Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Related Transcription Factors in Peripheral Blood of Tuberculosis Patients

LCK, FOXC1 and hsa-miR-146a-5p as potential immune effector molecules associated with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of systemic immune disease characterized by chronic inflammatory disease of the joints. However, the aetiology and underlying molecular events of RA are unclear. Here, we applied bioinformatics analysis to identify potential immune effector molecules involved in RA. The three microarray datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We used the R software screen 115 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Subsequently, we constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network encoded by these DEGs and identified 10 genes closely associated with RA - LCK, GZMA, GZMB, CD2, LAG3, IL-15, TNFRSF4, CD247, CCR5 and CCR7. Furthermore, in the miRNA-hub gene networks, we screened out hsa-miR-146a-5p, which is the miRNA controlling the largest number of hub genes. Finally, we found some transcription factors that closely interact with hub genes, such as FOXC1, GATA2, YY1, RUNX2, SREBF1, CEBPB and NFIC. This study successfully predicted that LCK, FOXC1 and hsa-miR-146a-5p can be used as potential immune effector molecules of RA. Our study may have potential implications for future prediction of disease progression in patients with symptomatic RA, and has important significance for the pathogenesis and targeted therapy of RA.

The role of LRRK2 in the periphery: link with Parkinson's disease and inflammatory diseases

Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently considered a multisystemic disorder rather than a pure brain disease, in line with the multiple hit hypothesis from Braak. However, despite increasing evidence that the pathology might originate in the periphery, multiple unknown aspects and contradictory data on the pathological processes taking place in the periphery jeopardize the interpretation and therapeutic targeting of PD. Mutations in the leucine-rich-repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene have been widely linked with familial and sporadic PD cases. However, the actual role of LRRK2 in PD pathophysiology is far from understood. There is evidence that LRRK2 may be involved in alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) pathology and immune cell regulation, but it has also been associated with inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, tuberculosis, leprosy, and several other bacterial infections. In this review, we focus on the different roles of LRRK2 in the periphery. More specifically, we discuss the involvement of LRRK2 in the propagation of α-synuclein pathology and its regulatory role in peripheral inflammation. A deeper understanding of the multidimensional functions of LRRK2 will pave the way for more accurate characterization of PD pathophysiology and its association with other inflammatory diseases.

A Combined Long Noncoding RNA Signature as a Candidate Prognostic Biomarker for Ovarian Cancer

Aims

Dysregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contributing to ovarian cancer (OC) development may serve as prognostic biomarker. We aimed to explore a lncRNA signature to serve as prognostic biomarker of OC.

Methods

Univariate Cox regression was conducted on the lncRNA expression dataset from the TCGA cohort, and 246 genes significantly associated with survival were retained for building a model. A random forest survival model was carried out, and a model was developed using 6 genes with the highest frequency. The selected genes were applied in a Cox multivariate regression model for prognostic prediction by calculating the risk score. We also used CCK-8, EdU, and colony formation assays to validate the function of these lncRNAs in OC cells.

Results

This study confirmed that the 6-lncRNA combined signature was related to OC prognosis. Systematic analysis demonstrated that lncRNA-associated genes were enriched in oncogenic signalling pathways. Five out of the 6 lncRNAs participated in OC proliferation.

Conclusion

We established a 6-lncRNA combined signature for OC prognosis, which may serve as powerful prognostic biomarker for OC after further validation.