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Migayron L, Bordes S, Closs B, Seneschal J, Boniface K. Type-2 immunity associated with type-1 related skin inflammatory diseases: friend or foe? Front Immunol 2024; 15:1405215. [PMID: 38868763 PMCID: PMC11167106 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1405215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammatory skin diseases are multifactorial diseases that combine genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and metabolic disturbances associated with abnormal immune responses. From an immunological perspective, the better understanding of their physiopathology has demonstrated a large complex network of immune cell subsets and related cytokines that interact with both epidermal and dermal cells. For example, in type-1-associated diseases such as alopecia areata, vitiligo, and localized scleroderma, recent evidence suggests the presence of a type-2 inflammation that is well known in atopic dermatitis. Whether this type-2 immune response has a protective or detrimental impact on the development and chronicity of these diseases remains to be fully elucidated, highlighting the need to better understand its involvement for the management of patients. This mini-review explores recent insights regarding the potential role of type-2-related immunity in alopecia areata, vitiligo, and localized scleroderma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Migayron
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Immuno ConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
- R&D Department, SILAB, Brive-la-Gaillarde, France
| | | | | | - Julien Seneschal
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Immuno ConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
- CHU de Bordeaux, Dermatology and Pediatric Dermatology, National Reference Center for Rare Skin Disorders, Hôpital Saint-André, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
| | - Katia Boniface
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Immuno ConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
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2
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Khatri S, Bustos AH, Jørgensen CD, Torok KS, Gjerdrum LMR, Astakhova K. Synthetic Nucleic Acid Antigens in Localized Scleroderma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17507. [PMID: 38139335 PMCID: PMC10744100 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417507] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the impact of synthetic nucleic acid antigens on the autoantibody profiles in patients with localized scleroderma, an autoimmune skin disease. Anti-DNA antibodies, including double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), are common among autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and localized scleroderma. Based on recent studies, we hypothesized that the sequence of nucleic acid antigens has an impact on the autoimmune reactions in localized scleroderma. To test our hypothesis, we synthesized a panel of DNA and RNA antigens and used them for autoantibody profiling of 70 children with localized scleroderma compared with the healthy controls and patients with pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (as a disease control). Among the tested antigens, dsD4, which contains the sequence of the human oncogene BRAF, showed a particularly strong presence in localized scleroderma but not systemic lupus erythematosus. Disease activity in patients was significantly associated with dsD4 autoantibody levels. We confirmed this result in vivo by using a bleomycin-induced mouse model of localized scleroderma. When administered intraperitoneally, dsD4 promoted an active polyclonal response in the mouse model. Our study highlights sequence specificity for nucleic acid antigens in localized scleroderma that could potentially lead to developing novel early-stage diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangita Khatri
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.K.); (A.H.B.)
| | - Adrian H. Bustos
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.K.); (A.H.B.)
| | - Christian Damsgaard Jørgensen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark;
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Kathryn S. Torok
- Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Lise-Mette Rahbek Gjerdrum
- Department of Pathology, Zealand University Hospital, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kira Astakhova
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.K.); (A.H.B.)
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3
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Chen HW, Zhu JL, Martyanov V, Tsoi LC, Johnson ME, Barber G, Popovich D, O'Brien JC, Coias J, Cyrus N, Malviya N, Florez-Pollack S, Kunzler E, Hosler GA, Gudjonsson JE, Khanna D, Whitfield M, Jacobe HT. Gene Expression Signatures in Inflammatory and Sclerotic Morphea Skin and Sera Distinguish Morphea from Systemic Sclerosis. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:1886-1895.e10. [PMID: 37028702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Morphea is an inflammatory fibrotic disorder of the skin that has been likened to systemic sclerosis (SSc). We sought to examine the molecular landscape of morphea by examining lesional skin gene expression and blood biomarkers and comparing the gene expression profiles with those from site-matched nonlesional and SSc lesional skin. We found the morphea transcriptome is dominated by IFN-γ-mediated T helper 1 immune dysregulation, with a relative paucity of fibrosis pathways. Specifically, expression profiles of morphea skin clustered with the SSc inflammatory subset and were distinct from the those of SSc fibroproliferative subset. Unaffected morphea skin also differed from unaffected SSc skin because it did not exhibit pathological gene expression signatures. Examination of downstream IFN-γ-mediated chemokines, CXCL9 and CXCL10, revealed increased transcription in the skin but not in circulation. In contrast to transcriptional activity, CXCL9 was elevated in serum and was associated with active, widespread cutaneous involvement. Taken together, these results indicate that morphea is a skin-directed process characterized by T helper 1 immune-mediated dysregulation, which contrasts with fibrotic signatures and systemic transcriptional changes associated with SSc. The similarity between morphea and the inflammatory subset of SSc on transcriptional profiling indicates that therapies under development for this subset of SSc are also promising for treatment of morphea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Chen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jane L Zhu
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Viktor Martyanov
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Lam C Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael E Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Grant Barber
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Dillon Popovich
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jack C O'Brien
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Coias
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Nika Cyrus
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Neeta Malviya
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Elaine Kunzler
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Dinesh Khanna
- Scleroderma Program, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Heidi T Jacobe
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
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4
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Guthrie J, Ko¨stel Bal S, Lombardo SD, Mu¨ller F, Sin C, Hu¨tter CV, Menche J, Boztug K. AutoCore: A network-based definition of the core module of human autoimmunity and autoinflammation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg6375. [PMID: 37656781 PMCID: PMC10848965 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg6375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Although research on rare autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases has enabled definition of nonredundant regulators of homeostasis in human immunity, because of the single gene-single disease nature of many of these diseases, contributing factors were mostly unveiled in sequential and noncoordinated individual studies. We used a network-based approach for integrating a set of 186 inborn errors of immunity with predominant autoimmunity/autoinflammation into a comprehensive map of human immune dysregulation, which we termed "AutoCore." The AutoCore is located centrally within the interactome of all protein-protein interactions, connecting and pinpointing multidisease markers for a range of common, polygenic autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases. The AutoCore can be subdivided into 19 endotypes that correspond to molecularly and phenotypically cohesive disease subgroups, providing a molecular mechanism-based disease classification and rationale toward systematic targeting for therapeutic purposes. Our study provides a proof of concept for using network-based methods to systematically investigate the molecular relationships between individual rare diseases and address a range of conceptual, diagnostic, and therapeutic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Guthrie
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna Austria
| | - Sevgi Ko¨stel Bal
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Salvo Danilo Lombardo
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna Austria
| | - Felix Mu¨ller
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna Austria
| | - Celine Sin
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna Austria
| | - Christiane V. R. Hu¨tter
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jo¨rg Menche
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter Campus, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna Austria
- Faculty of Mathematics, University of Vienna, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kaan Boztug
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14, AKH BT 25.3, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Zimmermannplatz 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Children’s Hospital, Kinderspitalgasse 6, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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5
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Saracino AM, Kelberman D, Otto GW, Gagunashvili A, Abraham DJ, Denton CP. Unravelling morphoea aetiopathogenesis by next-generation sequencing of paired skin biopsies. Arch Dermatol Res 2023; 315:2035-2056. [PMID: 36912952 PMCID: PMC10366313 DOI: 10.1007/s00403-023-02541-5] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Morphoea can have a significant disease burden. Aetiopathogenesis remains poorly understood, with very limited existing genetic studies. Linear morphoea (LM) may follow Blascho's lines of epidermal development, providing potential pathogenic clues. OBJECTIVE The first objective of this study was to identify the presence of primary somatic epidermal mosaicism in LM. The second objective was tTo explore differential gene expression in morphoea epidermis and dermis to identify potential pathogenic molecular pathways and tissue layer cross-talk. METHODOLOGY Skin biopsies from paired affected and contralateral unaffected skin were taken from 16 patients with LM. Epidermis and dermis were isolated using a 2-step chemical-physical separation protocol. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS; n = 4 epidermal) and RNA-seq (n = 5-epidermal, n = 5-dermal) with gene expression analysis via GSEA-MSigDBv6.3 and PANTHER-v14.1 pathway analyses, were performed. RTqPCR and immunohistochemistry were used to replicate key results. RESULTS Sixteen participants (93.8% female, mean age 27.7 yrs disease-onset) were included. Epidermal WGS identified no single affected gene or SNV. However, many potential disease-relevant pathogenic variants were present, including ADAMTSL1 and ADAMTS16. A highly proliferative, inflammatory and profibrotic epidermis was seen, with significantly-overexpressed TNFα-via-NFkB, TGFβ, IL6/JAKSTAT and IFN-signaling, apoptosis, p53 and KRAS-responses. Upregulated IFI27 and downregulated LAMA4 potentially represent initiating epidermal 'damage' signals and enhanced epidermal-dermal communication. Morphoea dermis exhibited significant profibrotic, B-cell and IFN-signatures, and upregulated morphogenic patterning pathways such as Wnt. CONCLUSION This study supports the absence of somatic epidermal mosaicism in LM, and identifies potential disease-driving epidermal mechanisms, epidermal-dermal interactions and disease-specific dermal differential-gene-expression in morphoea. We propose a potential molecular narrative for morphoea aetiopathogenesis which could help guide future targeted studies and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Saracino
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissues Diseases, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Dermatology, Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
- Melbourne Dermatology Clinic, 258 Park Street, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205, Australia.
| | - Daniel Kelberman
- GOSgene, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormand Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Georg W Otto
- GOSgene, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormand Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrey Gagunashvili
- GOSgene, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Great Ormand Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - David J Abraham
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissues Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher P Denton
- Division of Medicine, Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissues Diseases, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Rheumatology, Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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6
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Xing E, Ma F, Wasikowski R, Billi AC, Gharaee-Kermani M, Fox J, Dobry C, Victory A, Sarkar MK, Xing X, Plazyo O, Chen HW, Barber G, Jacobe H, Tsou PS, Modlin RL, Varga J, Kahlenberg JM, Tsoi LC, Gudjonsson JE, Khanna D. Pansclerotic morphea is characterized by IFN-γ responses priming dendritic cell fibroblast crosstalk to promote fibrosis. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e171307. [PMID: 37471168 PMCID: PMC10543736 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.171307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Pansclerotic morphea (PSM) is a rare, devastating disease characterized by extensive soft tissue fibrosis, secondary contractions, and significant morbidity. PSM pathogenesis is unknown, and aggressive immunosuppressive treatments rarely slow disease progression. We aimed to characterize molecular mechanisms driving PSM and to identify therapeutically targetable pathways by performing single-cell and spatial RNA-Seq on 7 healthy controls and on lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies of a patient with PSM 12 months apart. We then validated our findings using immunostaining and in vitro approaches. Fibrotic skin was characterized by prominent type II IFN response, accompanied by infiltrating myeloid cells, B cells, and T cells, which were the main IFN-γ source. We identified unique CXCL9+ fibroblasts enriched in PSM, characterized by increased chemokine expression, including CXCL9, CXCL10, and CCL2. CXCL9+ fibroblasts were related to profibrotic COL8A1+ myofibroblasts, which had enriched TGF-β response. In vitro, TGF-β and IFN-γ synergistically increased CXCL9 and CXCL10 expression, contributing to the perpetuation of IFN-γ responses. Furthermore, cell-to-cell interaction analyses revealed cDC2B DCs as a key communication hub between CXCL9+ fibroblasts and COL8A1+ myofibroblasts. These results define PSM as an inflammation-driven condition centered on type II IFN responses. This work identified key pathogenic circuits between T cells, cDC2Bs, and myofibroblasts, and it suggests that JAK1/2 inhibition is a potential therapeutic option in PSM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Feiyang Ma
- Department of Dermatology
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
| | - Rachael Wasikowski
- Department of Dermatology
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Amanda Victory
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
| | | | | | | | - Henry W. Chen
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Grant Barber
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Heidi Jacobe
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
| | - Robert L. Modlin
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - John Varga
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
- University of Michigan SSc Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - J. Michelle Kahlenberg
- Department of Dermatology
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
- Taubman Institute, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lam C. Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Johann E. Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
- Taubman Institute, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine; and
- University of Michigan SSc Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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7
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Richmond JM, Patel D, Watanabe T, Chen HW, Martyanov V, Werner G, Garg M, Haddadi NS, Refat MA, Mahmoud BH, Wong LD, Dresser K, Deng A, Zhu JL, McAlpine W, Hosler GA, Feghali-Bostwick CA, Whitfield ML, Harris JE, Torok KS, Jacobe HT. CXCL9 Links Skin Inflammation and Fibrosis through CXCR3-Dependent Upregulation of Col1a1 in Fibroblasts. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:1138-1146.e12. [PMID: 36708947 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Morphea is characterized by initial inflammation followed by fibrosis of the skin and soft tissue. Despite its substantial morbidity, the pathogenesis of morphea is poorly studied. Previous work showed that CXCR3 ligands CXCL9 and CXCL10 are highly upregulated in the sera and lesional skin of patients with morphea. We found that an early inflammatory subcutaneous bleomycin mouse model of dermal fibrosis mirrors the clinical, histological, and immune dysregulation observed in human morphea. We used this model to examine the role of the CXCR3 chemokine axis in the pathogenesis of cutaneous fibrosis. Using the REX3 (Reporting the Expression of CXCR3 ligands) mice, we characterized which cells produce CXCR3 ligands over time. We found that fibroblasts contribute the bulk of CXCL9-RFP and CXCL10-BFP by percentage, whereas macrophages produce high amounts on a per-cell basis. To determine whether these chemokines are mechanistically involved in pathogenesis, we treated Cxcl9-, Cxcl10-, or Cxcr3-deficient mice with bleomycin and found that fibrosis is dependent on CXCL9 and CXCR3. Addition of recombinant CXCL9 but not CXCL10 to cultured mouse fibroblasts induced Col1a1 mRNA expression, indicating that the chemokine itself contributes to fibrosis. Taken together, our studies provide evidence that CXCL9 and its receptor CXCR3 are functionally required for inflammatory fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Richmond
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dhrumil Patel
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tomoya Watanabe
- Division of Rheumatology & Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Department of Dermatology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Henry W Chen
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Viktor Martyanov
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA; Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Giffin Werner
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Madhuri Garg
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nazgol-Sadat Haddadi
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maggi Ahmed Refat
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bassel H Mahmoud
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lance D Wong
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karen Dresser
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - April Deng
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jane L Zhu
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - William McAlpine
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Carol A Feghali-Bostwick
- Division of Rheumatology & Immunology, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael L Whitfield
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA; Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - John E Harris
- Department of Dermatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryn S Torok
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Heidi T Jacobe
- Department of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
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8
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Werner G, Sanyal A, Mirizio E, Hutchins T, Tabib T, Lafyatis R, Jacobe H, Torok KS. Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Subclusters with Inflammatory Fibroblast Responses in Localized Scleroderma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9796. [PMID: 37372943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Localized scleroderma (LS) is an autoimmune disease with both inflammatory and fibrotic components causing an abnormal deposition of collagen in the skin and underlying tissue, often leading to disfigurement and disability. Much of its pathophysiology is extrapolated from systemic sclerosis (SSc) since the histopathology findings in the skin are nearly identical. However, LS is critically understudied. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA seq) technology provides a novel way to obtain detailed information at the individual cellular level, overcoming this barrier. Here, we analyzed the affected skin of 14 patients with LS (pediatric and adult) and 14 healthy controls. Fibroblast populations were the focus, since they are the main drivers of fibrosis in SSc. We identified 12 fibroblast subclusters in LS, which overall had an inflammatory gene expression (IFN and HLA-associated genes). A myofibroblast-like cluster (SFRP4/PRSS23) was more prevalent in LS subjects and shared many upregulated genes expressed in SSc-associated myofibroblasts, though it also had strong expression of CXCL9/10/11, known CXCR3 ligands. A CXCL2/IRF1 cluster identified was unique to LS, with a robust inflammatory gene signature, including IL-6, and according to cell communication analysis are influenced by macrophages. In summary, potential disease-propagating fibroblasts and associated gene signatures were identified in LS skin via scRNA seq.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giffin Werner
- Department of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Anwesha Sanyal
- Department of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Emily Mirizio
- Department of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Theresa Hutchins
- Department of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Tracy Tabib
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Robert Lafyatis
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Heidi Jacobe
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kathryn S Torok
- Department of Pediatrics (Rheumatology), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
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9
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Papara C, De Luca DA, Bieber K, Vorobyev A, Ludwig RJ. Morphea: The 2023 update. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1108623. [PMID: 36860340 PMCID: PMC9969991 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1108623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma, is a chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorder with variable clinical presentations, that affects both adults and children. It is characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and underlying soft tissue, in certain cases even of the surrounding structures such as fascia, muscle, bone and central nervous system. While the etiology is still unknown, many factors may contribute to disease development, including genetic predisposition, vascular dysregulation, TH1/TH2 imbalance with chemokines and cytokines associated with interferon-γ and profibrotic pathways as well as certain environmental factors. Since the disease may progress to permanent cosmetic and functional sequelae, it is crucial to properly assess the disease activity and to initiate promptly the adequate treatment, thus preventing subsequent damage. The mainstay of treatment is based on corticosteroids and methotrexate. These, however, are limited by their toxicity, especially if applied long-term. Furthermore, corticosteroids and methotrexate often do not sufficiently control the disease and/or the frequent relapses of morphea. This review presents the current understanding of morphea by discussing its epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis. In addition, it will describe recent pathogenetic findings, thus proposing potential novel targets for therapeutic development in morphea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Papara
- Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany,Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany,*Correspondence: Cristian Papara, ✉
| | - David A. De Luca
- Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Bieber
- Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Artem Vorobyev
- Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany,Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ralf J. Ludwig
- Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany,Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Amjad E, Sokouti B, Asnaashari S. A hybrid systems biology and systems pharmacology investigation of Zingerone's effects on reconstructed human epidermal tissues. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2021; 22:90. [PMID: 36820091 PMCID: PMC8666180 DOI: 10.1186/s43042-021-00204-6] [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: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As individuals live longer, elderly populations can be expected to face issues. This pattern urges researchers to investigate the aging concept further to produce successful anti-aging agents. In the current study, the effects of Zingerone (a natural compound) on epidermal tissues were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach. Methods For this purpose, we chose the GEO dataset GSE133338 to carry out the systems biology and systems pharmacology approaches, ranging from identifying the differentially expressed genes to analyzing the gene ontology, determining similar structures of Zingerone and their features (i.e., anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin disorders), constructing the gene-chemicals network, analyzing gene-disease relationships, and validating significant genes through the evidence presented in the literature. Results The post-processing of the microarray dataset identified thirteen essential genes among control and Zingerone-treated samples. The procedure revealed various structurally similar chemical and herbal compounds with possible skin-related effects. Additionally, we studied the relationships of differentially expressed genes with skin-related diseases and validated their direct connections with skin disorders the evidence available in the literature. Also, the analysis of the microarray profiling dataset revealed the critical role of interleukins as a part of the cytokines family on skin aging progress. Conclusions Zingerone, and potentially any constituents of Zingerone (e.g., their similar compound scan functionality), can be used as therapeutic agents in managing skin disorders such as skin aging. However, the beneficial effects of Zingerone should be assessed in other models (i.e., human or animal) in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Amjad
- grid.412888.f0000 0001 2174 8913Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Babak Sokouti
- grid.412888.f0000 0001 2174 8913Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Solmaz Asnaashari
- grid.412888.f0000 0001 2174 8913Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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