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Yamashita T, Kaplan U, Chakraborty A, Marden G, Gritli S, Roh D, Bujor A, Trojanowski M, Ligresti G, Browning JL, Trojanowska M. ERG Regulates Lymphatic Vessel Specification Genes and Its Deficiency Impairs Wound Healing-Associated Lymphangiogenesis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2024. [PMID: 38965683 DOI: 10.1002/art.42944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rarefaction of blood and lymphatic vessels in the skin has been reported in systemic sclerosis (SSc) (scleroderma). E26 transformation-specific-related factor (ERG) and Friend leukemia virus-induced erythroleukemia 1 (FLI-1) are important regulators of angiogenesis, but their role in lymphatic vasculature is lesser known. The goal of this study was to determine the role of ERG and FLI-1 in postnatal lymphangiogenesis and SSc lymphatic system defects. METHODS Immunofluorescence was used to detect ERG and FLI-1 in skin biopsy samples from patients with SSc and healthy controls. Transcriptional analysis of ERG or FLI-1-silenced human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) was performed using microarrays. Effects of ERG and FLI-1 deficiency on in vitro tubulogenesis in human dermal LECs were examined using a Matrigel assay. ERG and FLI-1 endothelial-specific knockouts and ERG lymphatic-specific knockouts were generated to examine vessel regeneration in mice. RESULTS ERG and FLI-1 protein levels were reduced in the blood and lymphatic vasculature in SSc skin biopsy samples. ERG levels were shown to regulate genes involved in lymphatic vessel specification, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3/FLT-4, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1, SOX-18, and prospero homeobox 1 (PROX-1), whereas FLI-1 enhanced the function of ERG. The ERG-FLT-4 pathway regulated in vitro tubulogenesis in human LECs. Deficiency of ERG or FLI-1 similarly impaired the function of blood vessels in mice. However, only ERG deficiency affected the regeneration of lymphatic vessels during wound healing. CONCLUSION ERG and FLI-1 are essential regulators of blood and lymphatic vessel regeneration. Deficiency of ERG and FLI-1 in SSc endothelial cells may contribute to the impairment of blood and lymphatic vasculature in patients with SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel Roh
- Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
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Romano E, Rosa I, Fioretto BS, Manetti M. Recent Insights into Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Defective Angiogenesis in Systemic Sclerosis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1331. [PMID: 38927538 PMCID: PMC11201654 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In systemic sclerosis (SSc, or scleroderma), defective angiogenesis, clinically manifesting with abnormal capillary architecture and severe capillary reduction, represents a hallmark of early-stage disease, usually preceding the onset of tissue fibrosis, and is caused by several cellular and molecular mechanisms affecting microvascular endothelial cells with different outcomes. Indeed, once damaged, endothelial cells can be dysfunctionally activated, thus becoming unable to undergo angiogenesis and promoting perivascular inflammation. They can also undergo apoptosis, transdifferentiate into profibrotic myofibroblasts, or acquire a senescence-associated secretory phenotype characterized by the release of exosomes and several profibrotic and proinflammatory mediators. In this narrative review, we aimed to give a comprehensive overview of recent studies dealing with the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SSc defective angiogenesis and the related endothelial cell dysfunctions, mainly the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process. We also discussed potential novel vascular treatment strategies able to restore the angiogenic process and reduce the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloisa Romano
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Irene Rosa
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Mirko Manetti
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
- Imaging Platform, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy
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Kuonqui K, Campbell AC, Sarker A, Roberts A, Pollack BL, Park HJ, Shin J, Brown S, Mehrara BJ, Kataru RP. Dysregulation of Lymphatic Endothelial VEGFR3 Signaling in Disease. Cells 2023; 13:68. [PMID: 38201272 PMCID: PMC10778007 DOI: 10.3390/cells13010068] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 3 (VEGFR3), a receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the FLT4 gene, plays a significant role in the morphogenesis and maintenance of lymphatic vessels. Under both normal and pathologic conditions, VEGF-C and VEGF-D bind VEGFR3 on the surface of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and induce lymphatic proliferation, migration, and survival by activating intracellular PI3K-Akt and MAPK-ERK signaling pathways. Impaired lymphatic function and VEGFR3 signaling has been linked with a myriad of commonly encountered clinical conditions. This review provides a brief overview of intracellular VEGFR3 signaling in LECs and explores examples of dysregulated VEGFR3 signaling in various disease states, including (1) lymphedema, (2) tumor growth and metastasis, (3) obesity and metabolic syndrome, (4) organ transplant rejection, and (5) autoimmune disorders. A more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the lymphatic pathology of each disease will allow for the development of novel strategies to treat these chronic and often debilitating illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Babak J. Mehrara
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Raghu P. Kataru
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Rosa I, Romano E, Fioretto BS, El Aoufy K, Bellando-Randone S, Matucci-Cerinic M, Manetti M. Lymphatic Endothelial-to-Myofibroblast Transition: A Potential New Mechanism Underlying Skin Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis. Cells 2023; 12:2195. [PMID: 37681927 PMCID: PMC10486460 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172195] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
At present, only a few reports have addressed the possible contribution of the lymphatic vascular system to the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Based on the evidence that blood vascular endothelial cells can undertake the endothelial-to-myofibroblast transition (EndMT) contributing to SSc-related skin fibrosis, we herein investigated whether the lymphatic endothelium might represent an additional source of profibrotic myofibroblasts through a lymphatic EndMT (Ly-EndMT) process. Skin sections from patients with SSc and healthy donors were immunostained for the lymphatic endothelial cell-specific marker lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1 (LYVE-1) in combination with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) as the main marker of myofibroblasts. Commercial human adult dermal lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (HdLy-MVECs) were challenged with recombinant human transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) or serum from SSc patients and healthy donors. The expression of lymphatic endothelial cell/myofibroblast markers was measured by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Collagen gel contraction assay was performed to assess myofibroblast-like cell contractile ability. Lymphatic endothelial cells in intermediate stages of the Ly-EndMT process (i.e., coexpressing LYVE-1 and α-SMA) were found exclusively in the fibrotic skin of SSc patients. The culturing of HdLy-MVECs with SSc serum or profibrotic TGFβ1 led to the acquisition of a myofibroblast-like morphofunctional phenotype, as well as the downregulation of lymphatic endothelial cell-specific markers and the parallel upregulation of myofibroblast markers. In SSc, the Ly-EndMT might represent a previously overlooked pathogenetic process bridging peripheral microlymphatic dysfunction and skin fibrosis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Rosa
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Eloisa Romano
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (K.E.A.); (S.B.-R.)
| | - Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
| | - Khadija El Aoufy
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (K.E.A.); (S.B.-R.)
- Division of Rheumatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi (AOUC), 50141 Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellando-Randone
- Section of Internal Medicine, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (K.E.A.); (S.B.-R.)
- Division of Rheumatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi (AOUC), 50141 Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Matucci-Cerinic
- Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases (UnIRAR), IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Mirko Manetti
- Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (B.S.F.)
- Imaging Platform, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
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Frommer ML, Langridge BJ, Awad L, Jasionowska S, Denton CP, Abraham DJ, Abu-Hanna J, Butler PEM. Single-Cell Analysis of ADSC Interactions with Fibroblasts and Endothelial Cells in Scleroderma Skin. Cells 2023; 12:1784. [PMID: 37443817 PMCID: PMC10341100 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131784] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) as part of autologous fat grafting have anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects, but the exact mechanisms of action remain unknown. By simulating the interaction of ADSCs with fibroblasts and endothelial cells (EC) from scleroderma (SSc) skin in silico, we aim to unravel these mechanisms. Publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing data from the stromal vascular fraction of 3 lean patients and biopsies from the skin of 10 control and 12 patients with SSc were obtained from the GEO and analysed using R and Seurat. Differentially expressed genes were used to compare the fibroblast and EC transcriptome between controls and SSc. GO and KEGG functional enrichment was performed. Ligand-receptor interactions of ADSCs with fibroblasts and ECs were explored with LIANA. Pro-inflammatory and extracellular matrix (ECM) interacting fibroblasts were identified in SSc. Arterial, capillary, venous and lymphatic ECs showed a pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory transcriptome. Most interactions with both cell types were based on ECM proteins. Differential interactions identified included NTN1, VEGFD, MMP2, FGF2, and FNDC5. The ADSC secretome may disrupt vascular and perivascular inflammation hubs in scleroderma by promoting angiogenesis and especially lymphangiogenesis. Key phenomena observed after fat grafting remain unexplained, including modulation of fibroblast behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin L. Frommer
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Department of Surgical Biotechnology, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Benjamin J. Langridge
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Department of Surgical Biotechnology, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Laura Awad
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Sara Jasionowska
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Christopher P. Denton
- Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - David J. Abraham
- Centre for Rheumatology, Department of Inflammation, Division of Medicine, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Jeries Abu-Hanna
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Peter E. M. Butler
- Charles Wolfson Centre for Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK; (B.J.L.); (J.A.-H.); (P.E.M.B.)
- Department of Surgical Biotechnology, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London NW3 2QG, UK
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK
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Yu JCY, Zeng Y, Zhao K, Lu T, Oros Klein K, Colmegna I, Lora M, Bhatnagar SR, Leask A, Greenwood CMT, Hudson M. Novel insights into systemic sclerosis using a sensitive computational method to analyze whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:96. [PMID: 37270501 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01513-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal DNA methylation is thought to contribute to the onset and progression of systemic sclerosis. Currently, the most comprehensive assay for profiling DNA methylation is whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), but its precision depends on read depth and it may be subject to sequencing errors. SOMNiBUS, a method for regional analysis, attempts to overcome some of these limitations. Using SOMNiBUS, we re-analyzed WGBS data previously analyzed using bumphunter, an approach that initially fits single CpG associations, to contrast DNA methylation estimates by both methods. METHODS Purified CD4+ T lymphocytes of 9 SSc and 4 control females were sequenced using WGBS. We separated the resulting sequencing data into regions with dense CpG data, and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were inferred with the SOMNiBUS region-level test, adjusted for age. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed with ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). We compared the results obtained by SOMNiBUS and bumphunter. RESULTS Of 8268 CpG regions of ≥ 60 CpGs eligible for analysis with SOMNiBUS, we identified 131 DMRs and 125 differentially methylated genes (DMGs; p-values less than Bonferroni-corrected threshold of 6.05-06 controlling family-wise error rate at 0.05; 1.6% of the regions). In comparison, bumphunter identified 821,929 CpG regions, 599 DMRs (of which none had ≥ 60 CpGs) and 340 DMGs (q-value of 0.05; 0.04% of all regions). The top ranked gene identified by SOMNiBUS was FLT4, a lymphangiogenic orchestrator, and the top ranked gene on chromosome X was CHST7, known to catalyze the sulfation of glycosaminoglycans in the extracellular matrix. The top networks identified by IPA included connective tissue disorders. CONCLUSIONS SOMNiBUS is a complementary method of analyzing WGBS data that enhances biological insights into SSc and provides novel avenues of investigation into its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Y Yu
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Yixiao Zeng
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Kaiqiong Zhao
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Tianyuan Lu
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Kathleen Oros Klein
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Sainte Catherine, Montreal, H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Inés Colmegna
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Maximilien Lora
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | | | | | - Celia M T Greenwood
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Sainte Catherine, Montreal, H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Marie Hudson
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, H3A 0G4, Canada.
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Sainte Catherine, Montreal, H3T 1E2, Canada.
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Serum of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Patients with or without ME/CFS Differentially Affects Endothelial Cell Function In Vitro. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152376. [PMID: 35954219 PMCID: PMC9367589 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A proportion of COVID-19 reconvalescent patients develop post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) including a subgroup fulfilling diagnostic criteria of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PCS/CFS). Recently, endothelial dysfunction (ED) has been demonstrated in these patients, but the mechanisms remain elusive. Therefore, we investigated the effects of patients’ sera on endothelia cells (ECs) in vitro. PCS (n = 17), PCS/CFS (n = 13), and healthy controls (HC, n = 14) were screened for serum anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies (AECAs) and dysregulated cytokines. Serum-treated ECs were analysed for the induction of activation markers and the release of small molecules by flow cytometry. Moreover, the angiogenic potential of sera was measured in a tube formation assay. While only marginal differences between patient groups were observed for serum cytokines, AECA binding to ECs was significantly increased in PCS/CFS patients. Surprisingly, PCS and PCS/CFS sera reduced surface levels of several EC activation markers. PCS sera enhanced the release of molecules associated with vascular remodelling and significantly promoted angiogenesis in vitro compared to the PCS/CFS and HC groups. Additionally, sera from both patient cohorts induced the release of molecules involved in inhibition of nitric oxide-mediated endothelial relaxation. Overall, PCS and PCS/CFS patients′ sera differed in their AECA content and their functional effects on ECs, i.e., secretion profiles and angiogenic potential. We hypothesise a pro-angiogenic effect of PCS sera as a compensatory mechanism to ED which is absent in PCS/CFS patients.
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Didriksen H, Molberg Ø, Fretheim H, Gude E, Jordan S, Brunborg C, Palchevskiy V, Garen T, Midtvedt Ø, Andreassen AK, Distler O, Belperio J, Hoffmann-Vold AM. Association of Lymphangiogenic Factors With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Systemic Sclerosis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2021; 73:1277-1287. [PMID: 33497027 DOI: 10.1002/art.41665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a major complication in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a disease marked by vascular and lymphatic vessel abnormalities. This study was undertaken to assess the role of the lymphangiogenic factors vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) and the soluble forms of their respective cognate receptors, soluble VEGF receptor 3 (sVEGFR-3) and soluble TIE-2, in patients with SSc, and to evaluate their predictive ability as markers for PAH development in SSc. METHODS In this cohort study, we used multiplex bead assays to assess serum levels of lymphangiogenic factors in 2 well-characterized SSc cohorts: an unselected identification cohort of SSc patients from Oslo University Hospital (n = 371), and a PAH-enriched validation cohort of SSc patients from Zurich University Hospital and Oslo University Hospital (n = 149). As controls for the identification and validation cohorts, we obtained serum samples from 100 healthy individuals and 68 healthy individuals, respectively. Patients in whom SSc-related PAH was identified by right-sided heart catheterization (RHC) in both cohorts were studied in prediction analyses. PAH was defined according to the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society 2015 guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PAH. Associations of serum levels of lymphangiogenic factors with the risk of PAH development were assessed in logistic regression and Cox regression analyses. Associations in Cox regression analyses were expressed as the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS In the identification cohort, SSc patients had lower mean serum levels of VEGF-C and higher mean serum levels of Ang-2 compared to healthy controls (for VEGF-C, mean ± SD 2.1 ± 0.5 ng/ml in patients versus 2.5 ± 0.4 ng/ml in controls; for Ang-2, mean ± SD 6.1 ± 7.6 ng/ml in patients versus 2.8 ± 1.8 ng/ml in controls; each P < 0.001); these same trends were observed in SSc patients with PAH compared to those without PAH. The association of serum VEGF-C levels with SSc-PAH was confirmed in the PAH-enriched RHC validation cohort. For prediction analyses, we assembled all 251 cases of SSc-PAH identified by RHC from the identification and validation cohorts. In multivariable Cox regression analyses adjusted for age and sex, the mean serum levels of VEGF-C and sVEGFR-3 were predictive of PAH development in patients with SSc (for VEGF-C, HR 0.53 [95% CI 0.29-0.97], P = 0.04; for sVEGFR-3, HR 1.21 [95% CI 1.01-1.45], P = 0.042). CONCLUSION These findings support the notion that lymphangiogenesis is deregulated during PAH development in SSc, and indicate that VEGF-C could be a promising marker for early PAH detection in patients with SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Øyvind Molberg
- Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Einar Gude
- Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Torhild Garen
- Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
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Romano E, Rosa I, Fioretto BS, Lucattelli E, Innocenti M, Ibba-Manneschi L, Matucci-Cerinic M, Manetti M. A Two-Step Immunomagnetic Microbead-Based Method for the Isolation of Human Primary Skin Telocytes/CD34+ Stromal Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165877. [PMID: 32824287 PMCID: PMC7461544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telocytes (TCs), commonly referred to as TCs/CD34+ stromal cells, are a peculiar type of interstitial cells with distinctive morphologic traits that are supposed to exert several biological functions, including tissue homeostasis regulation, cell-to-cell signaling, immune surveillance, and reparative/regenerative effects. At present, the majority of studies investigating these cells are mainly descriptive and focus only on their morphology, with a consequent paucity of functional data. To gain relevant insight into the possible functions of TCs, in vitro analyses are clearly required, but currently, the protocols for TC isolation are only at the early stages and not fully standardized. In the present in vitro study, we describe a novel methodology for the purification of human primary skin TCs through a two-step immunomagnetic microbead-based cell separation (i.e., negative selection for CD31 followed by positive selection for CD34) capable of discriminating these cells from other connective tissue-resident cells on the basis of their different immunophenotypic features. Our experiments clearly demonstrated that the proposed method allows a selective purification of cells exhibiting the peculiar TC morphology. Isolated TCs displayed very long cytoplasmic extensions with a moniliform silhouette (telopodes) and presented an immunophenotypic profile (CD31−/CD34+/PDGFRα+/vimentin+) that unequivocally differentiates them from endothelial cells (CD31+/CD34+/PDGFRα−/vimentin+) and fibroblasts (CD31−/CD34−/PDGFRα+/vimentin+). This novel methodology for the isolation of TCs lays the groundwork for further research aimed at elucidating their functional properties and possible translational applications, especially in the field of regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloisa Romano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.R.); (B.S.F.); (M.M.-C.)
| | - Irene Rosa
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (L.I.-M.)
| | - Bianca Saveria Fioretto
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.R.); (B.S.F.); (M.M.-C.)
| | - Elena Lucattelli
- Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (M.I.)
| | - Marco Innocenti
- Plastic and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (M.I.)
| | - Lidia Ibba-Manneschi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (L.I.-M.)
| | - Marco Matucci-Cerinic
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (E.R.); (B.S.F.); (M.M.-C.)
| | - Mirko Manetti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy and Histology, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (I.R.); (L.I.-M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-055-2758077
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