Low Level Antibodies Against Alpha-Tropomyosin Are Associated With Increased Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Proteome profiling of early gestational plasma reveals novel biomarkers of congenital heart disease

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) relies primarily on fetal echocardiography conducted at mid-gestational age-the sensitivity of which varies among centers and practitioners. An objective method for early diagnosis is needed. Here, we conducted a case-control study recruiting 103 pregnant women with healthy offspring and 104 cases with CHD offspring, including VSD (42/104), ASD (20/104), and other CHD phenotypes. Plasma was collected during the first trimester and proteomic analysis was performed. Principal component analysis revealed considerable differences between the controls and the CHDs. Among the significantly altered proteins, 25 upregulated proteins in CHDs were enriched in amino acid metabolism, extracellular matrix receptor, and actin skeleton regulation, whereas 49 downregulated proteins were enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, cardiac muscle contraction, and cardiomyopathy. The machine learning model reached an area under the curve of 0.964 and was highly accurate in recognizing CHDs. This study provides a highly valuable proteomics resource to better recognize the cause of CHD and has developed a reliable objective method for the early recognition of CHD, facilitating early intervention and better prognosis.

The role of glycolytic metabolic pathways in cardiovascular disease and potential therapeutic approaches

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major threat to human health, accounting for 46% of non-communicable disease deaths. Glycolysis is a conserved and rigorous biological process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, and its primary function is to provide the body with the energy and intermediate products needed for life activities. The non-glycolytic actions of enzymes associated with the glycolytic pathway have long been found to be associated with the development of CVD, typically exemplified by metabolic remodeling in heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart exhibits a rapid adaptive response to hypoxic and hypoxic conditions, occurring early in the course of heart failure. It is mainly characterized by a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and a rise in the glycolytic pathway, and the rise in glycolysis is considered a hallmark of metabolic remodeling. In addition to this, the glycolytic metabolic pathway is the main source of energy for cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion. Not only that, the auxiliary pathways of glycolysis, such as the polyol pathway, hexosamine pathway, and pentose phosphate pathway, are also closely related to CVD. Therefore, targeting glycolysis is very attractive for therapeutic intervention in CVD. However, the relationship between glycolytic pathway and CVD is very complex, and some preclinical studies have confirmed that targeting glycolysis does have a certain degree of efficacy, but its specific role in the development of CVD has yet to be explored. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the glycolytic pathway and its key enzymes (including hexokinase (HK), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), aldolase (Aldolase), phosphoglycerate metatase (PGAM), enolase (ENO) pyruvate kinase (PKM) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) for their role in cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis) and possible emerging therapeutic targets.

SARS-CoV-2 and Its Bacterial Co- or Super-Infections Synergize to Trigger COVID-19 Autoimmune Cardiopathies

Autoimmune cardiopathies (AC) following COVID-19 and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 occur at significant rates but are of unknown etiology. This study investigated the possible roles of viral and bacterial mimicry, as well as viral-bacterial co-infections, as possible inducers of COVID-19 AC using proteomic methods and enzyme-linked immunoadsorption assays. BLAST and LALIGN results of this study demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 shares a significantly greater number of high quality similarities to some cardiac protein compared with other viruses; that bacteria such as Streptococci, Staphylococci and Enterococci also display very significant similarities to cardiac proteins but to a different set than SARS-CoV-2; that the importance of these similarities is largely validated by ELISA experiments demonstrating that polyclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19-associated bacteria recognize cardiac proteins with high affinity; that to account for the range of cardiac proteins targeted by autoantibodies in COVID-19-associated autoimmune myocarditis, both viral and bacterial triggers are probably required; that the targets of the viral and bacterial antibodies are often molecularly complementary antigens such as actin and myosin, laminin and collagen, or creatine kinase and pyruvate kinase, that are known to bind to each other; and that the corresponding viral and bacterial antibodies recognizing these complementary antigens also bind to each other with high affinity as if they have an idiotype-anti-idiotype relationship. These results suggest that AC results from SARS-CoV-2 infections or vaccination complicated by bacterial infections. Vaccination against some of these bacterial infections, such as Streptococci and Haemophilus, may therefore decrease AC risk, as may the appropriate and timely use of antibiotics among COVID-19 patients and careful screening of vaccinees for signs of infection such as fever, diarrhea, infected wounds, gum disease, etc.

Effect of Dan-Lou tablets on coronary heart disease revealed by microarray analysis integrated with molecular mechanism studies

Dan-Lou tablets (DLT) effectively treat coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its pharmacological mechanism in CHD treatment requires further investigation. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of DLT in the treatment of CHD through clinical trials, microarray research, bioinformatics analysis, and molecular mechanism research. In this study, DLT improved coagulation function, endothelial injury, and levels of lipids, metalloproteases, adhesion molecules, inflammatory mediators, and homocysteine. The results of molecular biology research demonstrated that DLT can increase the gene and protein expressions of meningioma expressed antigen 5 (MGEA5) and mouse doubleminute 2 (MDM2) and inhibited the gene and protein expressions of signal transcription and transcription activator 5 B (STAT5B), tropomyosin-1 (TPM1), and aromatic hydrocarbon receptor nuclear transpose (ARNT). The results indicate that DLT reduced the extent of vascular endothelial damage in CHD rats by reducing the expressions of STAT5B, TPM1, and MDM2; inhibiting the inflammatory reaction; and increasing the expressions of ARNT and MGEA5.

Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis Identifies Crucial Genes Involved in Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

Background

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD) is a lethal disease with an unstated pathogenic mechanism. Therefore, it is urgent to develop innovative strategies to ameliorate the outcome of CHD patients and explore novel biomarkers connected to the pathogenicity of CHD.

Methods

The weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out on a coronary atherosclerosis dataset GSE90074 to determine the crucial modules and hub genes for their prospective relationship to CHD. After the different modules associated with CHD have been identified, the Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enriched pathway analyses were conducted. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was thereafter performed for the critical module using STRING and Cytoscape.

Results

The yellow module was recognized as the most critical module associated with CHD. The enriched pathways in the yellow module included those related to inflammatory response, positive regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) cascade, lipid catabolic process, cellular response to oxidative stress, apoptotic pathway, and NF-kappa B pathway. Further CytoHubba analysis revealed the top five hub genes (MMP14, CD28, CaMK4, RGS1, and DDAH1) associated with CHD development.

Conclusions

The current study provides the prognosis, novel hub genes, and signaling pathways for treating coronary atherosclerosis. However, their potential biological roles require deeper investigation.

The Role of B Cells in Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize the current knowledge on the role that B lymphocytes play in heart failure.

RECENT FINDINGS

Several studies from murine models have shown that B cells modulate cardiac adaptation to injury and ultimately affect the degree of cardiac dysfunction after acute ischemic damage. In addition, a B cell-modulating small molecule was recently shown to have beneficial effects in humans with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. B lymphocytes are specialized immune cells present in all jawed vertebrates. They are characteristically known for their ability to produce antibodies, but they have other functions and are important players in virtually all forms of immune responses. A growing body of evidence indicates that B cells are intimately connected with the heart and that B cell dysregulation might play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of both heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. B cells are therefore gathering attention as potential targets for the development of novel immunomodulatory-based treatments for heart failure.

Potential Autoimmunity Resulting from Molecular Mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Human Proteins

Molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins can produce cross-reacting antibodies leading to autoimmunity. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a disease curiously resulting in varied symptoms and outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Autoimmunity due to cross-reacting antibodies resulting from molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins may provide an explanation. Thus, we computationally investigated molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and known epitopes. We discovered molecular mimicry hotspots in Spike and highlight two examples with tentative high autoimmune potential and implications for understanding COVID-19 complications. We show that a TQLPP motif in Spike and thrombopoietin shares similar antibody binding properties. Antibodies cross-reacting with thrombopoietin may induce thrombocytopenia, a condition observed in COVID-19 patients. Another motif, ELDKY, is shared in multiple human proteins, such as PRKG1 involved in platelet activation and calcium regulation, and tropomyosin, which is linked to cardiac disease. Antibodies cross-reacting with PRKG1 and tropomyosin may cause known COVID-19 complications such as blood-clotting disorders and cardiac disease, respectively. Our findings illuminate COVID-19 pathogenesis and highlight the importance of considering autoimmune potential when developing therapeutic interventions to reduce adverse reactions.

Temporal reproducibility of IgG and IgM autoantibodies in serum from healthy women

Autoantibodies are present in healthy individuals and altered in chronic diseases. We used repeated samples collected from participants in the NYU Women's Health Study to assess autoantibody reproducibility and repertoire stability over a one-year period using the HuProt array. We included two samples collected one year apart from each of 46 healthy women (92 samples). We also included eight blinded replicate samples to assess laboratory reproducibility. A total of 21,211 IgG and IgM autoantibodies were interrogated. Of those, 86% of IgG (n = 18,303) and 34% of IgM (n = 7,242) autoantibodies showed adequate lab reproducibility (coefficient of variation [CV] < 20%). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were estimated to assess temporal reproducibility. A high proportion of both IgG and IgM autoantibodies with CV < 20% (76% and 98%, respectively) showed excellent temporal reproducibility (ICC > 0.8). Temporal reproducibility was lower after using quantile normalization suggesting that batch variability was not an important source of error, and that normalization removed some informative biological information. To our knowledge this study is the largest in terms of sample size and autoantibody numbers to assess autoantibody reproducibility in healthy women. The results suggest that for many autoantibodies a single measurement may be used to rank individuals in studies of autoantibodies as etiologic markers of disease.

An Autoantigen Atlas From Human Lung HFL1 Cells Offers Clues to Neurological and Diverse Autoimmune Manifestations of COVID-19

COVID-19 is accompanied by a myriad of both transient and long-lasting autoimmune responses. Dermatan sulfate (DS), a glycosaminoglycan crucial for wound healing, has unique affinity for autoantigens (autoAgs) from apoptotic cells. DS-autoAg complexes are capable of stimulating autoreactive B cells and autoantibody production. We used DS-affinity proteomics to define the autoantigen-ome of lung fibroblasts and bioinformatics analyses to study the relationship between autoantigenic proteins and COVID-induced alterations. Using DS-affinity, we identified an autoantigen-ome of 408 proteins from human HFL1 cells, at least 231 of which are known autoAgs. Comparing with available COVID data, 352 proteins of the autoantigen-ome have thus far been found to be altered at protein or RNA levels in SARS-CoV-2 infection, 210 of which are known autoAgs. The COVID-altered proteins are significantly associated with RNA metabolism, translation, vesicles and vesicle transport, cell death, supramolecular fibrils, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, and interleukin signaling. They offer clues to neurological problems, fibrosis, smooth muscle dysfunction, and thrombosis. In particular, 150 altered proteins are related to the nervous system, including axon, myelin sheath, neuron projection, neuronal cell body, and olfactory bulb. An association with the melanosome is also identified. The findings from our study illustrate a connection between COVID infection and autoimmunity. The vast number of COVID-altered proteins with high intrinsic propensity to become autoAgs offers an explanation for the diverse autoimmune complications in COVID patients. The variety of autoAgs related to mRNA metabolism, translation, and vesicles suggests a need for long-term monitoring of autoimmunity in COVID. The COVID autoantigen atlas we are establishing provides a detailed molecular map for further investigation of autoimmune sequelae of the pandemic, such as “long COVID” syndrome.

A Master Autoantigen-ome Links Alternative Splicing, Female Predilection, and COVID-19 to Autoimmune Diseases

Chronic and debilitating autoimmune sequelae pose a grave concern for the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Based on our discovery that the glycosaminoglycan dermatan sulfate (DS) displays peculiar affinity to apoptotic cells and autoantigens (autoAgs) and that DS-autoAg complexes cooperatively stimulate autoreactive B1 cell responses, we compiled a database of 751 candidate autoAgs from six human cell types. At least 657 of these have been found to be affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection based on currently available multi-omic COVID data, and at least 400 are confirmed targets of autoantibodies in a wide array of autoimmune diseases and cancer. The autoantigen-ome is significantly associated with various processes in viral infections, such as translation, protein processing, and vesicle transport. Interestingly, the coding genes of autoAgs predominantly contain multiple exons with many possible alternative splicing variants, short transcripts, and short UTR lengths. These observations and the finding that numerous autoAgs involved in RNA-splicing showed altered expression in viral infections suggest that viruses exploit alternative splicing to reprogram host cell machinery to ensure viral replication and survival. While each cell type gives rise to a unique pool of autoAgs, 39 common autoAgs associated with cell stress and apoptosis were identified from all six cell types, with several being known markers of systemic autoimmune diseases. In particular, the common autoAg UBA1 that catalyzes the first step in ubiquitination is encoded by an X-chromosome escape gene. Given its essential function in apoptotic cell clearance and that X-inactivation escape tends to increase with aging, UBA1 dysfunction can therefore predispose aging women to autoimmune disorders. In summary, we propose a model of how viral infections lead to extensive molecular alterations and host cell death, autoimmune responses facilitated by autoAg-DS complexes, and ultimately autoimmune diseases. Overall, this master autoantigen-ome provides a molecular guide for investigating the myriad of autoimmune sequalae to COVID-19 and clues to the rare but reported adverse effects of the currently available COVID vaccines.

An Autoantigen-ome from HS-Sultan B-Lymphoblasts Offers a Molecular Map for Investigating Autoimmune Sequelae of COVID-19

To understand how COVID-19 may induce autoimmune diseases, we have been compiling an atlas of COVID-autoantigens (autoAgs). Using dermatan sulfate (DS) affinity enrichment of autoantigenic proteins extracted from HS-Sultan lymphoblasts, we identified 362 DS-affinity proteins, of which at least 201 (56%) are confirmed autoAgs. Comparison with available multi-omic COVID data shows that 315 (87%) of the 362 proteins are affected in SARS-CoV-2 infection via altered expression, interaction with viral components, or modification by phosphorylation or ubiquitination, at least 186 (59%) of which are known autoAgs. These proteins are associated with gene expression, mRNA processing, mRNA splicing, translation, protein folding, vesicles, and chromosome organization. Numerous nuclear autoAgs were identified, including both classical ANAs and ENAs of systemic autoimmune diseases and unique autoAgs involved in the DNA replication fork, mitotic cell cycle, or telomerase maintenance. We also identified many uncommon autoAgs involved in nucleic acid and peptide biosynthesis and nucleocytoplasmic transport, such as aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. In addition, this study found autoAgs that potentially interact with multiple SARS-CoV-2 Nsp and Orf components, including CCT/TriC chaperonin, insulin degrading enzyme, platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, and the ezrin-moesin-radixin family. Furthermore, B-cell-specific IgM-associated ER complex (including MBZ1, BiP, heat shock proteins, and protein disulfide-isomerases) is enriched by DS-affinity and up-regulated in B-cells of COVID-19 patients, and a similar IgH-associated ER complex was also identified in autoreactive pre-B1 cells in our previous study, which suggests a role of autoreactive B1 cells in COVID-19 that merits further investigation. In summary, this study demonstrates that virally infected cells are characterized by alterations of proteins with propensity to become autoAgs, thereby providing a possible explanation for infection-induced autoimmunity. The COVID autoantigen-ome provides a valuable molecular resource and map for investigation of COVID-related autoimmune sequelae and considerations for vaccine design.

An Autoantigen Atlas from Human Lung HFL1 Cells Offers Clues to Neurological and Diverse Autoimmune Manifestations of COVID-19

COVID-19 is accompanied by a myriad of both transient and long-lasting autoimmune responses. Dermatan sulfate (DS), a glycosaminoglycan crucial for wound healing, has unique affinity for autoantigens (autoAgs) from apoptotic cells. DS-autoAg complexes are capable of stimulating autoreactive B cells and autoantibody production. Using DS affinity, we identified an autoantigenome of 408 proteins from human fetal lung fibroblast HFL11 cells, at least 231 of which are known autoAgs. Comparing with available COVID data, 352 proteins of the autoantigenome have thus far been found to be altered at protein or RNA levels in SARS-Cov-2 infection, 210 of which are known autoAgs. The COVID-altered proteins are significantly associated with RNA metabolism, translation, vesicles and vesicle transport, cell death, supramolecular fibrils, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, and interleukin signaling. They offer clues to neurological problems, fibrosis, smooth muscle dysfunction, and thrombosis. In particular, 150 altered proteins are related to the nervous system, including axon, myelin sheath, neuron projection, neuronal cell body, and olfactory bulb. An association with the melanosome is also identified. The findings from our study illustrate a strong connection between viral infection and autoimmunity. The vast number of COVID-altered proteins with propensity to become autoAgs offers an explanation for the diverse autoimmune complications in COVID patients. The variety of autoAgs related to mRNA metabolism, translation, and vesicles raises concerns about potential adverse effects of mRNA vaccines. The COVID autoantigen atlas we are establishing provides a detailed molecular map for further investigation of autoimmune sequelae of the pandemic.