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Wang J, Zhang Z, Zhuang J, Kang D, Song W. CircCOL5A1 is involved in proliferation, invasion, and inhibition of ferroptosis of colorectal cancer cells via miR-1287-5p/SLC7A11. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23772. [PMID: 39030862 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Circular RNA circCOL5A1 plays an oncogene function in a variety of tumors. However, the function of circCOL5A1 in CRC is still unknown. Here, we aimed to elucidate the function and mechanism of circCOL5A1 in CRC. The correlation between circCOL5A1 and CRC clinicopathological was assessed through chi-square. The relevance between circCOL5A1 and CRC patient survival time was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The expressions of circCOL5A1 in CRC were determined via quantitative real-time PCR. The function of circCOL5A1 in CRC was analyzed with Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU assay, Transwell, detection of reactive oxygen species and Fe2+ levels, and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the mechanism of circCOL5A1 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down. Finally, the role of circCOL5A1 in vivo was elucidated through a mouse xenograft model, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry. CircCOL5A1 expression was increased in CRC, and increased circCOL5A1 levels were related to TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and tumor differentiation in CRC patients, and CRC patients with high circCOL5A1 levels had a low overall survival rate. For the circCOL5A1 function in CRC, we found that circCOL5A1 knockdown weakened CRC cell proliferation and invasion, and enhanced cell ferroptosis. For the circCOL5A1 mechanism in CRC, we further confirmed that circCOL5A1 bound to miR-1287-5p, miR-1287-5p bound to SLC7A11. SLC7A11 was negatively interrelated to miR-1287-5p and was positively interrelated to circCOL5A1 in CRC tissues. Furthermore, interfering circCOL5A1 decreased SLC7A11 expression, and this trend was abolished through miR-1287-5p cotransfection. Rescue assays further demonstrated that circCOL5A1 knockdown alleviated CRC cell malignant phenotype via miR-1287-5p/SLC7A11. Moreover, interference with circCOL5A1 reduced CRC growth in vivo. CircCOL5A1 functioned as an oncogene in CRC via miR-1287-5p/SLC7A11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Zili Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianbin Zhuang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Di Kang
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Weiliang Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal and Anorectal Surgery, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Tianjin, China
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Durkal Y, İnci K, Tokgun O, Yilmaz U, Yılmaz BC. Integrative analysis of ex vivo studies and microarray reveals the novel inhibitor effects of trehalose on the pathogenesis of pterygium. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 104:e14571. [PMID: 39013779 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Pterygium is a frequent eye surface condition that is characterized by a high rate of proliferation, fibrovascular development, cellular migration, corneal infiltration, and angiogenesis. We investigated that ex vivo primary pterygium and conjunctival cell cultures were generated to analyze the effect of trehalose on cellular proliferation. After trehalose treatment, we performed microarray analysis to evaluate changes in the mRNA profile. We analyzed gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathways to identify hub genes that changed expression levels after treatment and were associated with pterygium development. We selected three genes to verify their expression levels using qRT-PCR. The study also evaluated the impact of trehalose treatment on cell migration through a wound-healing assay. Our results suggested that pterygium cell proliferation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by trehalose. 2354 DEG were identified in pterygium and conjunctiva cells treated with trehalose compared to untreated groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed mRNAs are involved in proliferation, vasculature development, and cell migration. We identified ten hub genes including upregulated (RANBP3L, SLC5A3, RERG, ANKRD1, DHCR7, RAB27B, GPRC5B, MSMO1, ASPN, DRAM1) and downregulated (TNC, PTGS2, GREM2, NPTX1, NR4A1, HMOX1, CXCL12, IL6, MYH2, TXNIP). Microarray analysis and functional investigations suggest that trehalose affects the pathogenesis of pterygium by modifying the expression of genes involved in crucial pathways related to cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin Durkal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Kubilay İnci
- Department of Cancer Molecular Biology, Institution of Health Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Onur Tokgun
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Ugur Yilmaz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Banu Candan Yılmaz
- Department of Cancer Molecular Biology, Institution of Health Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
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Kim YA, Choi Y, Kim TG, Jeong J, Yu S, Kim T, Sheen K, Lee Y, Choi T, Park YH, Kang MS, Kim MS. Multi-System-Level Analysis with RNA-Seq on Pterygium Inflammation Discovers Association between Inflammatory Responses, Oxidative Stress, and Oxidative Phosphorylation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4789. [PMID: 38732006 PMCID: PMC11083828 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
A pterygium is a common conjunctival degeneration and inflammatory condition. It grows onto the corneal surface or limbus, causing blurred vision and cosmetic issues. Ultraviolet is a well-known risk factor for the development of a pterygium, although its pathogenesis remains unclear, with only limited understanding of its hereditary basis. In this study, we collected RNA-seq from both pterygial tissues and conjunctival tissues (as controls) from six patients (a total of twelve biological samples) and retrieved publicly available data, including eight pterygium samples and eight controls. We investigated the intrinsic gene regulatory mechanisms closely linked to the inflammatory reactions of pterygiums and compared Asian (Korea) and the European (Germany) pterygiums using multiple analysis approaches from different perspectives. The increased expression of antioxidant genes in response to oxidative stress and DNA damage implies an association between these factors and pterygium development. Also, our comparative analysis revealed both similarities and differences between Asian and European pterygiums. The decrease in gene expressions involved in the three primary inflammatory signaling pathways-JAK/STAT, MAPK, and NF-kappa B signaling-suggests a connection between pathway dysfunction and pterygium development. We also observed relatively higher activity of autophagy and antioxidants in the Asian group, while the European group exhibited more pronounced stress responses against oxidative stress. These differences could potentially be necessitated by energy-associated pathways, specifically oxidative phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Ah Kim
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Yueun Choi
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Gi Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jisu Jeong
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyeon Yu
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyoon Kim
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Kisung Sheen
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02453, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonsung Lee
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Taesoo Choi
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yong Hwan Park
- Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea;
| | - Min Seok Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Man S. Kim
- Translational-Transdisciplinary Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 05278, Republic of Korea; (Y.-A.K.); (Y.C.); (J.J.); (S.Y.); (T.K.); (K.S.); (Y.L.)
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Yu J, Luo J, Li P, Chen X, Zhang G, Guan H. Identification of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Pterygium-Associated Conjunctival Epithelium. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:2673890. [PMID: 36398070 PMCID: PMC9666032 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2673890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the regulatory mechanism of pterygium formation, we detected differentially expressed messenger RNAs (DE-mRNAs) and differentially expressed circular RNAs (DE-circRNAs) in pterygium-associated conjunctival epithelium (PCE) and normal conjunctival epithelium (NCE). Genome-wide mRNA and circRNA expression profiles of PCE and NCE were determined using high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, were conducted. The microRNAs (miRNAs) interacting with the hub DE-mRNAs and DE-circRNAs were predicted and verified using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The data showed that there were 536 DE-mRNAs (280 upregulated and 256 downregulated mRNAs) and 78 DE-circRNAs (20 upregulated and 58 downregulated circRNAs) in PCE. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the DE-mRNAs were mainly involved in the following biological processes: IL-17 signalling pathway, viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, ECM-receptor interaction, and focal adhesion. The GSEA results revealed that the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was significantly enriched in upregulated mRNAs. The pterygium-associated circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was established based on the top 10 DE-circRNAs, 4 validated miRNAs (upregulated miR-376a-5p and miR-208a-5p,downregulated miR-203a-3p and miR-200b-3p), and 31 DE-mRNAs. We found that miR-200b-3p, as a regulator of FN1, SDC2, and MEX3D, could be regulated by 5 upregulated circRNAs. In addition, we screened out EMT-related DE-mRNAs, including 6 upregulated DE-mRNAs and 6 downregulated DE-mRNAs. The EMT-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was established with the top 10 circRNAs, 8 validated miRNAs (upregulated miR-17-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-106a-5p, downregulated miR-124-3p, miR-9-5p, miR-130b-5p, miR-1-3p, and miR-26b-5P), and 12 EMT-related DE-mRNAs. We found that hsa_circ_0002406 might upregulate FN1 and ADAM12 by sponging miR-26b-5p and miR-1-3p, respectively, thus promoting EMT in pterygium. Briefly, the study provides a novel viewpoint on the molecular pathological mechanisms in pterygium formation. CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks participate in the pathogenesis of pterygium and might become promising targets for pterygium prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Yu
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Jiawei Luo
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Xiaojuan Chen
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Guowei Zhang
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Huaijin Guan
- Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
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5
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Wu X, Dong S, Xu Y, Zhu G, Yan M. Evaluation of JUN, FN1 and LAMB1 polymorphisms in pterygium in a Chinese Han population. Ophthalmic Genet 2022; 43:488-495. [PMID: 35445627 DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2022.2065511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of pterygium and identify the key genes regulating the development of pterygium. METHODS Differentially expressed mRNAs were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed using the DAVID (http://david.abcc.ncifcrf.gov/). The differential expressions of hub genes were verified using the reverse transcription-real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The function of the hub genes was further confirmed based on associations between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in hub genes and pterygium. The genotyping results were analyzed using SNPStats online software in five gene models, including codominant, dominant, recessive, overdominant, and log-additive. Five gene models were analyzed using SNPStats. RESULTS We found that 240 genes were significantly differentially expressed. Functional enrichment analysis showed that focal adhesion pathway is extremely meaningful, among which JUN, FN1, and LAMB1 were verified to significantly differentially express in pterygium (P = 0.0011, P = 0.0018, and P = 0.0050, respectively). However, the all nine candidate SNPs (rs11688, rs3748814 in JUN; rs1263, rs1132741, rs1250259 in FN1; rs20556, rs35710474, rs25659, rs4320486 in LAMB1), were not statistically associated with pterygium. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated that JUN, FN1, and LAMB1 polymorphisms were not associated with susceptibility to pterygium in Chinese Han population. Considering the fact that these three genes are differentially expressed in pterygium, further research is needed to explain its involvement in pterygium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiying Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shiqi Dong
- Department of Cataract, Hankou Aier Eye Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yuting Xu
- Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ge Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ming Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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Zhong Z, Wang J, Tian J, Deng X, Balayan A, Sun Y, Xiang Y, Guan J, Schimelman J, Hwang H, You S, Wu X, Ma C, Shi X, Yao E, Deng SX, Chen S. Rapid 3D bioprinting of a multicellular model recapitulating pterygium microenvironment. Biomaterials 2022; 282:121391. [PMID: 35101743 PMCID: PMC10162446 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pterygium is an ocular surface disorder with high prevalence that can lead to vision impairment. As a pathological outgrowth of conjunctiva, pterygium involves neovascularization and chronic inflammation. Here, we developed a 3D multicellular in vitro pterygium model using a digital light processing (DLP)-based 3D bioprinting platform with human conjunctival stem cells (hCjSCs). A novel feeder-free culture system was adopted and efficiently expanded the primary hCjSCs with homogeneity, stemness and differentiation potency. The DLP-based 3D bioprinting method was able to fabricate hydrogel scaffolds that support the viability and biological integrity of the encapsulated hCjSCs. The bioprinted 3D pterygium model consisted of hCjSCs, immune cells, and vascular cells to recapitulate the disease microenvironment. Transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) identified a distinct profile correlated to inflammation response, angiogenesis, and epithelial mesenchymal transition in the bioprinted 3D pterygium model. In addition, the pterygium signatures and disease relevance of the bioprinted model were validated with the public RNA-seq data from patient-derived pterygium tissues. By integrating the stem cell technology with 3D bioprinting, this is the first reported 3D in vitro disease model for pterygium that can be utilized for future studies towards personalized medicine and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhong
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jing Tian
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Deng
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Alis Balayan
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yazhi Sun
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yi Xiang
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jiaao Guan
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jacob Schimelman
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Henry Hwang
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Shangting You
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Xiaokang Wu
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Chao Ma
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Xiaoao Shi
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Emmie Yao
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sophie X Deng
- Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shaochen Chen
- Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Wolf J, Hajdu RI, Boneva S, Schlecht A, Lapp T, Wacker K, Agostini H, Reinhard T, Auw-Hädrich C, Schlunck G, Lange C. Characterization of the Cellular Microenvironment and Novel Specific Biomarkers in Pterygia Using RNA Sequencing. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:714458. [PMID: 35174178 PMCID: PMC8841401 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.714458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With a worldwide prevalence of ~12%, pterygium is a common degenerative and environmentally triggered ocular surface disorder characterized by wing-shaped growth of conjunctival tissue onto the cornea that can lead to blindness if left untreated. This study characterizes the transcriptional profile and the cellular microenvironment of conjunctival pterygia and identifies novel pterygia-specific biomarkers. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded pterygia as well as healthy conjunctival specimens were analyzed using MACE RNA sequencing (n = 8 each) and immunohistochemistry (pterygia n = 7, control n = 3). According to the bioinformatic cell type enrichment analysis using xCell, the cellular microenvironment of pterygia was characterized by an enrichment of myofibroblasts, T-lymphocytes and various antigen-presenting cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages. Differentially expressed genes that were increased in pterygia compared to control tissue were mainly involved in autophagy (including DCN, TMBIM6), cellular response to stress (including TPT1, DDX5) as well as fibroblast proliferation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (including CTNNB1, TGFBR1, and FN1). Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed a significantly increased FN1 stromal immunoreactivity in pterygia when compared to control tissue. In addition, a variety of factors involved in apoptosis were significantly downregulated in pterygia, including LCN2, CTSD, and NISCH. Furthermore, 450 pterygia-specific biomarkers were identified by including transcriptional data of different ocular surface pathologies serving as controls (training group), which were then validated using transcriptional data of cultured human pterygium cells. Among the most pterygia-specific factors were transcripts such as AHNAK, RTN4, TPT1, FSTL1, and SPARC. Immunohistochemical validation of SPARC revealed a significantly increased stromal immunoreactivity in pterygia when compared to controls, most notably in vessels and intravascular vessel wall-adherent mononuclear cells. Taken together, the present study provides new insights into the cellular microenvironment and the transcriptional profile of pterygia, identifies new and specific biomarkers and in addition to fibrosis-related genes, uncovers autophagy, stress response and apoptosis modulation as pterygium-associated processes. These findings expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of pterygia, provide new diagnostic tools, and may enable new targeted therapeutic options for this common and sight-threatening ocular surface disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Rozina Ida Hajdu
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wuerzburg University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Katrin Wacker
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Claudia Auw-Hädrich
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, Münster, Germany
- *Correspondence: Clemens Lange
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The Role of the Stromal Extracellular Matrix in the Development of Pterygium Pathology: An Update. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10245930. [PMID: 34945227 PMCID: PMC8707182 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10245930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Pterygium is a benign fibrovascular lesion of the bulbar conjunctiva with frequent involvement of the corneal limbus. Its pathogenesis has been mainly attributed to sun exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation. Obtained evidence has shown that it is a complex and multifactorial process which involves multiple mechanisms such as oxidative stress, dysregulation of cell cycle checkpoints, induction of inflammatory mediators and growth factors, angiogenic stimulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) disorders, and, most likely, viruses and hereditary changes. In this review, we aim to collect all authors’ experiences and our own, with respect to the study of fibroelastic ECM of pterygium. Collagen and elastin are intrinsic indicators of physiological and pathological states. Here, we focus on an in-depth analysis of collagen (types I and III), as well as the main constituents of elastic fibers (tropoelastin (TE), fibrillins (FBNs), and fibulins (FBLNs)) and the enzymes (lysyl oxidases (LOXs)) that carry out their assembly or crosslinking. All the studies established that changes in the fibroelastic ECM occur in pterygium, based on the following facts: An increase in the synthesis and deposition of an immature form of collagen type III, which showed the process of tissue remodeling. An increase in protein levels in most of the constituents necessary for the development of elastic fibers, except FBLN4, whose biological roles are critical in the binding of the enzyme LOX, as well as FBN1 for the development of stable elastin. There was gene overexpression of TE, FBN1, FBLN5, and LOXL1, while the expression of LOX and FBLN2 and -4 remained stable. In conclusion, collagen and elastin, as well as several constituents involved in elastic fiber assembly are overexpressed in human pterygium, thus, supporting the hypothesis that there is dysregulation in the synthesis and crosslinking of the fibroelastic component, constituting an important pathogenetic mechanism for the development of the disease.
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Transcriptome Analysis of Pterygium and Pinguecula Reveals Evidence of Genomic Instability Associated with Chronic Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222112090. [PMID: 34769520 PMCID: PMC8584501 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112090] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Solar damage due to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is implicated in the development of two proliferative lesions of the ocular surface: pterygium and pinguecula. Pterygium and pinguecula specimens were collected, along with adjacent healthy conjunctiva specimens. RNA was extracted and sequenced. Pairwise comparisons were made of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Computational methods were used for analysis. Transcripts from 18,630 genes were identified. Comparison of two subgroups of pterygium specimens uncovered evidence of genomic instability associated with inflammation and the immune response; these changes were also observed in pinguecula, but to a lesser extent. Among the top DEGs were four genes encoding tumor suppressors that were downregulated in pterygium: C10orf90, RARRES1, DMBT1 and SCGB3A1; C10orf90 and RARRES1 were also downregulated in pinguecula. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis overwhelmingly linked DEGs to cancer for both lesions; however, both lesions are clearly still benign, as evidenced by the expression of other genes indicating their well-differentiated and non-invasive character. Pathways for epithelial cell proliferation were identified that distinguish the two lesions, as well as genes encoding specific pathway components. Upregulated DEGs common to both lesions, including KRT9 and TRPV3, provide a further insight into pathophysiology. Our findings suggest that pterygium and pinguecula, while benign lesions, are both on the pathological pathway towards neoplastic transformation.
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