The hsa_circ_0082152 maintains NF-κB mRNA stability by binding to MTDH to promote anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury

Anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ADLI) is a common adverse reaction during anti-tuberculosis treatment and often leads to treatment interruptions. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as key modulators in liver diseases. CircRNAs is a special class of noncoding RNAs that have been found to have significant impacts on the progression of inflammation via various mechanisms. In the serum of ADLI patients, upregulation of the circular RNA hsa_circ_0082152 (derived from the host gene snd1) was observed, along with increased ALT and AST levels, as well as alterations in the levels of inflammation-related factors such as NF-κB, IL-1β and TNF-α. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we established an HL-7702-ADLI cell model and confirmed similar upregulation of hsa_circ_0082152. Downregulation of hsa_circ_0082152 significantly inhibited inflammatory injury in ADLI cells, while upregulation had the opposite effect. RNA immunoprecipitation showed that hsa_circ_0082152 functions by interacting with metadherin (MTDH). Our study further verified that the interaction of hsa_circ_0082152 with the MTDH protein binding to NF-κB mRNA to maintain NF-κB mRNA stability, which increases the expression of NF-κB and its targets IL-1β and TNF-α. Conversely, depletion of MTDH rescued the promotive effect of hsa_circ_0082152 overexpression on ADLI inflammation. Therefore, hsa_circ_0082152 overexpression promotes ADLI progression via the MTDH/NF-κB axis.

Gut microbiota characteristics of Mongolian and Han populations in anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury: a population-based case-control study

BACKGROUND

The pathogenesis of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug-induced liver injury (ADLI) is complicated and remains unclear. We aimed to analyse the relationship between the characteristics of gut microbiota and ADLI in Mongolian and Han patients with pulmonary TB and identify the most notable bacteria related to the occurrence of liver injury in those populations.

METHODS

Patients with concurrent liver injury (LI) and no liver injury (ULI) before receiving first-line anti-TB drug treatment (T1) from the Han population in Tangshan and the Mongolian population in Inner Mongolia were selected as research subjects. At the time of liver injury (T2), stool samples were measured by bacterial 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to analyse and compare the differences in the gut microbiota of the LI and ULI Mongolian and Han patients at T1 and T2 and identify the differences between those patients.

RESULTS

A total of 45 Mongolian and 37 Han patients were enrolled in our study. A dynamic comparison from T1 to T2 showed that the microbiota of the LI and ULI groups changed significantly from T1 to T2 in both the Mongolian and Han populations. However, there were commonalities and personality changes in the microbiota of the two ethnic groups.

CONCLUSION

Differences in gut microbes in ADLI were found among the Han and Mongolian patients in our study. Ekmania and Stenotrophomonas were related to the occurrence of ADLI in Mongolian patients, while Ekmania and Ruminococcus__gnavus_group were related to the occurrence of ADLI in the Han population.

Recent advances in research of modes of hepatocyte death in anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury

Antituberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ATB-DILI) is the most common and most serious side effect of antituberculous drug therapy, which brings great challenges to drug treatment of tuberculosis. Isoniazid and rifampicin as first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs produce a variety of toxic metabolites that directly cause liver cell necrosis, and a large amount of free radicals that induce oxidative stress, leading to programmed death of liver cells such as apoptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy. Iron death is a recently discovered mode of cell death, and its role in ATB-DILI has not been fully elucidated. Blocking the pathway of hepatocyte death is an important means to treat ATB-DILI. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism and characteristics of different cell death modes in order to help identify new diagnostic markers and therapeutic drug targets.

Mitochondrial DNA content as a diagnostic marker for anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, an index of mitochondrial dysfunction, was associated with clinical parameters indicating ATDILI in TB patients and could emerge as an ATDILI biomarker.

METHODS

Leukocyte mtDNA content in 102 TB patients (49 ATDILI cases and 53 non-ATDILI cases) and 100 age-matched healthy controls was measured using real-time PCR.

RESULTS

Compared to healthy controls, both TB patients with and without ATDILI had significantly decreased mtDNA content. Compared with non-ATDILI patients, mtDNA content was significantly increased in ATDILI patients. Higher mtDNA content was observed to be independently associated with increased susceptibility to ATDILI. Increased mtDNA content measured within 1-7 days of treatment was independently associated with elevated levels of serum aminotransferases assessed within 8-60 days of treatment. After initiating treatment within 1-7 days, mtDNA content was detected to be more sensitive and selective for differentiating ATDILI patients from those without ATDILI than serum aminotransferases. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant correlation between elevated mtDNA content and increased rate of ATDILI occurrence in TB patients, attested by Cox regression analysis with adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSION

Changes in leukocyte mtDNA content would reflect ATDILI progression and could be used as a potential stratification tool for identifying TB patients at risk of ADTILI.

Mitochondrial Damage and Drp1 Overexpression in Rifampicin- and Isoniazid-induced Liver Injury Cell Model

Background and Aims: Rifampicin (RFP) and isoniazid (INH) are widely used as anti-tuberculosis agents. However, the mechanisms underlying the involvement of reactive oxygen species and mitochondria in RFP- and INH-related hepatotoxicity have not been established yet. This study aimed to observe the intracellular mechanisms leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and morphological changes in RFP- and INH-induced hepatocyte injury. Methods: Cell injury, changes in mitochondrial function, and expression and activation of dynamin related protein 1 (Drp1), known as the main protein for mitochondrial fission, were analyzed in cultured QSG7701 cells exposed to RFP and INH. Results: INH and RFP treatment induced pronounced hepatocyte injury and increased cell death. In the similar context of aspartate aminotransferase elevation and adenosine triphosphate synthesis decrease, changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability and reactive oxygen species in hepatocytes induced by RFP were significantly different from those induced by INH (p < 0.05). Particularly, we observed the overactivation and mitochondrial translocation of Drp1 in RFP-induced cell injury, which was not occurred with exposure to INH. Conclusions: RFP-induced hepatotoxicity may be closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction and Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission.

Polymorphisms in TGFβ1 and its relationship with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury

AIM

There is evidence to suggest that transforming growth factor-beta 1 takes part in a series of physiological and pathological processes in the human body, including wound healing, tissue fibrosis and embryonic development. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in the transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ATLI).

METHODS

In a prospective study, 280 newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients were followed up for three months after initiating anti-tuberculosis therapy. Tag-SNPs of transforming growth factor-beta 1 were genotyped with the MassARRAY platform. The associations between SNPs and ATLI were analyzed by logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors.

RESULTS

Of the 280 patients recruited in this study, 33 were excluded during the three months of follow-up, and 24 were diagnosed with ATLI and were considered as the ATLI group. The remaining 223 subjects without ATLI were considered as the non-ATLI group. After correction for potential confounding factors using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that the frequencies of polymorphisms and haplotypes of transforming growth factor-beta 1 were similar in patients with ATLI and without ATLI.

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that transforming growth factor-beta 1 polymorphisms do not play essential roles in the pathogenesis of ATLI in Chinese patients.