Enhanced Th2 cell differentiation and allergen-induced airway inflammation in Zfp35-deficient mice

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals the pulmonary inflammation induced by inhalation of subway fine particles

People generally take the subway and inevitably inhale the fine particles (PM2.5) on subway platforms. This study revealed whether and how subway PM2.5 causes lung inflammation. Herein, the pulmonary inflammatory response to subway PM2.5 was observed in mice, manifesting as the inflammatory cells infiltration and collagen deposition in tissue, inflammatory cytokine enhancement in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and Toll-like receptors signal pathway activation in the lungs. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing unearthed subway PM2.5-induced cell-specific responses in the lungs. Twenty immune subsets were identified by the molecular and functional properties. Specific cell populations of CD4+ T and γδ T cells were regarded as the predominant sources of pneumonitis induced by subway PM2.5. Moreover, we demonstrated that the lung inflammatory injury was significantly more attenuated in Rag1-/- mice lacking functional T cells and B cells than that in wild type mice. We proved the slight inflammation of lung tissue in Rag1-/- mice may be dependent on monocytes and neutrophils by activation of the intracellular molecular network. This is the first experimental study on subway PM2.5 causing pulmonary inflammatory damage. It will set an alarm for people who usually travel by subway and efficient measures to reduce PM2.5 should be developed in subway stations.

Identification of CD8 + T-Cell-Immune Cell Communications in Ileal Crohn's Disease

INTRODUCTION

Crohn's disease (CD) is a major subtype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a spectrum of chronic intestinal disorders caused by dysregulated immune responses to gut microbiota. Although transcriptional and functional changes in a number of immune cell types have been implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD, the cellular interactions and signals that drive these changes have been less well-studied.

METHODS

We performed Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing on peripheral blood, colon, and ileal immune cells derived from healthy subjects and patients with CD. We applied a previously published computational approach, NicheNet, to predict immune cell types interacting with CD8 + T-cell subsets, revealing putative ligand-receptor pairs and key transcriptional changes downstream of these cell-cell communications.

RESULTS

As a number of recent studies have revealed a potential role for CD8 + T-cell subsets in the pathogenesis of IBD, we focused our analyses on identifying the interactions of CD8 + T-cell subsets with other immune cells in the intestinal tissue microenvironment. We identified ligands and signaling pathways that have implicated in IBD, such as interleukin-1β, supporting the validity of the approach, along with unexpected ligands, such as granzyme B, which may play previously unappreciated roles in IBD.

DISCUSSION

Overall, these findings suggest that future efforts focused on elucidating cell-cell communications among immune and nonimmune cell types may further our understanding of IBD pathogenesis.

Zinc finger protein 33B demonstrates sex interaction with atopy-related markers in childhood asthma

BACKGROUND

Sex differences related to immune responses can influence atopic manifestations in childhood asthma. While genome-wide association studies have investigated a sex-specific genetic architecture of the immune response, gene-by-sex interactions have not been extensively analysed for atopy-related markers including allergy skin tests, IgE and eosinophils in asthmatic children.

METHODS

We performed a genome-wide gene-by-sex interaction analysis for atopy-related markers using whole-genome sequencing data based on 889 trios from the Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (GACRS) and 284 trios from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). We also tested the findings in UK Biobank participants with self-reported childhood asthma. Furthermore, downstream analyses in GACRS integrated gene expression to disentangle observed associations.

RESULTS

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1255383 at 10q11.21 demonstrated a genome-wide significant gene-by-sex interaction (pinteraction=9.08×10-10) for atopy (positive skin test) with opposite direction of effects between females and males. In the UK Biobank participants with a history of childhood asthma, the signal was consistently observed with the same sex-specific effect directions for high eosinophil count (pinteraction=0.0058). Gene expression of ZNF33B (zinc finger protein 33B), located at 10q11.21, was moderately associated with atopy in girls, but not in boys.

CONCLUSIONS

We report SNPs in/near a zinc finger gene as novel sex-differential loci for atopy-related markers with opposite effect directions in females and males. A potential role for ZNF33B should be studied further as an important driver of sex-divergent features of atopy in childhood asthma.

Protein-Coding Genes in Euarchontoglires with Pseudogene Homologs in Humans

An original bioinformatics technique is developed to identify the protein-coding genes in rodents, lagomorphs and nonhuman primates that are pseudogenized in humans. The method is based on per-gene verification of local synteny, similarity of exon-intronic structures and orthology in a set of genomes. It is applicable to any genome set, even with the number of genomes exceeding 100, and efficiently implemented using fast computer software. Only 50 evolutionary recent human pseudogenes were predicted. Their functional homologs in model species are often associated with the immune system or digestion and mainly express in the testes. According to current evidence, knockout of most of these genes leads to an abnormal phenotype. Some genes were pseudogenized or lost independently in human and nonhuman hominoids.

The prevention of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced inflammation in atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice by Jawoongo

Background

Jawoongo is an herbal mixture used in traditional medicine to treat skin diseases. This study aimed to investigate whether Jawoongo ameliorates Atopic dermatitis (AD)-like pathology in mice and to understand its underlying cellular mechanisms.

Methods

AD was induced by 2, 4-Dinitrocholrlbenzene (DNCB) in BALB/c mice. Treatment with Jawoongo was assessed to study the effect of Jawoongo on AD in mice. Histological Analysis, blood analysis, RT-PCR, western blot analysis, ELISA assay and cell viability assay were performed to verify the inhibitory effect of Jawoongo on AD in mice.

Results

We found that application of Jawoongo in an ointment form on AD-like skin lesions on DNCB-exposed BALB/c mice reduced skin thickness and ameliorated skin infiltration with inflammatory cells, mast cells and CD4+ cells. The ointment also reduced the mRNA levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-13 and TNF-α in the sensitized skin. Leukocyte counts and the levels of IgE, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 were decreased in the blood of the DNCB-treated mice. Furthermore, studies on cultured cells demonstrated that Jawoongo exhibits anti-inflammatory activities, including the suppression of proinflammatory cytokine expression, nitric oxide (NO) production, and inflammation-associated molecule levels in numerous types of agonist-stimulated innate immune cell, including human mast cells (HMC-1), murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells, and splenocytes isolated from mice.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that Jawoongo alleviates DNCB-induced AD-like symptoms via the modulation of several inflammatory responses, indicating that Jawoongo might be a useful drug for the treatment of AD.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-018-2280-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gene-based analysis identified the gene ZNF248 is associated with late-onset asthma in African Americans

BACKGROUND

Late-onset asthma (LOA) has distinct characteristics and its pathogenesis might rely on unique pathways. Although current studies are focused primarily on childhood asthma, more research is needed to show the mechanisms underlying LOA.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct genomewide association analysis and gene-based analysis to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms and genes associated with LOA.

METHODS

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) observational cohort and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) were used to identify subjects with LOA. The association between LOA and body mass index and smoking was evaluated. In the discovery stage of the genetic analysis, 1,218 African American subjects from WHI with genotype data (271 cases and 947 controls) were used for single-nucleotide polymorphism and gene-based association analyses. Significant or suggestive results were subsequently investigated in an independent African American population from MESA (38 cases and 806 controls).

RESULTS

In WHI, the relative odds for LOA in obese vs normal-weight subjects was 2.55 (95% confidence interval 1.74-3.76). Ever smokers also had greater odds for LOA compared with never smokers (odds ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.21-2.09). The same trends were observed in MESA. In WHI, 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with LOA at a genomewide-suggestive significance level (P < 1.0 × 10(-5)). The gene ZNF248 was associated with LOA and reached genomewide significance (P = 4.0 × 10(-7)). In MESA, the association between ZNF248 and LOA was successfully replicated (P = .015).

CONCLUSION

Smoking and obesity are risk factors for LOA. ZNF248 confers increased susceptibility to LOA in African Americans.

Inhaled corticosteroid treatment modulates ZNF432 gene variant's effect on bronchodilator response in asthmatics

BACKGROUND

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence a patient's response to inhaled corticosteroids and β2-agonists, and the effect of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is synergistic with the effect of β2-agonists. We hypothesized that use of inhaled corticosteroids could influence the effect of SNPs associated with a bronchodilator response.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether, among subjects with asthma, the association of SNPs with bronchodilator response is different between those treated with inhaled corticosteroids versus those on placebo.

METHODS

A genome-wide association analysis was conducted by using 581 white subjects from the Childhood Asthma Management Program. By using data for 449,540 SNPs, we conducted a gene by environment analysis in PLINK with inhaled corticosteroid treatment as the environmental exposure and bronchodilator response as the outcome measure. We attempted to replicate the top 12 SNPs in the Leukotriene Modifier or Corticosteroid or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol Trial.

RESULTS

The combined P value for the Childhood Asthma Management Program and Leukotriene Modifier or Corticosteroid or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol Trial populations was 4.8 × 10(-8) for rs3752120, which is located in the zinc finger protein gene ZNF432 and has an unknown function.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhaled corticosteroids appear to modulate the association of bronchodilator response with variant(s) in the ZNF432 gene among adults and children with asthma.

Reciprocal regulation of Rag expression in thymocytes by the zinc-finger proteins, Zfp608 and Zfp609

Recombination-activating gene 1 (Rag1) and Rag2 enzymes are required for T cell receptor assembly and thymocyte development. The mechanisms underlying the transcriptional activation and repression of Rag1 and Rag2 are incompletely understood. The zinc-finger protein, Zfp608, represses Rag1 and Rag2 expression when expressed in thymocytes blocking T-cell maturation. Here we show that the related zinc-finger protein, Zfp609, is necessary for Rag1 and Rag2 expression in developing thymocytes. Zfp608 represses Rag1 and Rag2 expression indirectly by repressing the expression of Zfp609. Thus, the balance of Zfp608 and Zfp609 plays a critical role in regulating Rag1 and Rag2 expression, which may manifest itself not only during development of immature thymocytes into mature T cells but also in generation of the T-cell arm of the adaptive immune system, which does not fully develop until after birth.

Two-photon microscopy in pulmonary research

As the lung is constantly exposed to both innocuous and potentially noxious antigens, a thorough understanding of both innate and adaptive immune responses in this organ is of the essence. Imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and confocal microscopy have expanded our knowledge about various molecular processes and cellular responses in the lung. Two-photon microscopy has evolved into a powerful tool to observe cellular interactions in real time and has markedly expanded our understanding of the immune system. Recently, two-photon microscopy has also been utilized to image the murine lung. As immune responses in the lung differ from those in other non-lymphoid tissues, this technique holds great promise to advance our knowledge of the biology that underlies a wide spectrum of pulmonary diseases.