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Barbosa A, Azevedo NF, Goeres DM, Cerqueira L. Ecology of Legionella pneumophila biofilms: The link between transcriptional activity and the biphasic cycle. Biofilm 2024; 7:100196. [PMID: 38601816 PMCID: PMC11004079 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2024.100196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
There has been considerable discussion regarding the environmental life cycle of Legionella pneumophila and its virulence potential in natural and man-made water systems. On the other hand, the bacterium's morphogenetic mechanisms within host cells (amoeba and macrophages) have been well documented and are linked to its ability to transition from a non-virulent, replicative state to an infectious, transmissive state. Although the morphogenetic mechanisms associated with the formation and detachment of the L. pneumophila biofilm have also been described, the capacity of the bacteria to multiply extracellularly is not generally accepted. However, several studies have shown genetic pathways within the biofilm that resemble intracellular mechanisms. Understanding the functionality of L. pneumophila cells within a biofilm is fundamental for assessing the ecology and evaluating how the biofilm architecture influences L. pneumophila survival and persistence in water systems. This manuscript provides an overview of the biphasic cycle of L. pneumophila and its implications in associated intracellular mechanisms in amoeba. It also examines the molecular pathways and gene regulation involved in L. pneumophila biofilm formation and dissemination. A holistic analysis of the transcriptional activities in L. pneumophila biofilms is provided, combining the information of intracellular mechanisms in a comprehensive outline. Furthermore, this review discusses the techniques that can be used to study the morphogenetic states of the bacteria within biofilms, at the single cell and population levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Barbosa
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno F. Azevedo
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Darla M. Goeres
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Laura Cerqueira
- LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE – Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
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Chen T, Zhang L, Huang W, Zong H, Li Q, Zheng Y, Lv Q, Kong D, Ren Y, Jiang Y, Li Y, Liu P. Detection of Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Approach. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:923-936. [PMID: 36814827 PMCID: PMC9939671 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s397755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The early identification of pathogens and their antibiotic resistance are essential for the management and treatment of patients affected by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, microbiological culture may be time-consuming and has a limited culturability of many potential pathogens. In this study, we developed a rapid nanopore-based metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) diagnostic assay for detection of VAP pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Patients and Methods Endotracheal aspirate (ETA) samples from 63 patients with suspected VAP were collected between November 2021 and July 2022. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were established to compare the pathogen identification performance of the target pathogen reads, reads percent of microbes (RPM) and relative abundance (RA). The evaluation of the accuracy of mNGS was performed comparing with the gold standard and the composite standard, respectively. Then, the ARGs were analyzed by mNGS. Results ROC curves showed that RA has the highest diagnostic value and the corresponding threshold was 9.93%. The sensitivity and specificity of mNGS test were 91.3% and 78.3%, respectively, based on the gold standard, while the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS test were 97.4% and 100%, respectively, based on the composite standard. A total of 13 patients were virus-positive based on mNGS results, while the coinfection rate increased from 27% to 46% compared to the rate obtained based on clinical findings. The mNGS test also performed well at predicting antimicrobial resistance phenotypes. Patients with a late-onset VAP had a significantly greater proportion of ARGs in their respiratory microbiome compared to those with early-onset VAP (P = 0.041). Moreover, the median turnaround time of mNGS was 4.43 h, while routine culture was 72.00 h. Conclusion In this study, we developed a workflow that can accurately detect VAP pathogens and enable prediction of antimicrobial resistance phenotypes within 5 h of sample receipt by mNGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Chen
- The PLA 307 Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenhua Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huijun Zong
- The PLA 307 Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuling Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingyu Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Decong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuhao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongqiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- The PLA 307 Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China,Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Yan Li, The PLA 307 Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Peng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Peng Liu, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Dongdajie Road 20, Beijing, 100071, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-010-66948487, Email
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Evaluation of a Most Probable Number Method for Detection and Quantification of Legionella pneumophila. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11070789. [PMID: 35890033 PMCID: PMC9324539 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070789] [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: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection and enumeration of Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) in water is crucial for water quality management, human health and has been a research hotspot worldwide. Due to the time-consuming and complicated operation of the plate culture method, it is necessary to adopt a fast and effective method for application. The present study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the performance and applicability of the MPN method by comparing its qualitative and quantitative results with the GB/T 18204.5-2013 and ISO methods, respectively. The qualitative results showed that 372 samples (53%) were negative for both methods; 315 samples (45%) were positively determined by the MPN method, compared with 211 samples (30%) using GB/T 18204.5-2013. The difference in the detection rate between the two methods was statistically significant. In addition, the quantitative results showed that the concentration of L. pneumophila by the MPN method was greater than ISO 11731 and the difference was statistically significant. However, the two methods were different but highly correlated (r = 0.965, p < 0.001). The specificity and sensitivity of the MPN method were 89.85% and 95.73%, respectively. Overall, the results demonstrated that the MPN method has higher sensitivity, a simple operation process and good application prospects in the routine monitoring of L. pneumophila from water samples.
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Chronic Pesticide Exposure in Farm Workers Is Associated with the Epigenetic Modulation of hsa-miR-199a-5p. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19127018. [PMID: 35742265 PMCID: PMC9222590 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The increasing use of pesticides in intensive agriculture has had a negative impact on human health. It was widely demonstrated how pesticides can induce different genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with the development of different diseases, including tumors and neurological disorders. Therefore, the identification of effective indicators for the prediction of harmful pesticide exposure is mandatory. In this context, the aim of the study was to evaluate the modification of hsa-miR-199a-5p expression levels in liquid biopsy samples obtained from healthy donors and farm workers with chronic exposure to pesticides. For this purpose, the high-sensitive droplet digital PCR assay (ddPCR) was used to detect variation in the expression levels of the selected microRNA (miRNA). The ddPCR analyses revealed a significant down-regulation of hsa-miR-199a-5p observed in individuals exposed to pesticides compared to control samples highlighting the good predictive value of this miRNA as demonstrated by statistical analyses. Overall, the obtained results encourage the analysis of miRNAs as predictive biomarkers of chronic pesticide exposure thus improving the current strategies for the monitoring of harmful pesticide exposure.
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Paruch L. Molecular Diagnostic Tools Applied for Assessing Microbial Water Quality. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5128. [PMID: 35564522 PMCID: PMC9105083 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbial water quality is of vital importance for human, animal, and environmental health. Notably, pathogenically contaminated water can result in serious health problems, such as waterborne outbreaks, which have caused huge economic and social losses. In this context, the prompt detection of microbial contamination becomes essential to enable early warning and timely reaction with proper interventions. Recently, molecular diagnostics have been increasingly employed for the rapid and robust assessment of microbial water quality implicated by various microbial pollutants, e.g., waterborne pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), imposing the most critical health threats to humans and the environment. Continuous technological advances have led to constant improvements and expansions of molecular methods, such as conventional end-point PCR, DNA microarray, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), multiplex qPCR (mqPCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), and high-throughput next-generation DNA sequencing (HT-NGS). These state-of-the-art molecular approaches largely facilitate the surveillance of microbial water quality in diverse aquatic systems and wastewater. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the advancement of the key molecular tools frequently employed for microbial water quality assessment, with future perspectives on their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Paruch
- Division of Environment and Natural Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research-NIBIO Oluf Thesens vei 43, 1433 Aas, Norway
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Yin X, Chen YZ, Ye QQ, Liao LJ, Cai ZR, Lin M, Li JN, Zhang GB, Peng XL, Shi WF, Guo XG. Detection performance of PCR for Legionella pneumophila in environmental samples: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2022; 21:12. [PMID: 35303873 PMCID: PMC8934000 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-022-00503-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Legionellosis remains a public health problem. The most common diagnostic method to detect Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is culture. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fast and accurate method for this detection in environmental samples. Methods Four databases were searched for studies that evaluated the detection efficiency of PCR in L. pneumophila. The quality evaluation was conducted using Review Manager 5.3. We used Meta-DiSc 1.4 software and the Stata 15.0 software to create forest plots, a meta-regression, a bivariate boxplot and a Deeks’ funnel plot. Results A total of 18 four-fold tables from 16 studies were analysed. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity of PCR was 94% and 72%, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio (RLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) was 2.73 and 0.12, respectively. The result of the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 22.85 and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.7884. Conclusion Establishing a laboratory diagnostic tool for L. pneumophila detection is important for epidemiological studies. In this work, PCR demonstrated a promising diagnostic accuracy for L. pneumophila. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12941-022-00503-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The Pediatrics School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510182, China
| | - Ying-Zhou Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.,Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Qi-Qing Ye
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The Pediatrics School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510182, China
| | - Li-Juan Liao
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The First Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Zhuo-Rui Cai
- Department of Preventive Medicine, The School of Public Health of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Min Lin
- Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Clinical Medicine, The Clinical School of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Jia-Na Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Second Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Geng-Biao Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Second Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Xiao-Li Peng
- Department of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Clinical Medicine, The Clinical School of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Wen-Fang Shi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Third Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Xu-Guang Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China. .,Department of Clinical Medicine, The Third Clinical School of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China. .,Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China. .,Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.
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Gattuso G, Rizzo R, Lavoro A, Spoto V, Porciello G, Montagnese C, Cinà D, Cosentino A, Lombardo C, Mezzatesta ML, Salmeri M. Overview of the Clinical and Molecular Features of Legionella Pneumophila: Focus on Novel Surveillance and Diagnostic Strategies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030370. [PMID: 35326833 PMCID: PMC8944609 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is one of the most threatening nosocomial pathogens. The implementation of novel and more effective surveillance and diagnostic strategies is mandatory to prevent the occurrence of legionellosis outbreaks in hospital environments. On these bases, the present review is aimed to describe the main clinical and molecular features of L. pneumophila focusing attention on the latest findings on drug resistance mechanisms. In addition, a detailed description of the current guidelines for the disinfection and surveillance of the water systems is also provided. Finally, the diagnostic strategies available for the detection of Legionella spp. were critically reviewed, paying the attention to the description of the culture, serological and molecular methods as well as on the novel high-sensitive nucleic acid amplification systems, such as droplet digital PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Roberta Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Alessandro Lavoro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Vincenzoleo Spoto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Porciello
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Concetta Montagnese
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Diana Cinà
- Health Management of the “Cannizzaro” Emergency Hospital of Catania, 95126 Catania, Italy;
- Clinical Pathology and Clinical Molecular Biology Unit, “Garibaldi Centro” Hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Alessia Cosentino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Cinzia Lombardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Maria Lina Mezzatesta
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Mario Salmeri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-478-1244
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Du J, Ma B, Li J, Wang Y, Dou T, Xu S, Zhang M. Rapid Detection and Differentiation of Legionella pneumophila and Non-Legionella pneumophila Species by Using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Combined With EuNPs-Based Lateral Flow Immunochromatography. Front Chem 2022; 9:815189. [PMID: 35198541 PMCID: PMC8859533 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.815189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella, a waterborne pathogen, is the main cause of Legionnaires’ disease. Therefore, timely and accurate detection and differentiation of Legionella pneumophila and non-Legionella pneumophila species is crucial. In this study, we develop an easy and rapid recombinase polymerase amplification assay combined with EuNPs-based lateral flow immunochromatography (EuNPs-LFIC-RPA) to specifically distinguish Legionella pneumophila and non-Legionella pneumophila. We designed primers based on the mip gene of Legionella pneumophila and the 5S rRNA gene of non-Legionella pneumophila. The recombinase polymerase amplification reaction could go to completion in 10 min at 37°C, and the amplification products could be detected within 5 min with EuNPs-LFIC strips. Using a florescent test strip reader, the quantitative results were achieved by reading the colored signal intensities on the strips. The sensitivity was 1.6 × 101 CFU/ml, and a linear standard linear curve plotted from the test strip reader had a correlation coefficient for the determination of Legionella pneumophila (R2 = 0.9516). Completed concordance for the presence or absence of Legionella pneumophila by EuNPs-LFIC-RPA and qPCR was 97.32% (κ = 0.79, 95% CI), according to an analysis of practical water samples (n = 112). In short, this work shows the feasibility of EuNPs-LFIC-RPA for efficient and rapid monitoring of Legionella pneumophila and non-Legionella pneumophila in water samples.
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Logan-Jackson A, Rose JB. Cooccurrence of Five Pathogenic Legionella spp. and Two Free-Living Amoebae Species in a Complete Drinking Water System and Cooling Towers. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111407. [PMID: 34832563 PMCID: PMC8619718 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic Legionella species grow optimally inside free-living amoebae to concentrations that increase risks to those who are exposed. The aim of this study was to screen a complete drinking water system and cooling towers for the occurrence of Acanthamoeba spp. and Naegleria fowleri and their cooccurrence with Legionella pneumophila, Legionella anisa, Legionella micdadei, Legionella bozemanii, and Legionella longbeachae. A total of 42 large-volume water samples, including 12 from the reservoir (water source), 24 from two buildings (influents to the buildings and exposure sites (taps)), and six cooling towers were collected and analyzed using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). N. fowleri cooccurred with L. micdadei in 76 (32/42) of the water samples. In the building water system, the concentrations of N. fowleri and L. micdadei ranged from 1.5 to 1.6 Log10 gene copies (GC)/100 mL, but the concentrations of species increased in the cooling towers. The data obtained in this study illustrate the ecology of pathogenic Legionella species in taps and cooling towers. Investigating Legionella’s ecology in drinking and industrial waters will hopefully lead to better control of these pathogenic species in drinking water supply systems and cooling towers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alshae Logan-Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Joan B. Rose
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
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Kim KB, Choi H, Lee GD, Lee J, Lee S, Kim Y, Cho SY, Lee DG, Kim M. Analytical and Clinical Performance of Droplet Digital PCR in the Detection and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 25:617-628. [PMID: 34319580 PMCID: PMC8316104 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-021-00547-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Since the initial coronavirus disease outbreak in late 2019 (COVID-19), reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become the gold standard test to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, a more sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool was required. Therefore, droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) was suggested as an alternative method. Here, we evaluated the performance of ddPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 and compared it to the performance of RT-qPCR. METHODS The analytical performances, including limit of blank and limit of detection, were established using positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 reference materials. A total of 366 RNA extracts (173 positive and 193 negative by RT-qPCR) were collected from four institutions and tested with a Bio-Rad SARS-CoV-2 ddPCR kit that detects the SARS-CoV-2 genome using primers for N1 and N2. RESULTS Limit of blank was set at 0, and the limits of detection of N1 and N2 were 1.99 copies/μL and 5.18 copies/μL, respectively. Linearity was evaluated using serial dilution samples, which demonstrated good results (R2: 0.999, linear range: 5.88-6825.25 copies/μL for N1 and R2: 0.999, 5.53-5855.47 copies/μL for N2). The results of ddPCR and RT-qPCR revealed substantial agreement (Cohen's kappa: 0.639, p < 0.01). The 63 samples with positive ddPCR but negative RT-qPCR showed low copy numbers, and 55% of them had COVID-19-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction demonstrated excellent sensitivity for SARS-Cov-2 detection and consistently agreed with the results from conventional RT-qPCR. Furthermore, ddPCR provided quantitative data that can be used to monitor changes in the viral load of patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Bo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hayoung Choi
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun Dong Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewoong Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungok Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonggoo Kim
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Yeon Cho
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Gun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myungshin Kim
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Stella M, Falzone L, Caponnetto A, Gattuso G, Barbagallo C, Battaglia R, Mirabella F, Broggi G, Altieri R, Certo F, Caltabiano R, Barbagallo GMV, Musumeci P, Ragusa M, Pietro CD, Libra M, Purrello M, Barbagallo D. Serum Extracellular Vesicle-Derived circHIPK3 and circSMARCA5 Are Two Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers for Glioblastoma Multiforme. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14070618. [PMID: 34198978 PMCID: PMC8308516 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent and deadly human brain cancer. Early diagnosis through non-invasive biomarkers may render GBM more easily treatable, improving the prognosis of this currently incurable disease. We suggest the use of serum extracellular vesicle (sEV)-derived circular RNAs (circRNAs) as highly stable minimally invasive diagnostic biomarkers for GBM diagnosis. EVs were isolated by size exclusion chromatography from sera of 23 GBM and 5 grade 3 glioma (GIII) patients, and 10 unaffected controls (UC). The expression of two candidate circRNAs (circSMARCA5 and circHIPK3) was assayed by droplet digital PCR. CircSMARCA5 and circHIPK3 were significantly less abundant in sEVs from GBM patients with respect to UC (fold-change (FC) of -2.15 and -1.92, respectively) and GIII (FC of -1.75 and -1.4, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, based on the expression of sEV-derived circSMARCA5 and circHIPK3, allowed us to distinguish GBM from UC (area under the curve (AUC) 0.823 (0.667-0.979) and 0.855 (0.704 to 1.000), with a 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively). Multivariable ROC analysis, performed by combining the expression of sEV-derived circSMARCA5 and circHIPK3 with preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte (PLR) and lymphocyte to monocyte (LMR) ratios, three known diagnostic and prognostic GBM markers, allowed an improvement in the GBM diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.901 (0.7912 to 1.000), 95% CI). Our data suggest sEV-derived circSMARCA5 and circHIPK3 as good diagnostic biomarkers for GBM, especially when associated with preoperative NLR, PLR and LMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Stella
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Luca Falzone
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (L.F.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Angela Caponnetto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (L.F.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
| | - Cristina Barbagallo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Rosalia Battaglia
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Federica Mirabella
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Broggi
- Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Roberto Altieri
- Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, Neurological Surgery, Policlinico “Rodolico-San Marco” University Hospital, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (R.A.); (F.C.); (G.M.V.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Certo
- Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, Neurological Surgery, Policlinico “Rodolico-San Marco” University Hospital, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (R.A.); (F.C.); (G.M.V.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosario Caltabiano
- Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Maria Vincenzo Barbagallo
- Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, Neurological Surgery, Policlinico “Rodolico-San Marco” University Hospital, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (R.A.); (F.C.); (G.M.V.B.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Paolo Musumeci
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
| | - Marco Ragusa
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Cinzia Di Pietro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pathology, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (L.F.); (G.G.); (M.L.)
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Michele Purrello
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Barbagallo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (M.S.); (A.C.); (C.B.); (R.B.); (F.M.); (M.R.); (C.D.P.); (M.P.)
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Tumors, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0953782089
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12
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Falzone L, Gattuso G, Tsatsakis A, Spandidos DA, Libra M. Current and innovative methods for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection (Review). Int J Mol Med 2021; 47:100. [PMID: 33846767 PMCID: PMC8043662 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has forced the scientific community to rapidly develop highly reliable diagnostic methods in order to effectively and accurately diagnose this pathology, thus limiting the spread of infection. Although the structural and molecular characteristics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) were initially unknown, various diagnostic strategies useful for making a correct diagnosis of COVID‑19 have been rapidly developed by private research laboratories and biomedical companies. At present, rapid antigen or antibody tests, immunoenzymatic serological tests and molecular tests based on RT‑PCR are the most widely used and validated techniques worldwide. Apart from these conventional methods, other techniques, including isothermal nucleic acid amplification techniques, clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas (CRISPR/Cas)‑based approaches or digital PCR methods are currently used in research contexts or are awaiting approval for diagnostic use by competent authorities. In order to provide guidance for the correct use of COVID‑19 diagnostic tests, the present review describes the diagnostic strategies available which may be used for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection in both clinical and research settings. In particular, the technical and instrumental characteristics of the diagnostic methods used are described herein. In addition, updated and detailed information about the type of sample, the modality and the timing of use of specific tests are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute-IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', I-80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I-95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I-95123 Catania, Italy
- Research Center for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Tumors, University of Catania, I-95123 Catania, Italy
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13
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Falzone L, Gattuso G, Tsatsakis A, Spandidos DA, Libra M. Current and innovative methods for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection (Review). Int J Mol Med 2021. [PMID: 33846767 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4933/html] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has forced the scientific community to rapidly develop highly reliable diagnostic methods in order to effectively and accurately diagnose this pathology, thus limiting the spread of infection. Although the structural and molecular characteristics of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) were initially unknown, various diagnostic strategies useful for making a correct diagnosis of COVID‑19 have been rapidly developed by private research laboratories and biomedical companies. At present, rapid antigen or antibody tests, immunoenzymatic serological tests and molecular tests based on RT‑PCR are the most widely used and validated techniques worldwide. Apart from these conventional methods, other techniques, including isothermal nucleic acid amplification techniques, clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas (CRISPR/Cas)‑based approaches or digital PCR methods are currently used in research contexts or are awaiting approval for diagnostic use by competent authorities. In order to provide guidance for the correct use of COVID‑19 diagnostic tests, the present review describes the diagnostic strategies available which may be used for the diagnosis of COVID‑19 infection in both clinical and research settings. In particular, the technical and instrumental characteristics of the diagnostic methods used are described herein. In addition, updated and detailed information about the type of sample, the modality and the timing of use of specific tests are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute‑IRCCS 'Fondazione G. Pascale', I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
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14
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Fallico M, Raciti G, Longo A, Reibaldi M, Bonfiglio V, Russo A, Caltabiano R, Gattuso G, Falzone L, Avitabile T. Current molecular and clinical insights into uveal melanoma (Review). Int J Oncol 2021; 58:10. [PMID: 33649778 PMCID: PMC7910016 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2021.5190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) represents the most prominent primary eye cancer in adults. With an incidence of approximately 5 cases per million individuals annually in the United States, UM could be considered a relatively rare cancer. The 90-95% of UM cases arise from the choroid. Diagnosis is based mainly on a clinical examination and ancillary tests, with ocular ultrasonography being of greatest value. Differential diagnosis can prove challenging in the case of indeterminate choroidal lesions and, sometimes, monitoring for documented growth may be the proper approach. Fine needle aspiration biopsy tends to be performed with a prognostic purpose, often in combination with radiotherapy. Gene expression profiling has allowed for the grading of UMs into two classes, which feature different metastatic risks. Patients with UM require a specialized multidisciplinary management. Primary tumor treatment can be either enucleation or globe preserving. Usually, enucleation is reserved for larger tumors, while radiotherapy is preferred for small/medium melanomas. The prognosis is unfavorable due to the high mortality rate and high tendency to metastasize. Following the development of metastatic disease, the mortality rate increases to 80% within one year, due to both the absence of an effective treatment and the aggressiveness of the condition. Novel molecular studies have allowed for a better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms involved in UM biological activity, which differs compared to skin melanomas. The most commonly mutated genes are GNAQ, GNA11 and BAP1. Research in this field could help to identify effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Fallico
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Raciti
- Department of Drug Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Catania, I‑95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Longo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Michele Reibaldi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Eye Clinic Section, University of Turin, I‑10122 Turin, Italy
| | - Vincenza Bonfiglio
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, Ophthalmology Section, University of Palermo, I‑90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Russo
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosario Caltabiano
- Department 'G.F. Ingrassia', Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione G. Pascale', I‑80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Teresio Avitabile
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Catania, I‑95123 Catania, Italy
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15
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Crimi S, Falzone L, Gattuso G, Grillo CM, Candido S, Bianchi A, Libra M. Droplet Digital PCR Analysis of Liquid Biopsy Samples Unveils the Diagnostic Role of hsa-miR-133a-3p and hsa-miR-375-3p in Oral Cancer. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9110379. [PMID: 33172167 PMCID: PMC7694750 DOI: 10.3390/biology9110379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite the availability of screening programs, oral cancer is often diagnosed due to the lack of effective biomarkers. Therefore, the identification of new effective diagnostic and late prognostic biomarkers is of fundamental importance for the management of this tumor type. In our previous computational study, we have identified a set of microRNAs (miRNAs) significantly dysregulated in oral cancer and with a potential diagnostic and prognostic significance for oral cancer patients. Starting from our preliminary bioinformatics results, the aim of the present study was to validate the diagnostic potential of four selected miRNAs, hsa-miR-133a-3p, hsa-miR-375-3p, hsa-miR-503-5p and hsa-miR-196a-5p, in liquid biopsy samples obtained from oral cancer patients and healthy donors. For this purpose, the expression levels of the selected miRNAs were determined in plasma samples by using specific miRNA probes and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). The ddPCR results showed that the hsa-miR-133a-3p and hsa-miR-375-3p were significantly down-regulated in oral cancer and their evaluation in liquid biopsy samples can predict the risk of oral cancer development with high sensitivity and specificity. Finally, the computational analysis of miRNA expression and clinical-pathological features of patients allowed us to establish the functional role and prognostic significance of the two validated miRNAs. Abstract Despite the availability of screening programs, oral cancer deaths are increasing due to the lack of diagnostic biomarkers leading to late diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover novel effective biomarkers for this tumor. On these bases, the aim of this study was to validate the diagnostic potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) through the analysis of liquid biopsy samples obtained from ten oral cancer patients and ten healthy controls. The expression of four selected miRNAs was evaluated by using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in a pilot cohort of ten oral cancer patients and ten healthy donors. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to assess the functional role of these miRNAs. The expression levels of the predicted down-regulated hsa-miR-133a-3p and hsa-miR-375-3p were significantly reduced in oral cancer patients compared to normal individuals while no significant results were obtained for the up-regulated hsa-miR-503-5p and hsa-miR-196a-5p. ROC analysis confirmed the high sensitivity and specificity of hsa-miR-375-3p and hsa-miR-133a-3p. Therefore, both miRNAs are significantly down-regulated in cancer patients and can be used as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of oral cancer. The analysis of circulating miRNAs in a larger series of patients is mandatory to confirm the results obtained in this pilot study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Crimi
- Department of General Surgery, Section of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Policlinico San Marco, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-478-1271
| | - Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (S.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Caterina Maria Grillo
- Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (S.C.); (M.L.)
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Alberto Bianchi
- Department of General Surgery, Section of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Policlinico San Marco, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (S.C.); (M.L.)
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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