival in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2020; 13:573-581. [PMID: 32269698 PMCID: PMC7137017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the world, there are approximately 160,000 cases of laryngeal cancer newly diagnosed every year and 95% of the cases are squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). We conduct this study to investigate the influencing factors in LSCC. METHOD We used cohort of LSCC cases form the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2014) to investigate the relationship between gender and survival. We conducted 1:1 propensity matching to mimic randomized controlled trials. Using the matched group, we investigate the effect of gender on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULT In total, 47881 patients were brought into an unmatched cohort and 17985 cases were brought into a matched cohort. Using the matched group, we conducted a survival analysis. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year CSS and OS rates were better in female patients and the subgroup analysis showed the same trend. Cox regression analysis showed gender was an independent prognostic indicator for LSCC patients. CONCLUSION Gender is an independent prognostic indicator for LSCC patients. Male patients are a high-risk population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Medical School of Facial Sciences, Hubei University of Science and TechnologyXianning, China
| | - Hong Lv
- School of Nursing, Hubei University of Science and TechnologyXianning, China
| | - Ming Huang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Xianning Central Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Science and TechnologyXianning, China
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22
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Somasundaram A, Rothenberger NJ, Stabile LP. The Impact of Estrogen in the Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1277:33-52. [PMID: 33119863 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-50224-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tumor immune escape is now a hallmark of cancer development, and therapies targeting these pathways have emerged as standard of care. Specifically, immune checkpoint signal blockade offers durable responses and increased overall survival. However, the majority of cancer patients still do not respond to checkpoint blockade immune therapy leading to an unmet need in tumor immunology research. Sex-based differences have been noted in the use of cancer immunotherapy suggesting that sex hormones such as estrogen may play an important role in tumor immune regulation. Estrogen signaling already has a known role in autoimmunity, and the estrogen receptor can be expressed across multiple immune cell populations and effect their regulation. While it has been well established that tumor cells such as ovarian carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and even lung carcinoma can be regulated by estrogen, research into the role of estrogen in the regulation of tumor-associated immune cells is still emerging. In this chapter, we discuss the role of estrogen in the tumor immune microenvironment and the possible immunotherapeutic implications of targeting estrogen in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin Somasundaram
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Natalie J Rothenberger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA
| | - Laura P Stabile
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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23
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Trincot C, Caron KM. Lymphatic Function and Dysfunction in the Context of Sex Differences. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:311-324. [PMID: 32259065 PMCID: PMC7089000 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial cells are the building blocks of the blood vascular system and exhibit well-characterized sexually dimorphic phenotypes with regard to chromosomal and hormonal sex, imparting innate genetic and physiological differences between male and female vascular systems and cardiovascular disease. However, even though females are predominantly affected by disorders of lymphatic vascular function, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the effects of sex and sex hormones on lymphatic growth, function, and dysfunction. Here, we attempt to comprehensively evaluate the current understanding of sex as a biological variable influencing lymphatic biology. We first focus on elucidating innate and fundamental differences between the sexes in lymphatic function and development. Next, we delve into lymphatic disease and explore the potential underpinnings toward bias prevalence in the female population. Lastly, we incorporate more broadly the role of the lymphatic system in sex-biased diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, reproductive disorders, and autoimmune diseases to explore whether and how sex differences may influence lymphatic function in the context of these pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire
E. Trincot
- Department of Cell Biology
and Physiology, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 111 Mason Farm Road, 6312B Medical Biomolecular Research Building,
CB#7545, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina 27599-7545, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Caron
- Department of Cell Biology
and Physiology, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 111 Mason Farm Road, 6312B Medical Biomolecular Research Building,
CB#7545, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina 27599-7545, United States
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24
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Mohammadi A, Kelly OB, Smith MI, Kabakchiev B, Silverberg MS. Differential miRNA Expression in Ileal and Colonic Tissues Reveals an Altered Immunoregulatory Molecular Profile in Individuals With Crohn's Disease versus Healthy Subjects. J Crohns Colitis 2019; 13:1459-1469. [PMID: 31001642 PMCID: PMC6821350 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs [miRNAs] are key modulators of gene expression in Crohn's disease [CD] and may drive tissue-specific molecular alterations underlying CD susceptibility. In this study, we analysed differential miRNA expression between CD and healthy subjects across ileal and colonic tissues. METHODS A cohort of CD and healthy control [HC] subjects was recruited and clinical data collected. Endoscopically quiescent CD [CDq] was defined as inactive or mild by the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD. Total RNA was extracted from endoscopic biopsies taken from the terminal ileum and sigmoid colon. miRNA expression was quantified using NanoString Technologies. Statistical significance was assessed across biopsy site and diagnosis per miRNA, and corrected for multiple testing. RESULTS In total, 23 CDq and 38 HC subjects were enrolled; 112 samples were included in the analysis, 51 from the ileum and 61 from the colon. We found 47 miRNAs differentially expressed by biopsy site in healthy tissue. Nine miRNAs were differentially expressed across HC and CDq, accounting for biopsy location. One of these, miR-223-3p, showed age and sex effects. We identified miRNA expression driven by diagnosis targeting genes involved in chemokine and cytokine signalling. miR-31-5p expression was driven by location and may be a biomarker for location subtypes in CD. CONCLUSIONS We identified differentially expressed miRNAs in healthy ileal and colonic tissues. We discovered spatial miRNA expression patterns in CD and HC, suggesting site-specific regulation in subjects with no or minimal intestinal inflammation. These miRNAs target genes involved in immunoregulatory processes, suggesting a functional, tissue-specific role in CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aylia Mohammadi
- Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada,Corresponding author: Mark S. Silverberg, Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Room 437, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada. Tel: +1-416-586-4800 ext 8236; Fax: +1-416-619-5524;
| | - Orlaith B Kelly
- Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada,Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle I Smith
- Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Boyko Kabakchiev
- Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark S Silverberg
- Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada,Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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25
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Matarrese P, Tieri P, Anticoli S, Ascione B, Conte M, Franceschi C, Malorni W, Salvioli S, Ruggieri A. X-chromosome-linked miR548am-5p is a key regulator of sex disparity in the susceptibility to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:673. [PMID: 31511496 PMCID: PMC6739406 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1888-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex dimorphism in cell response to stress has previously been investigated by different research groups. This dimorphism could be at least in part accounted for by sex-biased expression of regulatory elements such as microRNAs (miRs). In order to spot previously unknown miR expression differences we took advantage of prior knowledge on specialized databases to identify X chromosome-encoded miRs potentially escaping X chromosome inactivation (XCI). MiR-548am-5p emerged as potentially XCI escaper and was experimentally verified to be significantly up-regulated in human XX primary dermal fibroblasts (DFs) compared to XY ones. Accordingly, miR-548am-5p target mRNAs, e.g. the transcript for Bax, was differently modulated in XX and XY DFs. Functional analyses indicated that XY DFs were more prone to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis than XX ones. Experimentally induced overexpression of miR548am-5p in XY cells by lentivirus vector transduction decreased apoptosis susceptibility, whereas its down-regulation in XX cells enhanced apoptosis susceptibility. These data indicate that this approach could be used to identify previously unreported sex-biased differences in miR expression and that a miR identified with this approach, miR548am-5p, can account for sex-dependent differences observed in the susceptibility to mitochondrial apoptosis of human DFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Matarrese
- Center for Gender Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Tieri
- CNR National Research Council, IAC Institute for Applied Computing, Via dei Taurini 19, Rome, Italy.,Data Science Program, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Anticoli
- Center for Gender Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Ascione
- Center for Gender Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Conte
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, via San Giacomo 12, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Via Altura 3, 40139, Bologna, Italy.,Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Walter Malorni
- Center for Gender Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy.,School of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Salvioli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. .,Interdepartmental Centre "L. Galvani" (CIG), University of Bologna, via San Giacomo 12, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Anna Ruggieri
- Center for Gender Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy.
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26
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Treeful AE, Rendahl AK, Friedenberg SG. DLA class II haplotypes show sex-specific associations with primary hypoadrenocorticism in Standard Poodle dogs. Immunogenetics 2019; 71:373-382. [PMID: 30968193 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-019-01113-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Addison's disease (AD) is a life-threatening endocrine disorder that occurs spontaneously in both humans and dogs. Associations between MHC class II genes and AD have been shown in several human studies. Our goal was to identify MHC class II associations with AD in a large population of Standard Poodles, a breed highly predisposed to AD. We sequenced exon 2 of the class II genes DLA-DRB1, DLA-DQA1, and DLA-DQB1 in 110 affected and 101 unaffected Standard Poodles and tested for association with AD. After correcting for population structure, two haplotypes were found to confer risk of developing AD in a sex-specific manner: DLA-DRB1*015:01-DQA1*006:01-DQB1*023:01 in males (x2p = 0.03, OR 2.1) and DLA-DRB1*009:01-DQA1*001:01-DQB1*008:01:1 in females (x2p = 0.02, OR 8.43). Sex-specific associations have been previously described in human populations, but this is the first report of this kind in dogs. Consistent with findings in other studies, we found the DLA-DQA1*006:01 allele (x2p = 0.04) to be associated with AD in males independent of haplotype. In females, the haplotype DLA-DRB1*009:01-DQA1*001:01-DQB1*008:01:1 confers a very high risk for developing AD, although its frequency was rare (9 of 124 females) in our study population. Further studies are warranted to validate the findings of this exploratory dataset and to assess the usefulness of this haplotype as a risk marker for AD in female Standard Poodles. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating MHC class II disease associations in large populations, and accounting for both biological sex and population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Treeful
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Aaron K Rendahl
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Steven G Friedenberg
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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27
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Baulina N, Osmak G, Kiselev I, Popova E, Boyko A, Kulakova O, Favorova O. MiRNAs from DLK1-DIO3 Imprinted Locus at 14q32 are Associated with Multiple Sclerosis: Gender-Specific Expression and Regulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Signaling. Cells 2019; 8:cells8020133. [PMID: 30743997 PMCID: PMC6406543 DOI: 10.3390/cells8020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most prevalent course of multiple sclerosis. It is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. To investigate the gender-specific involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in RRMS pathogenesis, we compared miRNA profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells separately in men and women (eight RRMS patients versus four healthy controls of each gender) using high-throughput sequencing. In contrast to women, six downregulated and 26 upregulated miRNAs (padj < 0.05) were identified in men with RRMS. Genes encoding upregulated miRNAs are co-localized in DLK1-DIO3 imprinted locus on human chromosome 14q32. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis was performed in independent groups of men (16 RRMS patients and 10 healthy controls) and women (20 RRMS patients and 10 healthy controls). Increased expression of miR-431, miR-127-3p, miR-379, miR-376c, miR-381, miR-410 and miR-656 was again demonstrated in male (padj < 0.05), but not in female RRMS patients. At the same time, the expression levels of these miRNAs were lower in healthy men than in healthy women, whereas in RRMS men they increased and reached or exceeded levels in RRMS women. In general, we demonstrated that expression levels of these miRNAs depend both on “health–disease” status and gender. Network-based enrichment analysis identified that receptor tyrosine kinases-activated pathways were enriched with products of genes targeted by miRNAs from DLK1-DIO3 locus. These results suggest the male-specific involvement of these miRNAs in RRMS pathogenesis via regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Baulina
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - German Osmak
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Ivan Kiselev
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Ekaterina Popova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexey Boyko
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Olga Kulakova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Olga Favorova
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
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28
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Moulton VR. Sex Hormones in Acquired Immunity and Autoimmune Disease. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2279. [PMID: 30337927 PMCID: PMC6180207 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 312] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Women have stronger immune responses to infections and vaccination than men. Paradoxically, the stronger immune response comes at a steep price, which is the high incidence of autoimmune diseases in women. The reasons why women have stronger immunity and higher incidence of autoimmunity are not clear. Besides gender, sex hormones contribute to the development and activity of the immune system, accounting for differences in gender-related immune responses. Both innate and adaptive immune systems bear receptors for sex hormones and respond to hormonal cues. This review focuses on the role of sex hormones particularly estrogen, in the adaptive immune response, in health, and autoimmune disease with an emphasis on systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali R Moulton
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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29
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Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy is vital for intracellular quality control and homeostasis. Therefore, careful regulation of autophagy is very important. In the past 10 years, a number of studies have reported that estrogenic effectors affect autophagy. However, some results, especially those regarding the modulatory effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) on autophagy seem inconsistent. Moreover, several clinical trials are already in place combining both autophagy inducers and autophagy inhibitors with endocrine therapies for breast cancer. Not all patients experience benefit, which further confuses and complicates our understanding of the main effects of autophagy in estrogen-related cancer. In view of the importance of the crosstalk between estrogen signaling and autophagy, this review summarizes the estrogenic effectors reported to affect autophagy, subcellular distribution and translocation of estrogen receptors, autophagy-targeted transcription factors (TFs), miRNAs, and histone modifications regulated by E2. Upon stimulation with estrogen, there will always be opposing functional actions, which might occur between different receptors, receptors on TFs, TFs on autophagy genes, or even histone modifications on transcription. The huge signaling network downstream of estrogen can promote autophagy and reduce overstimulated autophagy at the same time, which allows autophagy to be regulated by estrogen in a restricted range. To help understand how the estrogenic regulation of autophagy affects cell fate, a hypothetical model is presented here. Finally, we discuss some exciting new directions in the field. We hope this might help to better understand the multiple associations between estrogen and autophagy, the pathogenic mechanisms of many estrogen-related diseases, and to design novel and efficacious therapeutics. Abbreviations: AP-1, activator protein-1; HATs, histone acetyltransferases; HDAC, histone deacetylases; HOTAIR, HOX transcript antisense RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Xiang
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Xiang Liu
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Jing Ren
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Kun Chen
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Hong-Lu Wang
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Yu-Yang Miao
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
| | - Miao-Miao Qi
- a Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan , PR China
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30
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW As the ongoing epidemic of adult and childhood obesity grows, it puts a greater burden on individuals and the healthcare system due to increased prevalence of obesity-associated diseases. An important area that has gained much attention recently is the sex and gender difference related to obesity and associated complications. Basic science and clinical studies have now improved our understanding of obesity and have discovered adipose tissue biology to be key in metabolism. RECENT FINDINGS There is evidence related to the sex dichotomy in obesity in a variety of areas including adipocyte function, sex hormone effects, genetics, and metabolic inflammation leading to critical differences in adipose tissue biology. The sex and gender difference in adipose tissue is a factor that should be considered when studying an individuals' risk for obesity and metabolic dysfunction. This understanding is important for strategizing treatment and prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Chang
- Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Professional Building, D1205 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5718, USA
| | - Mita Varghese
- Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Professional Building, D1205 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5718, USA
| | - Kanakadurga Singer
- Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Michigan Medical School, Medical Professional Building, D1205 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5718, USA.
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31
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Cui C, Yang W, Shi J, Zhou Y, Yang J, Cui Q, Zhou Y. Identification and Analysis of Human Sex-biased MicroRNAs. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2018; 16:200-211. [PMID: 30005964 PMCID: PMC6076379 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences are widely observed under various circumstances ranging from physiological processes to therapeutic responses, and a myriad of sex-biased genes have been identified. In recent years, transcriptomic datasets of microRNAs (miRNAs), an important class of non-coding RNAs, become increasingly accessible. However, comprehensive analysis of sex difference in miRNA expression has not been performed. Here, we identified the differentially-expressed miRNAs between males and females by examining the transcriptomic datasets available in public databases and conducted a systemic analysis of their biological characteristics. Consequently, we identified 73 female-biased miRNAs (FmiRs) and 163 male-biased miRNAs (MmiRs) across four tissues including brain, colorectal mucosa, peripheral blood, and cord blood. Our results suggest that compared to FmiRs, MmiRs tend to be clustered in the human genome and exhibit higher evolutionary rate, higher expression tissue specificity, and lower disease spectrum width. In addition, functional enrichment analysis of miRNAs show that FmiR genes are significantly associated with metabolism process and cell cycle process, whereas MmiR genes tend to be enriched for functions like histone modification and circadian rhythm. In all, the identification and analysis of sex-biased miRNAs together could provide new insights into the biological differences between females and males and facilitate the exploration of sex-biased disease susceptibility and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Cui
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Weili Yang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jiangcheng Shi
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jichun Yang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qinghua Cui
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
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32
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Li L, Miu KK, Gu S, Cheung HH, Chan WY. Comparison of multi-lineage differentiation of hiPSCs reveals novel miRNAs that regulate lineage specification. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9630. [PMID: 29941943 PMCID: PMC6018499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27719-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be crucial players in governing the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Despite their utter importance, identifying key lineage specifiers among the myriads of expressed miRNAs remains challenging. We believe that the current practice in mining miRNA specifiers via delineating dynamic fold-changes only is inadequate. Our study, therefore, provides evidence to pronounce "lineage specificity" as another important attribute to qualify for these lineage specifiers. Adopted hiPSCs were differentiated into representative lineages (hepatic, nephric and neuronal) over all three germ layers whilst the depicted miRNA expression changes compiled into an integrated atlas. We demonstrated inter-lineage analysis shall aid in the identification of key miRNAs with lineage-specificity, while these shortlisted candidates were collectively known as "lineage-specific miRNAs". Subsequently, we followed through the fold-changes along differentiation via computational analysis to identify miR-192 and miR-372-3p, respectively, as representative candidate key miRNAs for the hepatic and nephric lineages. Indeed, functional characterization validated that miR-192 and miR-372-3p regulate lineage differentiation via modulation of the expressions of lineage-specific genes. In summary, our presented miRNA atlas is a resourceful ore for the mining of key miRNAs responsible for lineage specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Li
- CUHK-CAS GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR
- School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kai-Kei Miu
- CUHK-CAS GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR
| | - Shen Gu
- CUHK-CAS GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR
- M&H Genetics/Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hoi-Hung Cheung
- CUHK-CAS GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR.
| | - Wai-Yee Chan
- CUHK-CAS GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR.
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33
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MiR-92a Inhibits the Progress of Osteosarcoma Cells and Increases the Cisplatin Sensitivity by Targeting Notch1. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:9870693. [PMID: 29984257 PMCID: PMC6011149 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9870693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background MicroRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in the development and progression of osteosarcoma. Here, we aimed to illustrate the important role of miR-92a on the regulation of OS development which may help to establish a novel strategy for OS diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Methods Cell viability was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry with PI and PI/Annexin-V stain, respectively. The expression of proteins was examined by western blot. qPCR was used to detect the expression of RNA. Cell migration was assayed with transwell assay. Results MiR-92a inhibited the proliferation and the migration of OS in vitro and reduced the volume of the tumour in vivo. Further, miR-92a enhanced cisplatin sensitivity of OS. MiR-92a directly targeted Notch1. Conclusion Together, our results indicate that miR-92a inhibited cell growth, migration, and enhanced cisplatin sensitivity of OS cell by targeting Notch1.
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34
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Fuentes N, Roy A, Mishra V, Cabello N, Silveyra P. Sex-specific microRNA expression networks in an acute mouse model of ozone-induced lung inflammation. Biol Sex Differ 2018; 9:18. [PMID: 29739446 PMCID: PMC5941588 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-018-0177-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences in the incidence and prognosis of respiratory diseases have been reported. Studies have shown that women are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes from air pollution than men, but sex-specific immune gene expression patterns and regulatory networks have not been well studied in the lung. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are environmentally sensitive posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression that may mediate the damaging effects of inhaled pollutants in the lung, by altering the expression of innate immunity molecules. METHODS Male and female mice of the C57BL/6 background were exposed to 2 ppm of ozone or filtered air (control) for 3 h. Female mice were also exposed at different stages of the estrous cycle. Following exposure, lungs were harvested and total RNA was extracted. We used PCR arrays to study sex differences in the expression of 84 miRNAs predicted to target inflammatory and immune genes. RESULTS We identified differentially expressed miRNA signatures in the lungs of male vs. female exposed to ozone. In silico pathway analyses identified sex-specific biological networks affected by exposure to ozone that ranged from direct predicted gene targeting to complex interactions with multiple intermediates. We also identified differences in miRNA expression and predicted regulatory networks in females exposed to ozone at different estrous cycle stages. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that both sex and hormonal status can influence lung miRNA expression in response to ozone exposure, indicating that sex-specific miRNA regulation of inflammatory gene expression could mediate differential pollution-induced health outcomes in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Fuentes
- Pulmonary, Immunology and Physiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, H085, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Arpan Roy
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, India
| | - Vikas Mishra
- Pulmonary, Immunology and Physiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, H085, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Noe Cabello
- Pulmonary, Immunology and Physiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, H085, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Patricia Silveyra
- Pulmonary, Immunology and Physiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, H085, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
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35
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Capone I, Marchetti P, Ascierto PA, Malorni W, Gabriele L. Sexual Dimorphism of Immune Responses: A New Perspective in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2018; 9:552. [PMID: 29619026 PMCID: PMC5871673 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, several types of tumors can benefit from the new frontier of immunotherapy, due to the recent increasing knowledge of the role of the immune system in cancer control. Among the new therapeutic strategies, there is the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), able to restore an efficacious antitumor immunity and significantly prolong the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced tumors such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the impressive efficacy of these agents in some patients, treatment failure and resistance are frequently observed. In this regard, the signaling governed by IFN type I (IFN-I) has emerged as pivotal in orchestrating host defense. This pathway displays different activation between sexes, thus potentially contributing to sexual dimorphic differences in the immune responses to immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to critically consider the immune signals, with particular attention to IFN-I, that may differently affect female and male antitumor responses upon immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imerio Capone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department of Oncology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale (IRCCS), Naples, Italy
| | - Walter Malorni
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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36
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Edwards M, Dai R, Ahmed SA. Our Environment Shapes Us: The Importance of Environment and Sex Differences in Regulation of Autoantibody Production. Front Immunol 2018; 9:478. [PMID: 29662485 PMCID: PMC5890161 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Consequential differences exist between the male and female immune systems’ ability to respond to pathogens, environmental insults or self-antigens, and subsequent effects on immunoregulation. In general, females when compared with their male counterparts, respond to pathogenic stimuli and vaccines more robustly, with heightened production of antibodies, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. While the precise reasons for sex differences in immune response to different stimuli are not yet well understood, females are more resistant to infectious diseases and much more likely to develop autoimmune diseases. Intrinsic (i.e., sex hormones, sex chromosomes, etc.) and extrinsic (microbiome composition, external triggers, and immune modulators) factors appear to impact the overall outcome of immune responses between sexes. Evidence suggests that interactions between environmental contaminants [e.g., endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)] and host leukocytes affect the ability of the immune system to mount a response to exogenous and endogenous insults, and/or return to normal activity following clearance of the threat. Inherently, males and females have differential immune response to external triggers. In this review, we describe how environmental chemicals, including EDCs, may have sex differential influence on the outcome of immune responses through alterations in epigenetic status (such as modulation of microRNA expression, gene methylation, or histone modification status), direct and indirect activation of the estrogen receptors to drive hormonal effects, and differential modulation of microbial sensing and composition of host microbiota. Taken together, an intriguing question develops as to how an individual’s environment directly and indirectly contributes to an altered immune response, dysregulation of autoantibody production, and influence autoimmune disease development. Few studies exist utilizing well-controlled cohorts of both sexes to explore the sex differences in response to EDC exposure and the effects on autoimmune disease development. Translational studies incorporating multiple environmental factors in animal models of autoimmune disease are necessary to determine the interrelationships that occur between potential etiopathological factors. The presence or absence of autoantibodies is not a reliable predictor of disease. Therefore, future studies should incorporate all the susceptibility/influencing factors, coupled with individual genomics, epigenomics, and proteomics, to develop a model that better predicts, diagnoses, and treats autoimmune diseases in a personalized-medicine fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Edwards
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Rujuan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - S Ansar Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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Capone I, Marchetti P, Ascierto PA, Malorni W, Gabriele L. Sexual Dimorphism of Immune Responses: A New Perspective in Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29619026 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, several types of tumors can benefit from the new frontier of immunotherapy, due to the recent increasing knowledge of the role of the immune system in cancer control. Among the new therapeutic strategies, there is the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), able to restore an efficacious antitumor immunity and significantly prolong the overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced tumors such as melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the impressive efficacy of these agents in some patients, treatment failure and resistance are frequently observed. In this regard, the signaling governed by IFN type I (IFN-I) has emerged as pivotal in orchestrating host defense. This pathway displays different activation between sexes, thus potentially contributing to sexual dimorphic differences in the immune responses to immunotherapy. This perspective article aims to critically consider the immune signals, with particular attention to IFN-I, that may differently affect female and male antitumor responses upon immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imerio Capone
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department of Oncology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Fondazione G. Pascale (IRCCS), Naples, Italy
| | - Walter Malorni
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Sex-biased microRNA expression in mammals and birds reveals underlying regulatory mechanisms and a role in dosage compensation. Genome Res 2017; 27:1961-1973. [PMID: 29079676 PMCID: PMC5741053 DOI: 10.1101/gr.225391.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism depends on sex-biased gene expression, but the contributions of microRNAs (miRNAs) have not been globally assessed. We therefore produced an extensive small RNA sequencing data set to analyze male and female miRNA expression profiles in mouse, opossum, and chicken. Our analyses uncovered numerous cases of somatic sex-biased miRNA expression, with the largest proportion found in the mouse heart and liver. Sex-biased expression is explained by miRNA-specific regulation, including sex-biased chromatin accessibility at promoters, rather than piggybacking of intronic miRNAs on sex-biased protein-coding genes. In mouse, but not opossum and chicken, sex bias is coordinated across tissues such that autosomal testis-biased miRNAs tend to be somatically male-biased, whereas autosomal ovary-biased miRNAs are female-biased, possibly due to broad hormonal control. In chicken, which has a Z/W sex chromosome system, expression output of genes on the Z Chromosome is expected to be male-biased, since there is no global dosage compensation mechanism that restores expression in ZW females after almost all genes on the W Chromosome decayed. Nevertheless, we found that the dominant liver miRNA, miR-122-5p, is Z-linked but expressed in an unbiased manner, due to the unusual retention of a W-linked copy. Another Z-linked miRNA, the male-biased miR-2954-3p, shows conserved preference for dosage-sensitive genes on the Z Chromosome, based on computational and experimental data from chicken and zebra finch, and acts to equalize male-to-female expression ratios of its targets. Unexpectedly, our findings thus establish miRNA regulation as a novel gene-specific dosage compensation mechanism.
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Rodosthenous RS, Burris HH, Sanders AP, Just AC, Dereix AE, Svensson K, Solano M, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Baccarelli AA. Second trimester extracellular microRNAs in maternal blood and fetal growth: An exploratory study. Epigenetics 2017; 12:804-810. [PMID: 28758828 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2017.1358345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy feto-maternal communication is critical during pregnancy and is orchestrated by the placenta. Dysfunction of the placenta leads to fetal growth complications; however, the underlying biological mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. Circulating extracellular microRNAs (exmiRNAs) in the blood have been implicated in cell-to-cell communication. Therefore, exmiRNAs may provide useful biological information about communication between the mother, the fetus, and the placenta during pregnancy. We used logistic regression to determine the association of exmiRNAs with abnormal fetal growth by comparing mothers of infants classified as small-for-gestational age (SGA) (n = 36) and large-for-gestational age (LGA) (n = 13) to appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA), matched by gestational age at delivery and infant sex. In addition, we used linear regression to determine associations between exmiRNAs and birth weight-for-gestational age (BWGA) z-score (n = 100), adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, and parity. We found that higher levels of miR-20b-5p, miR-942-5p, miR-324-3p, miR-223-5p, and miR-127-3p in maternal serum were associated with lower odds for having a SGA vs. AGA infant, and higher levels of miR-661, miR-212-3p, and miR-197-3p were associated with higher odds for having a LGA vs. AGA infant. We also found associations between miR-483-5p, miR-10a-5p, miR-204-5p, miR-202-3p, miR-345-5p, miR-885-5p, miR-127-3p, miR-148b-3p, miR-324-3p, miR-1290, miR-597-5p, miR-139-5p, miR-215-5p, and miR-99b-5p and BWGA z-score. We also found sex-specific associations with exmiRNAs and fetal growth. Our findings suggest that exmiRNAs circulating in maternal blood at second trimester are associated with fetal growth. Validation of our findings may lead to the development of minimally-invasive biomarkers of fetal growth during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodosthenis S Rodosthenous
- a Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program ; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Heather H Burris
- a Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program ; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA.,b Department of Neonatology , Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Alison P Sanders
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Allan C Just
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Alexandra E Dereix
- a Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program ; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Katherine Svensson
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Maritsa Solano
- d Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health , Cuernavaca , Morelos , Mexico
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- d Center for Evaluation Research and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health , Cuernavaca , Morelos , Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- c Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Andrea A Baccarelli
- a Laboratory of Environmental Epigenetics, Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program ; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
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Wang F, Jia Y, Wang P, Yang Q, Du Q, Chang Z. Identification and profiling of Cyprinus carpio microRNAs during ovary differentiation by deep sequencing. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:333. [PMID: 28454515 PMCID: PMC5410099 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3701-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting specific mRNAs. However, the possible role of miRNAs in the ovary differentiation and development of fish is not well understood. In this study, we examined the expression profiles and differential expression of miRNAs during three key stages of ovarian development and different developmental stages in common carp Cyprinus carpio. Results A total of 8765 miRNAs were identified, including 2155 conserved miRNAs highly conserved among various species, 145 miRNAs registered in miRBase for common carp, and 6505 novel miRNAs identified in common carp for the first time. Comparison of miRNA expression profiles among the five libraries identified 714 co-expressed and 2382 specific expressed miRNAs. Overall, 150, 628, and 431 specifically expressed miRNAs were identified in primordial gonad, juvenile ovary, and adult ovary, respectively. MiR-6758-3p, miR-3050-5p, and miR-2985-3p were highly expressed in primordial gonad, miR-3544-5p, miR-6877-3p, and miR-9086-5p were highly expressed in juvenile ovary, and miR-154-3p, miR-5307-5p, and miR-3958-3p were highly expressed in adult ovary. Predicted target genes of specific miRNAs in primordial gonad were involved in many reproductive biology signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor-β, Wnt, oocyte meiosis, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Notch, p53, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathways. Target-gene prediction revealed upward trends in miRNAs targeting male-bias genes, including dmrt1, atm, gsdf, and sox9, and downward trends in miRNAs targeting female-bias genes including foxl2, smad3, and smad4. Other sex-related genes such as sf1 were also predicted to be miRNA target genes. Conclusions This comprehensive miRNA transcriptome analysis demonstrated differential expression profiles of miRNAs during ovary development in common carp. These results could facilitate future exploitation of the sex-regulatory roles and mechanisms of miRNAs, especially in primordial gonads, while the specifically expressed miRNAs represent candidates for studying the mechanisms of ovary determination in Yellow River carp. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3701-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yongfang Jia
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - Po Wang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianwen Yang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - QiYan Du
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China
| | - ZhongJie Chang
- College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, People's Republic of China
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Guo L, Zhang Q, Ma X, Wang J, Liang T. miRNA and mRNA expression analysis reveals potential sex-biased miRNA expression. Sci Rep 2017; 7:39812. [PMID: 28045090 PMCID: PMC5206641 DOI: 10.1038/srep39812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that mRNAs may be differentially expressed between males and females. This study aimed to perform expression analysis of mRNA and its main regulatory molecule, microRNA (miRNA), to discuss the potential sex-specific expression patterns using abnormal expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Generally, deregulated miRNAs and mRNAs had consistent expression between males and females, but some miRNAs may be oppositely expressed in specific diseases: up-regulated in one group and down-regulated in another. Studies of miRNA gene families and clusters further confirmed that these sequence or location related miRNAs might have opposing expression between sexes. The specific miRNA might have greater expression divergence across different groups, suggesting flexible expression across different individuals, especially in tumor samples. The typical analysis regardless of the sex will ignore or balance these sex-specific deregulated miRNAs. Compared with flexible miRNAs, their targets of mRNAs showed relative stable expression between males and females. These relevant results provide new insights into miRNA-mRNA interaction and sex difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Tingming Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Lizarraga D, Huen K, Combs M, Escudero-Fung M, Eskenazi B, Holland N. miRNAs differentially expressed by next-generation sequencing in cord blood buffy coat samples of boys and girls. Epigenomics 2016; 8:1619-1635. [PMID: 27882772 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2016-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Differences in children's development and susceptibility to diseases and exposures have been observed by sex, yet human studies of sex differences in miRNAs are limited. MATERIALS & METHODS The genome-wide miRNA expression was characterized by sequencing-based EdgeSeq assay in cord blood buffy coats from 89 newborns, and 564 miRNAs were further analyzed. RESULTS Differential expression of most miRNAs was higher in boys. Neurodevelopment, RNA metabolism and metabolic ontology terms were enriched among miRNA targets. The majority of upregulated miRNAs (86%) validated by nCounter maintained positive-fold change values; however, only 21% reached statistical significance by false discovery rate. CONCLUSION Accounting for host factors like sex may improve the sensitivity of epigenetic analyses for epidemiological studies in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daneida Lizarraga
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Karen Huen
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mary Combs
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Maria Escudero-Fung
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nina Holland
- School of Public Health, Center for Environmental Research on Children's Health (CERCH), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Martin GG, Chung S, Landrock D, Landrock KK, Huang H, Dangott LJ, Peng X, Kaczocha M, Seeger DR, Murphy EJ, Golovko MY, Kier AB, Schroeder F. FABP-1 gene ablation impacts brain endocannabinoid system in male mice. J Neurochem 2016; 138:407-22. [PMID: 27167970 PMCID: PMC4961623 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1, L-FABP) has high affinity for and enhances uptake of arachidonic acid (ARA, C20:4, n-6) which, when esterified to phospholipids, is the requisite precursor for synthesis of endocannabinoids (EC) such as arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). The brain derives most of its ARA from plasma, taking up ARA and transporting it intracellularly via cytosolic fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs 3,5, and 7) localized within the brain. In contrast, the much more prevalent cytosolic FABP1 is not detectable in the brain but is instead highly expressed in the liver. Therefore, the possibility that FABP1 outside the central nervous system may regulate brain AEA and 2-AG was examined in wild-type (WT) and FABP1 null (LKO) male mice. LKO increased brain levels of AA-containing EC (AEA, 2-AG), correlating with increased free and total ARA in brain and serum. LKO also increased brain levels of non-ARA that contain potentiating endocannabinoids (EC*) such as oleoyl ethanolamide (OEA), PEA, 2-OG, and 2-PG. Concomitantly, LKO decreased serum total ARA-containing EC, but not non-ARA endocannabinoids. LKO did not elicit these changes in the brain EC and EC* as a result of compensatory up-regulation of brain protein levels of enzymes in EC synthesis (NAPEPLD, DAGLα) or cytosolic EC chaperone proteins (FABPs 3, 5, 7, SCP-2, HSP70), or cannabinoid receptors (CB1, TRVP1). These data show for the first time that the non-CNS fatty acid-binding protein FABP1 markedly affected brain levels of both ARA-containing endocannabinoids (AEA, 2-AG) as well as their non-ARA potentiating endocannabinoids. Fatty acid-binding protein-1 (FABP-1) is not detectable in brain but instead is highly expressed in liver. The possibility that FABP1 outside the central nervous system may regulate brain endocannabinoids arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was examined in wild-type (WT) and FABP-1 null (LKO) male mice. LKO increased brain levels of arachidonic acid-containing endocannabinoids (AEA, 2-AG), correlating with increased free and total arachidonic acid in brain and serum. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 371.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G. Martin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4466
| | - Sarah Chung
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4466
- Department of Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467
| | - Danilo Landrock
- Department of Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467
| | - Kerstin K. Landrock
- Department of Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4466
| | - Lawrence J. Dangott
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2128
| | - Xiaoxue Peng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Martin Kaczocha
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Drew R. Seeger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 USA
| | - Eric J. Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 USA
| | - Mikhail Y. Golovko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 USA
| | - Ann B. Kier
- Department of Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467
| | - Friedhelm Schroeder
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4466
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Prelog M, Hilligardt D, Schmidt CA, Przybylski GK, Leierer J, Almanzar G, El Hajj N, Lesch KP, Arolt V, Zwanzger P, Haaf T, Domschke K. Hypermethylation of FOXP3 Promoter and Premature Aging of the Immune System in Female Patients with Panic Disorder? PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157930. [PMID: 27362416 PMCID: PMC4928917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunological abnormalities associated with pathological conditions, such as higher infection rates, inflammatory diseases, cancer or cardiovascular events are common in patients with panic disorder. In the present study, T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), Forkhead-Box-Protein P3 gene (FOXP3) methylation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and relative telomere lengths (RTLs) were investigated in a total and subsamples of 131 patients with panic disorder as compared to 131 age- and sex-matched healthy controls in order to test for a potential dysfunction and premature aging of the immune system in anxiety disorders. Significantly lower TRECs (p = 0.004) as well as significant hypermethylation of the FOXP3 promoter region (p = 0.005) were observed in female (but not in male) patients with panic disorder as compared to healthy controls. No difference in relative telomere length was discerned between patients and controls, but significantly shorter telomeres in females, smokers and older persons within the patient group. The presently observed reduced TRECs in panic disorder patients and FOXP3 hypermethylation in female patients with panic disorder potentially reflect impaired thymus and immunosuppressive Treg function, which might partly account for the known increased morbidity and mortality of anxiety disorders conferred by e.g. cancer and cardiovascular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Prelog
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Deborah Hilligardt
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Grzegorz K. Przybylski
- Clinic for Internal Medicine C, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Johannes Leierer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Giovanni Almanzar
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Nady El Hajj
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Peter Zwanzger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universtät Munich, Munich, Germany
- kbo-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, Wasserburg am Inn, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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Guo L, Liang T, Yu J, Zou Q. A Comprehensive Analysis of miRNA/isomiR Expression with Gender Difference. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154955. [PMID: 27167065 PMCID: PMC4864079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely studied as epigenetic regulation molecules, fewer studies focus on the gender difference at the miRNA and isomiR expression levels. In this study, we aim to understand the potential relationships between gender difference and miRNA/isomiR expression through a comprehensive analysis of small RNA-sequencing datasets based on different human diseases and tissues. Based on specific samples from males and females, we determined that some miRNAs may be diversely expressed between different tissues and genders. Thus, these miRNAs may exhibit inconsistent and even opposite expression between males and females. According to deregulated miRNA expression profiles, some dominantly expressed miRNA loci were selected to analyze isomiR expression patterns using rates of dominant isomiRs. In some miRNA loci, isomiRs showed statistical significance between tumor and normal samples and between males and females samples, suggesting that isomiR expression patterns are not always invariable but may vary between males and females, as well as among different tissues, tumors, and normal samples. The divergence implicates the fluctuation in the expression of miRNA and its detailed expression at the isomiR levels. The divergence also indicates that gender difference may be an important factor that affects the screening of disease-associated miRNAs and isomiRs. This study suggests that miRNA/isomiR expression and gender difference may be more complex than previously assumed and should be further studied according to specific samples from males or females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Geographic and Biologic Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (LG); (QZ)
| | - Tingming Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiafeng Yu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Macromolecular Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, China
| | - Quan Zou
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, NanKai University, Tianjin, China
- * E-mail: (LG); (QZ)
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Abstract
The incidence of many types of cancer arising in organs with non-reproductive functions is significantly higher in male populations than in female populations, with associated differences in survival. Occupational and/or behavioural factors are well-known underlying determinants. However, cellular and molecular differences between the two sexes are also likely to be important. In this Opinion article, we focus on the complex interplay that sex hormones and sex chromosomes can have in intrinsic control of cancer-initiating cell populations, the tumour microenvironment and systemic determinants of cancer development, such as the immune system and metabolism. A better appreciation of these differences between the two sexes could be of substantial value for cancer prevention as well as treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Clocchiatti
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Elisa Cora
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, CH-1066, Switzerland
| | - Yosra Zhang
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA; and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, CH-1066, Switzerland
| | - G Paolo Dotto
- Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA; and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, CH-1066, Switzerland
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Sexually Dimorphic Expression of eGFP Transgene in the Akr1A1 Locus of Mouse Liver Regulated by Sex Hormone-Related Epigenetic Remodeling. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24023. [PMID: 27087367 PMCID: PMC4834580 DOI: 10.1038/srep24023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic gene expression is commonly found in the liver, and many of these genes are linked to different incidences of liver diseases between sexes. However, the mechanism of sexually dimorphic expression is still not fully understood. In this study, a pCAG-eGFP transgenic mouse strain with a specific transgene integration site in the Akr1A1 locus presented male-biased EGFP expression in the liver, and the expression was activated by testosterone during puberty. The integration of the pCAG-eGFP transgene altered the epigenetic regulation of the adjacent chromatin, including increased binding of STAT5b, a sexually dimorphic expression regulator, and the transformation of DNA methylation from hypermethylation into male-biased hypomethylation. Through this de novo sexually dimorphic expression of the transgene, the Akr1A1eGFP mouse provides a useful model to study the mechanisms and the dynamic changes of sexually dimorphic gene expression during either development or pathogenesis of the liver.
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48
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The Upregulation of Genomic Imprinted DLK1-Dio3 miRNAs in Murine Lupus Is Associated with Global DNA Hypomethylation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153509. [PMID: 27070142 PMCID: PMC4829153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation and microRNAs (miRNAs) are now increasingly recognized as vital contributors to lupus etiology. In this study, we investigated the potential interaction of these two epigenetic factors in lupus-prone MRL-lpr mice. We recently reported dysregulated expression of miRNAs in splenocytes of MRL-lpr mice. Here, we report that a majority of the upregulated miRNAs in MRL-lpr mice is located at the genomic imprinted DLK1-Dio3 domain. Further, we show a differential magnitude of upregulation of DLK1-Dio3 miRNA cluster in purified splenic CD4+ T, CD19+ B, and splenic CD4-CD19- cells from MRL-lpr lupus mice when compared to control MRL mice. MRL-lpr splenocytes (especially CD19+ and CD4-CD19- subsets) were hypomethylated compared to cells from control, MRL mice. We further show that deliberate demethylation of splenocytes from control MRL mice, but not from MRL-lpr lupus mice, with specific DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine significantly augmented DLK1-Dio3 miRNAs expression. These findings strongly indicate that the upregulation of DLK1-Dio3 miRNAs in lupus splenic cell subsets is associated with reduced global DNA methylation levels in lupus cells. There was a differential upregulation of DLK-Dio3 miRNAs among various demethylated splenic cell subsets, which implies varied sensitivity of DLK1-Dio3 miRNA cluster in these cell subsets to DNA hypomethylation. Finally, inhibition of select DLK1-Dio3 miRNA such as miR-154, miR-379 and miR-300 with specific antagomirs significantly reduced the production of lupus-relevant IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated splenocytes from MRL-lpr mice. Our study is the first to show that DNA methylation regulates genomic imprinted DLK1-Dio3 miRNAs in autoimmune lupus, which suggests a connection of DNA methylation, miRNA and genomic imprinting in lupus pathogenesis.
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Dragin N, Bismuth J, Cizeron-Clairac G, Biferi MG, Berthault C, Serraf A, Nottin R, Klatzmann D, Cumano A, Barkats M, Le Panse R, Berrih-Aknin S. Estrogen-mediated downregulation of AIRE influences sexual dimorphism in autoimmune diseases. J Clin Invest 2016; 126:1525-37. [PMID: 26999605 PMCID: PMC4811157 DOI: 10.1172/jci81894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases affect 5% to 8% of the population, and females are more susceptible to these diseases than males. Here, we analyzed human thymic transcriptome and revealed sex-associated differences in the expression of tissue-specific antigens that are controlled by the autoimmune regulator (AIRE), a key factor in central tolerance. We hypothesized that the level of AIRE is linked to sexual dimorphism susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. In human and mouse thymus, females expressed less AIRE (mRNA and protein) than males after puberty. These results were confirmed in purified murine thymic epithelial cells (TECs). We also demonstrated that AIRE expression is related to sexual hormones, as male castration decreased AIRE thymic expression and estrogen receptor α-deficient mice did not show a sex disparity for AIRE expression. Moreover, estrogen treatment resulted in downregulation of AIRE expression in cultured human TECs, human thymic tissue grafted to immunodeficient mice, and murine fetal thymus organ cultures. AIRE levels in human thymus grafted in immunodeficient mice depended upon the sex of the recipient. Estrogen also upregulated the number of methylated CpG sites in the AIRE promoter. Together, our results indicate that in females, estrogen induces epigenetic changes in the AIRE gene, leading to reduced AIRE expression under a threshold that increases female susceptibility to autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Dragin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
| | - Jacky Bismuth
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
| | | | - Maria Grazia Biferi
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
| | - Claire Berthault
- INSERM U668, Unit for Lymphopoiesis, Immunology Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Alain Serraf
- Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis–Robinson, France
| | - Rémi Nottin
- Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis–Robinson, France
| | - David Klatzmann
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Biotherapy, Paris, France
| | - Ana Cumano
- INSERM U668, Unit for Lymphopoiesis, Immunology Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
| | - Martine Barkats
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
| | - Rozen Le Panse
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
| | - Sonia Berrih-Aknin
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University of Paris 06, Paris, France
- INSERM U974, Paris, France
- CNRS FRE 3617, Paris, France
- AIM, Institute of Myology, Paris, France
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MiR-367 negatively regulates apoptosis induced by adriamycin in osteosarcoma cells by targeting KLF4. J Bone Oncol 2016; 5:51-6. [PMID: 27335771 PMCID: PMC4908187 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse functions of microRNAs have been investigated in tumorigenesis in osteosarcoma (OS), involving the regulation of proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis and drug resistance. MiR-367 was found to be an oncogene and increased in OS. However, the function of miR-367 in drug resistance in OS cells is still unknown. In this study, we found that miR-367 was up-regulated in OS tissues and OS cell cultures. Meanwhile, treatment with adriamycin (ADR) induced apoptosis of OS cells with upregulation of miR-367. Notably, KLF4 was demonstrated to be a direct target of miR-367 by gene reporter assay, and miR-367 significantly blocked both mRNA and protein level of KLF4. In addition, overexpression of miR-367 markedly suppressed the increase of KLF4 induced by ADR in OS cells, as well as Bax and cleaved caspase-3, which were significantly reversed by anti-miR-367 transfection. Taken together, our data demonstrates that miR-367 and KLF4 play important roles in OS treatment and ADR resistance, suggesting that miR-367 is a potential biomarker of chemotherapy resistance in OS and also probably a novel therapeutic target against OS. miR-367 functions as an oncogene in OS targeting the tumor suppressor KLF4. ADR induces apoptosis in OS via miR-367/KLF4/Bax signaling pathway. miR-367 enhances the resistance of ADR to OS cells through suppressing KLF4. miR-367 could be a potential biomarker of chemotherapy resistance against OS.
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