1
|
Zeinelabdeen Y, Abaza T, Yasser MB, Elemam NM, Youness RA. MIAT LncRNA: A multifunctional key player in non-oncological pathological conditions. Noncoding RNA Res 2024; 9:447-462. [PMID: 38511054 PMCID: PMC10950597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The discovery of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has unveiled a wide range of transcripts that do not encode proteins but play key roles in several cellular and molecular processes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are specific class of ncRNAs that are longer than 200 nucleotides and have gained significant attention due to their diverse mechanisms of action and potential involvement in various pathological conditions. In the current review, the authors focus on the role of lncRNAs, specifically highlighting the Myocardial Infarction Associated Transcript (MIAT), in non-oncological context. MIAT is a nuclear lncRNA that has been directly linked to myocardial infarction and is reported to control post-transcriptional processes as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) molecule. It interacts with microRNAs (miRNAs), thereby limiting the translation and expression of their respective target messenger RNA (mRNA) and regulating protein expression. Yet, MIAT has been implicated in other numerous pathological conditions such as other cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, and many others. In this review, the authors emphasize that MIAT exhibits distinct expression patterns and functions across different pathological conditions and is emerging as potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic agent. Additionally, the authors highlight the regulatory role of MIAT and shed light on the involvement of lncRNAs and specifically MIAT in various non-oncological pathological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yousra Zeinelabdeen
- Molecular Genetics Research Team, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Faculty of Medical Sciences/UMCG, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, the Netherlands
| | - Tasneem Abaza
- Molecular Genetics Research Team, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Biotechnology and Biomolecular Biochemistry Program, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Montaser Bellah Yasser
- Bioinformatics Group, Center for Informatics Sciences (CIS), School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS), Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rana A. Youness
- Molecular Genetics Research Team, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Assal RA, Elemam NM, Mekky RY, Attia AA, Soliman AH, Gomaa AI, Efthimiadou EK, Braoudaki M, Fahmy SA, Youness RA. A Novel Epigenetic Strategy to Concurrently Block Immune Checkpoints PD-1/PD-L1 and CD155/TIGIT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 45:101961. [PMID: 38631259 PMCID: PMC11040172 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment is an intricate web of stromal and immune cells creating an immune suppressive cordon around the tumor. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Tumor microenvironment is a formidable barrier towards novel immune therapeutic approaches recently evading the oncology field. In this study, the main aim was to identify the intricate immune evasion tactics mediated by HCC cells and to study the epigenetic modulation of the immune checkpoints; Programmed death-1 (PD-1)/ Programmed death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT)/Cluster of Differentiation 155 (CD155) at the tumor-immune synapse. Thus, liver tissues, PBMCs and sera were collected from Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), HCC as well as healthy individuals. Screening was performed to PD-L1/PD-1 and CD155/TIGIT axes in HCC patients. PDL1, CD155, PD-1 and TIGIT were found to be significantly upregulated in liver tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HCC patients. An array of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs validated to regulate such immune checkpoints were screened. The lncRNAs; CCAT-1, H19, and MALAT-1 were all significantly upregulated in the sera, PBMCs, and tissues of HCC patients as compared to HCV patients and healthy controls. However, miR-944-5p, miR-105-5p, miR-486-5p, miR-506-5p, and miR-30a-5p were downregulated in the sera and liver tissues of HCC patients. On the tumor cell side, knocking down of lncRNAs-CCAT-1, MALAT-1, or H19-markedly repressed the co-expression of PD-L1 and CD155 and accordingly induced the cytotoxicity of co-cultured primary immune cells. On the immune side, ectopic expression of the under-expressed microRNAs; miR-486-5p, miR-506-5p, and miR-30a-5p significantly decreased the transcript levels of PD-1 in PBMCs with no effect on TIGIT. On the other hand, ectopic expression of miR-944-5p and miR-105-5p in PBMCs dramatically reduced the co-expression of PD-1 and TIGIT. Finally, all studied miRNAs enhanced the cytotoxic effects of PBMCs against Huh7 cells. However, miR-105-5p showed the highest augmentation for PBMCs cytotoxicity against HCC cells. In conclusion, this study highlights a novel co-targeting strategy using miR-105-5p mimics, MALAT-1, CCAT-1 and H19 siRNAs to efficiently hampers the immune checkpoints; PD-L1/PD-1 and CD155/TIGIT immune evasion properties in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reem A Assal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Cairo-Ismailia Desert Road, 11785, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Radwa Y Mekky
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA University), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Abdelrahman A Attia
- General Surgery Department, Ain Shams University, Demerdash Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Aya Hesham Soliman
- Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Ibrahim Gomaa
- Department of Hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Eleni K Efthimiadou
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Braoudaki
- Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical, and Biological Science, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Sherif Ashraf Fahmy
- Chemistry Department, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, New Administrative Capital, 11835, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rana A Youness
- Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), New Administrative Capital, 11835, Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Al Shehhi YI, Elemam NM, Alsaegh MA. The response of salivary proinflammatory biomarkers to tooth extraction in individuals with type II diabetes mellitus. BMC Oral Health 2024; 24:250. [PMID: 38373910 PMCID: PMC10875873 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04006-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the levels of salivary proinflammatory cytokines in the saliva of patients living with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to those in healthy individuals three times: before tooth extraction and at 2 hours and 2 days after tooth extraction. METHODS The study included 27 participants. Among them, 20 (n = 20; 74%) had type II DM, and seven (n = 7; 26%) were healthy control subjects. Saliva samples were collected at three time intervals: before tooth extraction and 2 hours and 2 days after tooth extraction. The salivary biomarkers were investigated using a Luminex multiplex assay. These salivary biomarkers included tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). RESULTS At baseline, patients with type II DM had significantly lower levels of IL-1β (P = 0.016). Moreover, 2 hours after extraction, patients with type II DM had significantly lower levels of IL-1β and TNF-α than did healthy control subjects (P = 0.046 and P = 0.020, respectively). In addition, 2 days after tooth extraction, the DM group had significantly greater IL-6 levels (P = 0.010) than the control group. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type II DM, salivary proinflammatory biomarker levels are generally comparable or lower than those in healthy control subjects. Proinflammatory cytokines manifest differently in patients with type II DM after tooth extraction than in normal healthy individuals. There is generally a delayed early response of salivary proinflammatory markers in patients living with type II DM who undergo tooth extraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yousuf Ibrahim Al Shehhi
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Mohammed Amjed Alsaegh
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mousa NA, Hussein A, Elemam NM, Mohammed G, Elwany M, Basha T, AlHammadi AA, Majzob RS, Talaat IM. Are embryonic stem cell markers and ALDH1A1 relevant in the context of breast cancer estrogen positivity? Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7004. [PMID: 38400679 PMCID: PMC10891463 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Embryonic pluripotency markers are recognized for their role in ER- BC aggressiveness, but their significance in ER+ BC remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of expression of pluripotency markers in ER+ BC and their effect on survival and prognostic indicators. METHODS We analyzed data of ER+ BC patients from three large cancer datasets to assess the expression of three pluripotency markers (NANOG, SOX-2, and OCT4), and the stem cell marker ALDH1A1. Additionally, we investigated associations between gene expression, through mRNA-Seq analysis, and overall survival (OS). The prevalence of mutational variants within these genes was explored. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we examined the expression and associations with clinicopathologic prognostic indicators of the four markers in 81 ER+ BC patients. RESULTS Through computational analysis, NANOG and ALDH1A1 genes were significantly upregulated in ER+ BC compared to ER- BC patients (p < 0.001), while POU5F1 (OCT4) was downregulated (p < 0.001). NANOG showed an adverse impact on OS whereas ALDH1A1 was associated with a highly significant improved survival in ER+ BC (p = 4.7e-6), except for the PR- and HER2+ subgroups. Copy number alterations (CNAs) ranged from 0.4% to 1.6% in these genes, with the highest rate detected in SOX2. In the IHC study, approximately one-third of tumors showed moderate to strong expression of each of the four markers, with 2-4 markers strongly co-expressed in 56.8% of cases. OCT-4 and ALDH1A1 showed a significant association with a high KI-67 index (p = 0.009 and 0.008, respectively), while SOX2 showed a significant association with perinodal fat invasion (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION Pluripotency markers and ALDH1A1 are substantially expressed in ER+ BC tumors with different, yet significant, associations with prognostic and survival outcomes. This study suggests these markers as targets for prospective clinical validation studies of their prognostic value and their possible therapeutic roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha A. Mousa
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Amal Hussein
- Family and Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Ghada Mohammed
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Mona Elwany
- Medical Research Institute, Alexandria UniversityAlexandriaEgypt
| | - Tasneem Basha
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Amal A. AlHammadi
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Rana S. Majzob
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of MedicineUniversity of SharjahSharjahUnited Arab Emirates
- Medical Research Institute, Alexandria UniversityAlexandriaEgypt
- Pathology Department, Faculty of MedicineAlexandria UniversityAlexandriaEgypt
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Elemam NM, Mekky RY, Rashid G, Braoudaki M, Youness RA. Pharmacogenomic and epigenomic approaches to untangle the enigma of IL-10 blockade in oncology. Expert Rev Mol Med 2024; 26:e1. [PMID: 38186186 PMCID: PMC10941350 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2023.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The host immune system status remains an unresolved mystery among several malignancies. An immune-compromised state or smart immune-surveillance tactics orchestrated by cancer cells are the primary cause of cancer invasion and metastasis. Taking a closer look at the tumour-immune microenvironment, a complex network and crosstalk between infiltrating immune cells and cancer cells mediated by cytokines, chemokines, exosomal mediators and shed ligands are present. Cytokines such as interleukins can influence all components of the tumour microenvironment (TME), consequently promoting or suppressing tumour invasion based on their secreting source. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an interlocked cytokine that has been associated with several types of malignancies and proved to have paradoxical effects. IL-10 has multiple functions on cellular and non-cellular components within the TME. In this review, the authors shed the light on the regulatory role of IL-10 in the TME of several malignant contexts. Moreover, detailed epigenomic and pharmacogenomic approaches for the regulation of IL-10 were presented and discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha M. Elemam
- Research Instiute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Radwa Y. Mekky
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA University), Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Gowhar Rashid
- Amity Medical School, Amity University, Gurugram (Manesar) 122413, Haryana, India
| | - Maria Braoudaki
- Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Rana A. Youness
- Biology and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University, Cairo 11835, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
El Meligy OA, Elemam NM, Talaat IM. Ozone Therapy in Medicine and Dentistry: A Review of the Literature. Dent J (Basel) 2023; 11:187. [PMID: 37623283 PMCID: PMC10453584 DOI: 10.3390/dj11080187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ozone has been successfully used in medicine for over 100 years due to its microbiological qualities. Its powerful oxidation impact, which results in the production of free radicals, and its ability to cause the direct death of nearly all microorganisms is the basis for its bactericide, virucide, and fungicide properties. Ozone also has a medicinal impact that speeds up blood flow and aids wound healing. Ozone may be applied as a gas or dissolved in water for medical purposes. Despite the benefits of using ozone therapeutically, concerns about its use in dentistry still exist. We aimed to provide a summary of the current uses of ozone in medicine and dentistry. An electronic search was performed for all English scientific papers published between 2012 and 2023 using PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar search engines. Ozone, clinical applications, medicine, and dentistry were the search terms used. Seventy full-text articles describing the use of ozone therapy in medicine and dentistry were included in the present review. Ozone has shown several beneficial effects in the medical field. However, despite the encouraging in vitro evidence, the clinical use of ozone in dentistry has not yet been demonstrated as highly effective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omar A. El Meligy
- Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21131, Egypt
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21131, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Taneera J, Khalique A, Salima A, Mohammed AK, Sawan AS, Aneis H, Habib P, Abdrabh S, Elemam NM, Sharif-Askari NS, Abu-Gharbieh E, Saber-Ayad M, El-Huneidi W. Disrupting of family with sequence similarity 105, member A (Fam105a) deteriorates pancreatic β-cell physiology and insulin secretion in INS-1 cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023:111987. [PMID: 37311518 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The role of "Family with sequence similarity 105, member A" (FAM105A) in pancreatic β-cell function in relation to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is not fully understood. To address this issue, various molecular and functional experiments were conducted on primary human islets and INS-1 cells. RNA-seq expression analysis showed that FAM105A is highly expressed in human islets and its expression is reduced in diabetic islets compared to healthy islets. FAM105A expression correlated negatively with HbA1c levels and body mass index (BMI). Co-expression analysis showed a significant correlation between FAM105A with PDX1, GCK, GLUT1 and INSR, but not the INS gene. Silencing of Fam105a impaired insulin release, content, glucose uptake, and mitochondria ATP content but did not affect cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) or apoptosis levels. Silencing of Fam105a was associated with reduced Pdx1 and Glut2 expression at mRNA and protein levels. RNA-seq analysis of dysregulated genes in Fam105a-silenced cells showed an overall downregulation of gene expression in β-cells and insulin secretion pathway. Disrupting Pdx1 did not affect Fam105a expression in INS-1 cells. Overall, the results suggest that FAM105A plays an important role in pancreatic β-cells biology and may be involved in the development of T2D.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jalal Taneera
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Anila Khalique
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Aissaoui Salima
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University of Mohammed Seddik Benyahia-Jijel, Jijel, Algeria
| | - Abdul Khader Mohammed
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed Saad Sawan
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hamam Aneis
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Peter Habib
- School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS), Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Sham Abdrabh
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Eman Abu-Gharbieh
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Saheb Sharif-Askari N, Alabed M, Selvakumar B, Mdkhana B, Salam Bayram O, Kalaji Z, Hafezi S, Elemam NM, Saheb Sharif-Askari F, Halwani R. Simvastatin reduced infiltration of memory subsets of T lymphocytes in the lung tissue during Th2 allergic inflammation. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109347. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
9
|
Alkhayyal N, Elemam NM, Hussein A, Magdub S, Jundi M, Maghazachi AA, Talaat IM, Bendardaf R. Expression of immune checkpoints (PD-L1 and IDO) and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10482. [PMID: 36097493 PMCID: PMC9463383 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Breast cancer (BC) has become the most common cancer globally in 2020 as well as in the United Arab Emirates. The breast tumor microenvironment is composed of various immune cell types, including lymphocytes. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a crucial role in tumor eradication and progression. Further, immune checkpoint markers such as programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) have been associated with tumor evasion from the immune system. In this study, we aimed to explore the status of TILs, PD-L1 and IDO as well as to investigate their association with the clinicopathological parameters. Materials and methods A total of 59 patients diagnosed with primary infiltrating BC were selected, after which tissue sections were stained to identify TILs along with immunohistochemical staining of PD-L1 and IDO. Moreover, in-silico tools were used to assess the expression of PD-L1, IDO and CD3ε in various molecular subtypes of BC. Results It was found that the percentage of TILs correlated with estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression. This was supported by the finding that most of the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases belonged to the group with a high percentage of TILs (h-TILs). Similarly, the expression of PD-L1 and IDO was correlated with the ER and PR, whereas TNBC cases showed a high expression of PD-L1 and IDO. This goes in line with the in-silico findings where the TNBC group showed the highest expression of PD-L1 and IDO as well as the T cell marker CD3ε. Conclusion This study highlighted a possible link between the immunosuppressive markers PD-L1 and IDO with TILs density in the BC microenvironment.
Collapse
|
10
|
Talaat IM, Elemam NM, Zaher S, Saber-Ayad M. Checkpoint molecules on infiltrating immune cells in colorectal tumor microenvironment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:955599. [PMID: 36072957 PMCID: PMC9441912 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.955599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancer types worldwide, with a high mortality rate due to metastasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) contains multiple interactions between the tumor and the host, thus determining CRC initiation and progression. Various immune cells exist within the TME, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs). The immunotherapy approach provides novel opportunities to treat solid tumors, especially toward immune checkpoints. Despite the advances in the immunotherapy of CRC, there are still obstacles to successful treatment. In this review, we highlighted the role of these immune cells in CRC, with a particular emphasis on immune checkpoint molecules involved in CRC pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iman M. Talaat
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Noha M. Elemam,
| | - Shroque Zaher
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Maha Saber-Ayad,
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Talaat IM, Elemam NM, Abdullah HW. CD68, CD86 and CD163 Expression Profile in Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes. FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.r3106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences DepartmentCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
- Pathology DepartmentCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical ResearchCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| | - Hanan W. Abdullah
- Sharjah Institute for Medical ResearchCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Elemam NM, Youness R, Talaat IM, Maghazachi AA. Expression Status of Proton Sensing Receptor GPR68 in Various Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes. FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.r3105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noha M. Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical ResearchCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| | - Rana Youness
- School of Life and Medical SciencesUniversity of Hertfordshire hosted by Global Academic FoundationCairo
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences DepartmentCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| | - Azzam A. Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical SciencesCollege of Medicine, University of SharjahSharjah
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Elemam NM, Hammoudeh S, Salameh L, Mahboub B, Alsafar H, Talaat IM, Habib P, Siddiqui M, Hassan KO, Al-Assaf OY, Taneera J, Sulaiman N, Hamoudi R, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q, Saber-Ayad M. Identifying Immunological and Clinical Predictors of COVID-19 Severity and Sequelae by Mathematical Modeling. Front Immunol 2022; 13:865845. [PMID: 35529862 PMCID: PMC9067542 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.865845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Since its emergence as a pandemic in March 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outcome has been explored via several predictive models, using specific clinical or biochemical parameters. In the current study, we developed an integrative non-linear predictive model of COVID-19 outcome, using clinical, biochemical, immunological, and radiological data of patients with different disease severities. Initially, the immunological signature of the disease was investigated through transcriptomics analysis of nasopharyngeal swab samples of patients with different COVID-19 severity versus control subjects (exploratory cohort, n=61), identifying significant differential expression of several cytokines. Accordingly, 24 cytokines were validated using a multiplex assay in the serum of COVID-19 patients and control subjects (validation cohort, n=77). Predictors of severity were Interleukin (IL)-10, Programmed Death-Ligand-1 (PDL-1), Tumor necrosis factors-α, absolute neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, and ferritin; with high predictive efficacy (AUC=0.93 and 0.98 using ROC analysis of the predictive capacity of cytokines and biochemical markers, respectively). Increased IL-6 and granzyme B were found to predict liver injury in COVID-19 patients, whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), IL-1 receptor-a (IL-1Ra) and PD-L1 were predictors of remarkable radiological findings. The model revealed consistent elevation of IL-15 and IL-10 in severe cases. Combining basic biochemical and radiological investigations with a limited number of curated cytokines will likely attain accurate predictive value in COVID-19. The model-derived cytokines highlight critical pathways in the pathophysiology of the COVID-19 with insight towards potential therapeutic targets. Our modeling methodology can be implemented using new datasets to identify key players and predict outcomes in new variants of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha M Elemam
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Hammoudeh
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laila Salameh
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassam Mahboub
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Habiba Alsafar
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Emirates Bio-Research Centre, Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Iman M Talaat
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Peter Habib
- School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS), Nile University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mehmood Siddiqui
- Dubai Health Authority, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | - Jalal Taneera
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maha Saber-Ayad
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,College of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Elemam NM, Hannawi H, Naeem KB, Hannawi S. A single centered study reveals association between liver injury and COVID-19 infection. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:6017-6022. [PMID: 34220212 PMCID: PMC8233059 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Despite the fact that it has been over a year with the pandemic COVID-19 infection, ongoing research and analysis reveal many complications and comorbidities associated with COVID-19. In this study, we aimed at investigating the clinical and laboratory assessments in COVID-19 patients with and without liver injury. METHODS Symptomatic 541 COVID-19 positive patients, who were admitted to Al Kuwait Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were recruited in this study. Their data was collected retrospectively, including demographic data, blood tests, symptoms, radiographical assessments, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19. RESULTS Around 19% of the recruited COVID-19 patients displayed signs of acute liver injury. Also, there was an increase in the percentage of critical, ICU-admitted and mortality rates in COVID-19 cases with liver injury, as well as a higher percentage of septic shock and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). COVID-19 patients with liver injury had more pronounced bilateral consolidation, lymphopenia and neutrophilia. Additionally, these patients had higher levels of CRP, LDH, procalcitonin, ferritin and D dimer levels. Finally, there was a higher percentage of patients taking various COVID-19 therapies in the COVID-19 patients with liver injury group. CONCLUSION COVID-19 patients with acute liver injury are at a higher risk for serious outcomes including death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha M. Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Haifa Hannawi
- Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Kashif Bin Naeem
- Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Suad Hannawi
- Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Elemam NM, Hannawi H, Salmi IA, Naeem KB, Alokaily F, Hannawi S. Diabetes mellitus as a comorbidity in COVID-19 infection in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Med J 2021; 42:170-180. [PMID: 33563736 PMCID: PMC7989288 DOI: 10.15537/smj.2021.2.25700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To compare risk factors and clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients with or without diabetes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS Data of 350 COVID-19 positive patients, admitted to Al Kuwait Hospital in Dubai, UAE, from February to May 2020 was collected retrospectively, including demographic data, clinical symptoms, blood tests, as well as radiographical assessments, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19. The design of the study is a retrospective cohort study. RESULTS COVID-19 patients with diabetes belong to an older age group, had a higher percentage of male patients, exhibited more lymphopenia and neutrophilia, and higher ferritin levels. Additionally, patients with diabetes presented fever and shortness of breath (SOB), displayed more bilateral airspace consolidation and opacities in their chest x-ray and CT scans, compared to non-diabetics. A higher percentage of critical, ICU-admitted, and death of COVID-19 cases in the diabetic group was also reported. This was along with a concomitant increase in C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and lactate dehydrogenase levels. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes is considered a comorbidity as diabetic patients showed more severe COVID-19 symptoms that led to critical clinical outcomes such as ICU admission and death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha M. Elemam
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Haifa Hannawi
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Issa Al Salmi
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Kashif Bin Naeem
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Fahdah Alokaily
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Suad Hannawi
- From the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, College of Medicine (Elemam), University of Sharjah, Sharjah; from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Department of Medicine (Hannawi H, Bin Naeem, Hannawi S); from Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Hannawi H), Dubai, United Arab Emirates; from Oman Medical Specialty Board (Issa Al Salmi); from The Royal Hospital (Issa Al Salmi), Muscat, Oman; and from Prince Sultan Military Medical City (Alokaily), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hachim MY, Aljaibeji H, Hamoudi RA, Hachim IY, Elemam NM, Mohammed AK, Salehi A, Taneera J, Sulaiman N. An Integrative Phenotype-Genotype Approach Using Phenotypic Characteristics from the UAE National Diabetes Study Identifies HSD17B12 as a Candidate Gene for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11040461. [PMID: 32340285 PMCID: PMC7230604 DOI: 10.3390/genes11040461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The United Arab Emirates National Diabetes and Lifestyle Study (UAEDIAB) has identified obesity, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and dyslipidemia as common phenotypic characteristics correlated with diabetes mellitus status. As these phenotypes are usually linked with genetic variants, we hypothesized that these phenotypes share single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-clusters that can be used to identify causal genes for diabetes. We explored the National Human Genome Research Institute-European Bioinformatics Institute Catalog of Published Genome-Wide Association Studies (NHGRI-EBI GWAS) to list SNPs with documented association with the UAEDIAB-phenotypes as well as diabetes. The shared chromosomal regions affected by SNPs were identified, intersected, and searched for Enriched Ontology Clustering. The potential SNP-clusters were validated using targeted DNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) in two Emirati diabetic patients. RNA sequencing from human pancreatic islets was used to study the expression of identified genes in diabetic and non-diabetic donors. Eight chromosomal regions containing 46 SNPs were identified in at least four out of the five UAEDIAB-phenotypes. A list of 34 genes was shown to be affected by those SNPs. Targeted NGS from two Emirati patients confirmed that the identified genes have similar SNP-clusters. ASAH1, LRP4, FES, and HSD17B12 genes showed the highest SNPs rate among the identified genes. RNA-seq analysis revealed high expression levels of HSD17B12 in human islets and to be upregulated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) donors. Our integrative phenotype-genotype approach is a novel, simple, and powerful tool to identify clinically relevant potential biomarkers in diabetes. HSD17B12 is a novel candidate gene for pancreatic β-cell function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Y. Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Hayat Aljaibeji
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Rifat A. Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE;
| | - Ibrahim Y. Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE;
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Abdul Khader Mohammed
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Albert Salehi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Islets Cell Pathology, Lund University, SE-205 02 Malmö, Sweden;
| | - Jalal Taneera
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27273, UAE; (M.Y.H.); (H.A.); (R.A.H.); (N.M.E.); (A.K.M.)
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (N.S.)
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- Department of Family and Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne 3004, Australia
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (N.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Al-Ani MR, Raju TK, Hachim MY, Hachim IY, Elemam NM, Guimei M, Bendardaf R, Maghazachi AA. Rituximab Prevents the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE): Comparison with Prophylactic, Therapeutic or Combinational Regimens. J Inflamm Res 2020; 13:151-164. [PMID: 32214838 PMCID: PMC7082624 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s243514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate, in detail, the effects of rituximab (RTX), an off-label drug for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) disease on preventing and/or ameliorating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methods Using bioinformatics analysis of publicly available transcriptomics data, we determined the accumulation of B cells, plasma cells and T cells in different compartments of multiple sclerosis patients (MS) and healthy individual brains. Based on these observations and on the literature search, we dosed RTX in EAE mice either orally, or injected intraperitoneally (IP). The latter route was used either prophylactically (asymptomatic stage; upon the induction of the disease), or therapeutically (acute stage; upon the appearance of the first sign of the disease). Further, we used RTX as a preventive drug either as a single agent or in combination with other routes of administration. Results Because no complete recovery was observed when RTX was used prophylactically or therapeutically, we devised another protocol of injecting this drug before the onset of the disease and designated this regiment as prevention. We demonstrated that the 20 μg/mouse prevention completely reduced the EAE clinical score, impaired infiltration of T and B cells into the perivascular space of mice brains, along with inhibiting the inflammation and demyelination. However, the 5 and 10 μg/mouse doses although reduced all aspects of inflammation in these mice, their effects were not as potent as the 20 μg/mouse RTX dose. Finally, we combined the 5 μg/mouse prevention treatment with either the prophylactic or therapeutic regimen and observed a robust effect. Conclusion We observed that combinatorial regimens resulted in further reduction of inflammation, T and B cell extravasation into the brains of EAE mice and improved the re-myelination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mena R Al-Ani
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| | - Tom K Raju
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| | - Mahmood Y Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| | - Ibrahim Y Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| | - Maha Guimei
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates.,Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | | | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arabs Emirates.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arabs Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hachim MY, Khalil BA, Elemam NM, Maghazachi AA. Pyroptosis: The missing puzzle among innate and adaptive immunity crosstalk. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 108:323-338. [PMID: 32083338 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3mir0120-625r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyroptosis is a newly discovered programmed cell death with inflammasome formation. Pattern recognition receptors that identify repetitive motifs of prospective pathogens such as LPS of gram-negative bacteria are crucial to pyroptosis. Upon stimulation by pathogen-associated molecular patterns or damage-associated molecular patterns, proinflammatory cytokines, mainly IL-1 family members IL-1β and IL-18, are released through pyroptosis specific pore-forming protein, gasdermin D. Even though IL-1 family members are mainly involved in innate immunity, they can be factors in adaptive immunity. Given the importance of IL-1 family members in health and diseases, deciphering the role of pyroptosis in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity is of great importance, especially with the recent progress in identifying the exact mechanism of such a pathway. In this review, we will focus on how the innate inflammatory mediators can regulate the adaptive immune system and vice versa via pyroptosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Y Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bariaa A Khalil
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Taneera J, Mohammed I, Mohammed AK, Hachim M, Dhaiban S, Malek A, Dunér P, Elemam NM, Sulaiman N, Hamad M, Salehi A. Orphan G-protein coupled receptor 183 (GPR183) potentiates insulin secretion and prevents glucotoxicity-induced β-cell dysfunction. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 499:110592. [PMID: 31550518 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The expression and functional impact of most orphan G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in β-cell is not fully understood. Microarray expression indicated that 36 orphan GPCRs are restricted in human islets, while 55 receptors overlapped between human islets and INS-1 cells. GPR183 showed higher expression in diabetic compared to non-diabetic human islets. GPR183 expression co-localized with β-cells while it was lacking in α-cells in human islets. The GPR183 agonist (7α-25-DHC) potentiated insulin secretion and protected against glucotoxicity-induced β-cell damage in human islets. Silencing of GPR183 in INS-1 cells decreased the expression of proinsulin genes, Pdx1, Mafa and impaired insulin secretion with a concomitant decrease in cAMP generation. Cultured INS-1 cells with 7α-25-DHC were associated with increased proliferation and expression of GPR183, INS2, PDX1, NeuroD, and INSR. In conclusion, the beneficial impact of GPR183 activation on β-cell function makes it a potential therapeutic target to prevent or reverse β-cell dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jalal Taneera
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Israa Mohammed
- Department of Clinical Science, UMAS, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Abdul Khader Mohammed
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mahmood Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Dhaiban
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdullah Malek
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Pontus Dunér
- Department of Clinical Science, UMAS, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mawieh Hamad
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Albert Salehi
- Department of Clinical Science, UMAS, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Metabolic Research Unit, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hachim MY, Hachim IY, Elemam NM, Hamoudi RA. Toxicogenomic analysis of publicly available transcriptomic data can predict food, drugs, and chemical-induced asthma. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2019; 12:181-199. [PMID: 31692590 PMCID: PMC6717055 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s217535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Background : With the increasing incidence of asthma, more attention is focused on the diverse and complex nutritional and environmental triggers of asthma exacerbations. Currently, there are no established risk assessment tools to evaluate asthma triggering potentials of most of the nutritional and environmental triggers encountered by asthmatic patients. Purpose The objective of this study is to devise a reliable workflow, capable of estimating the toxicogenomic effect of such factors on key player genes in asthma pathogenesis. Methods Gene expression extracted from publicly available datasets of asthmatic bronchial epithelium were subjected to a comprehensive analysis of differential gene expression to identify significant genes involved in asthma development and progression. The identified genes were subjected to Gene Set Enrichment Analysis using a total of 31,826 gene sets related to chemical, toxins, and drugs to identify common agents that share similar asthma-related targets genes and signaling pathways. Results Our analysis identified 225 differentially expressed genes between severe asthmatic and healthy bronchial epithelium. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of the identified genes showed that they are involved in response to toxic substances and organic cyclic compounds and are targeted by 41 specific diets, plants products, and plants related toxins (eg adenine, arachidonic acid, baicalein, caffeic acid, corilagin, curcumin, ellagic acid, luteolin, microcystin-RR, phytoestrogens, protoporphyrin IX, purpurogallin, rottlerin, and salazinic acid). Moreover, the identified chemicals share interesting inflammation-related pathways like NF-κB. Conclusion Our analysis was able to explain and predict the toxicity in terms of stimulating the differentially expressed genes between severe asthmatic and healthy epithelium. Such an approach can pave the way to generate a cost-effective and reliable source for asthma-specific toxigenic reports thus allowing the asthmatic patients, physicians, and medical researchers to be aware of the potential triggering factors with fatal consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ibrahim Yaseen Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat A Hamoudi
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.,Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hachim MY, Elemam NM, Maghazachi AA. The Beneficial and Debilitating Effects of Environmental and Microbial Toxins, Drugs, Organic Solvents and Heavy Metals on the Onset and Progression of Multiple Sclerosis. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E147. [PMID: 30841532 PMCID: PMC6468554 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system is common amongst young adults, leading to major personal and socioeconomic burdens. However, it is still considered complex and challenging to understand and treat, in spite of the efforts made to explain its etiopathology. Despite the discovery of many genetic and environmental factors that might be related to its etiology, no clear answer was found about the causes of the illness and neither about the detailed mechanism of these environmental triggers that make individuals susceptible to MS. In this review, we will attempt to explore the major contributors to MS autoimmunity including genetic, epigenetic and ecological factors with a particular focus on toxins, chemicals or drugs that may trigger, modify or prevent MS disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Y Hachim
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Immuno-Oncology group, Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Immuno-Oncology group, Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Azzam A Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, and the Immuno-Oncology group, Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Aljaibeji H, Mukhopadhyay D, Mohammed AK, Dhaiban S, Hachim MY, Elemam NM, Sulaiman N, Salehi A, Taneera J. Reduced Expression of PLCXD3 Associates With Disruption of Glucose Sensing and Insulin Signaling in Pancreatic β-Cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:735. [PMID: 31781030 PMCID: PMC6851018 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous work has shown that reduced expression of PLCXD3, a member of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipases (PI-PLC) family, impaired insulin secretion with an unclear mechanism. In the current study, we aim to investigate the mechanism underlying this effect using human islets and rat INS-1 (832/13) cells. Microarray and RNA sequencing data showed that PLCXD3 is among the highly expressed PI-PLCs in human islets and INS-1 (832/13) cells. Expression of PLCXD3 was reduced in human diabetic islets, correlated positively with Insulin and GLP1R expression and inversely with the donor's body mass index (BMI) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Expression silencing of PLCXD3 in INS-1 (832/13) cells was found to reduce glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and insulin content. In addition, the expression of Insulin, NEUROD1, GLUT2, GCK, INSR, IRS2, and AKT was downregulated. Cell viability and apoptosis rate were unaffected. In conclusion, our data suggest that low expression of PLCXD3 in pancreatic β-cells associates with downregulation of the key insulin signaling and insulin biosynthesis genes as well as reduction in glucose sensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayat Aljaibeji
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Debasmita Mukhopadhyay
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdul Khader Mohammed
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sarah Dhaiban
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mahmood Y. Hachim
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noha M. Elemam
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nabil Sulaiman
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Albert Salehi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Diabetes Centre (LUDC), Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Jalal Taneera
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Jalal Taneera
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sourour SK, Aboelenein HR, Elemam NM, Abdelhamid AK, Salah S, Abdelaziz AI. Unraveling the expression of microRNA-27a* & NKG2D in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and natural killer cells of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Int J Rheum Dis 2017; 20:1237-1246. [PMID: 28523761 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185x.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM The activity of natural killer (NK) cells is known to be decreased in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Nevertheless, the exact contribution of NK cells in the pathogenesis of SLE is still inconclusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), are small noncoding RNA molecules that play a fundamental role in regulating NK cell function. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of miRNAs that might potentially target an essential activating receptor, NKG2D in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and NK cells of SLE patients. METHODS In silico analysis revealed miR-27a* to potentially target NKG2D messenger RNA (mRNA), hence PBMCs and NK cells were isolated from blood samples of SLE patients and healthy controls. Next, the cells were transfected using mimics and antagomirs, after which miRNA/mRNA were quantified using real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The results of this study showed that miR-27a* is overexpressed in the PBMCs and NK cells of SLE patients. In contrast, NKG2D was found to be downregulated in PBMCs and NK cells of SLE patients. Forcing the expression of miR-27a* in PBMCs and NK cells enhances the expression of NKG2D in SLE patients. Furthermore, the ligand of NKG2D, ULBP2, was found to be downregulated in the PBMCs of SLE patients. CONCLUSION The altered expression of the triad, miR-27a* as well as NKG2D and ULBP2, is thought to be characteristic for NK cells in SLE patients. Hence, the ability of miR-27a* to alter the expression of NKG2D may provide a new groundwork for understanding the role of miRNAs in NK cells of SLE patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shady K Sourour
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Heba R Aboelenein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.,Sharjah Institute for Medical Research (SIMR), College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amira K Abdelhamid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samia Salah
- Department of Pediatrics, Kasr AlAiny Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed I Abdelaziz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.,School of Medicine, NewGiza University (NGU), Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
El Sobky SA, El-Ekiaby NM, Mekky RY, Elemam NM, Mohey Eldin MA, El-Sayed M, Esmat G, Abdelaziz AI. Contradicting roles of miR-182 in both NK cells and their host target hepatocytes in HCV. Immunol Lett 2015; 169:52-60. [PMID: 26518141 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Natural killer cells are part of the innate immunity involved in viral eradication and were shown to be greatly affected by HCV infection. Epigenetic regulation of NK cell function by microRNAs was not efficiently studied before and was never studied in HCV infection; therefore the aim of this study was to assess for the first time the role of microRNAs in regulating the function of NK cells of HCV-infected patients and hence viral replication in the target HCV-infected Huh7 cells. METHODOLOGY NK cells were isolated from PBMCs of HCV-infected patients as well as controls, and HCV-infected liver biopsies as well as Huh7 cells infected with the virus were used. For the infection of Huh7 cells, first viral vector was in-vitro transcribed into viral RNA that was then used to infect naїve Huh7 cells. Supernatant from the infected cells was then collected and used for further infection. For manipulation of NK cells or Huh7 cells, miR-182 mimics and inhibitors were transfected via lipofection method. RNA was extracted from each cell population, reverse transcribed. Gene expression as well as viral load was quantified using qPCR. RESULTS Screening of NKG2A and NKG2D between patients and controls showed no difference in expression of NKG2A, while NKG2D was found to be downregulated. In view of that, bioinformatics analysis was performed and showed that miR-182 has potential binding sites on both the inhibitory receptor NKG2A and the activating receptor NKG2D, and on its ligand ULBP2, as well as on the viral genome itself. In NK cells of HCV-infected patients, miR-182 was found to be over-expressed compared to controls; its ectopic expression was found to decrease NKG2D mRNA level, while miR-182 inhibitors were able to decrease NKG2A mRNA compared to untransfected cells. In addition, co-culturing genotype 4 or 2 HCV-infected Huh7 cells with miR-182 mimicked NK cells of HCV-infected patients showed decreased viral replication, suggesting an enhanced NK cell function. On the other hand, miR-182 and ULBP2 were both found to be downregulated in HCV liver tissues and HCV-infected Huh7 cells compared to their controls. miR-182 mimics were found to decrease ULBP2 mRNA and increase viral replication in genotypes 4 and 2 HCV-infected target (Huh7) cells compared to controls, while miR-182 inhibitor decreased viral replication in the cell models. CONCLUSION miR-182 was never investigated before, neither in HCV infection nor in NK cells, and we found it to have dysregulated expression in both liver tissues and NK cells of HCV-infected patients compared to control. In addition to that, miR-182 was found to have a contradicting effect in both effector cell and its HCV-infected target cell regarding HCV replication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shereen A El Sobky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Main Entrance Al Tagamoa Al Khames, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nada M El-Ekiaby
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Main Entrance Al Tagamoa Al Khames, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Radwa Y Mekky
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Main Entrance Al Tagamoa Al Khames, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Main Entrance Al Tagamoa Al Khames, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammad A Mohey Eldin
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology, Cairo University Kasr El-Aini St, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammed El-Sayed
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology, Cairo University Kasr El-Aini St, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gamal Esmat
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology, Cairo University Kasr El-Aini St, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed I Abdelaziz
- Department of Biology, American University in Cairo New Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
El-Ekiaby NM, Mekky RY, El Sobky SA, Elemam NM, El-Sayed M, Esmat G, Abdelaziz AI. Epigenetic harnessing of HCV via modulating the lipid droplet-protein, TIP47, in HCV cell models. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:2266-73. [PMID: 26170028 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed at identifying potential microRNAs that modulate hepatic lipid droplets (LD) through targeting the Tail interacting protein of 47 kDa (TIP47) in HCV infection. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-148a and miR-30a potentially target TIP47. Expression profiling showed that both microRNAs were downregulated, while TIP47 was upregulated in liver biopsies of HCV-infected patients. Forcing the expression of both microRNAs in JFH-I infected, oleic acid-treated Huh7 cells, significantly suppressed TIP47 expression and reduced cellular LDs with marked decrease in viral RNA. This study shows that miR-148a and miR-30a, regulate TIP47 expression and LDs in HCV infected cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nada M El-Ekiaby
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Radwa Y Mekky
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Shereen A El Sobky
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Gamal Esmat
- Endemic Medicine and Hepatology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed I Abdelaziz
- Molecular Pathology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|