Project description:Background. Coagulopathic bleeding is a major cause of mortality after trauma, and platelet dysfunction contributes to this problem. The causes of platelet dysfunction are relatively unknown, but a great deal can be learned from the plasma environment about the possible pathways involved.
Objective. Describe the changes in plasma proteomic profile associated with platelet dysfunction after trauma.
Methods. Citrated blood was collected from severely injured trauma patients at the time of their arrival to the Emergency Department. Samples were collected from 110 patients, and a subset of twenty-four patients was identified by a preserved (n=12) or severely impaired (n=12) platelet aggregation response to five different agonists. Untargeted proteomics was performed by nanoflow liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Protein abundance levels for each patient were normalized to total protein concentration to control for hemodilution by crystalloid fluid infusion prior to blood draw.
Results. Patients with platelet dysfunction were more severely injured but otherwise demographically similar to those with retained platelet function. Of 232 proteins detected, twelve were significantly different between groups. These proteins fall into several broad categories related to platelet function, including microvascular obstruction with platelet activation, immune activation, and protease activation.
Conclusions. This observational study provides a description of the change in proteomic profile associated with platelet dysfunction after trauma and identifies twelve proteins with the most profound changes. The pathways involving these proteins are salient targets for immediate investigation to better understand platelet dysfunction after trauma and identify targets for intervention.
Project description:Fatal COVID-19 is often complicated by hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mechanisms governing lung injury and repair in ARDS remain poorly understood because there are no biomarker-targeted therapeutics for patients with ARDS. We hypothesized that plasma proteomics may uncover unique biomarkers that correlate with disease severity in COVID-19 ARDS. We analyzed the circulating plasma proteome from 32 patients with ARDS and COVID-19 using an aptamer-based platform, which measures 7289 proteins, and correlated protein measurements with sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores at 2 time points (Days 1 and 7 following ICU admission). We compared differential protein abundance and SOFA scores at each individual time point and identified 119 proteins at Day 1 and 46 proteins at Day 7 that correlated with patient SOFA scores. We modeled the relationship between dynamic protein abundance and changes in SOFA score between Days 1 and 7 and identified 39 proteins that significantly correlated with changes in SOFA score. Using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we identified increased ephrin signaling and acute phase response signaling correlated with increased SOFA scores over time, while pathways related to pulmonary fibrosis signaling and wound healing had an inverse relationship with SOFA scores between Days 1 and 7. These findings suggest that persistent inflammation may drive worsened disease severity, while repair processes correlate with improvements in organ dysfunction over time. This approach is generalizable to more diverse ARDS cohorts for identification of protein biomarkers and disease mechanisms as we strive towards targeted therapies in ARDS.
Project description:The TAR DNA Binding Protein (TDP-43) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human neurodegenerative diseases and exhibits hallmark neuropathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we explore its tractability as a plasma biomarker of disease and describe its localization and possible functions in the cytosol of platelets. Novel TDP-43 immunoassays were developed on three different technical platforms and qualified for specificity, signal-noise ratio, detection range, variation, spike recovery and dilution linearity in human plasma samples. Fractionation studies revealed that >95% of plasma TDP-43 protein [RL1] was located within the platelet cytosol, together with numerous RNAs. Platelet-derived TDP-43 exhibits TDP-43 proteoforms detected in neurodegenerative diseases, TARDBP RNA splice variants and TDP-43 RNA targets found in the central nervous system (CNS). We propose that TDP-43 serves similar functional roles in platelets and synapses, suggesting that the study of platelet TDP-43 might provide a window into TDP-43 proteinopathies within the CNS. The restricted compartmentalization of plasma TDP-43 in platelets provides a highly concentrated substrate for further biochemical analyses. Moreover, our results suggest that current plasma biobanking protocols are subject to considerable heterogeneity in platelet recovery and measurements of TDP-43 in plasma.
Project description:To fully interrogate mechanism of the platelet-rich plasma microneedles(PRP-MNs) in promoting hair regrowth in mice skin, we sought to perform a thorough and comprehensive transcripotome profiling of PRP-MNs,platelet-rich plasma(PRP) and microneedles(MNs) treatments of mice skin, with nective control(NC).
Project description:Background---For decades, plasma lipid levels have been known risk factors of atherosclerosis. Recently, inflammation has gained acceptance as a crucial event in the pathogenesis and development of atherosclerosis. A number of studies have provided some insights into the relationships between the two aspects of atherosclerosis: plasma lipids --- the risk factors, and circulating leukocytes --- the effectors of inflammation. In this study, we investigate the relationships between plasma lipids and leukocytes. Methods and Results---No significant correlation was found between leukocyte counts and plasma lipid levels in 74 individuals. Profiling and analyzing the leukocyte gene expression of 32 individuals revealed distinctive patterns in response to plasma lipid levels: 1) genes involved in lipid metabolism and in the electron transport chain were positively correlated with triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; 2) genes involved in platelet activation were negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; 3) transcription factors regulating lipidgenesis-related genes were correlated with plasma lipid levels; 4) a number of genes correlated to plasma lipid levels were found located in the regions of known QTLs associated with hyperlipemia. Conclusions--- We discovered interesting patterns of leukocyte gene expression in response to plasma lipid levels. Most importantly, genes involved in lipid metabolism, the electron transportation chain, and platelet activation were found correlated with plasma lipid levels. We suggest that leukocytes respond to changing plasma lipid levels by regulating a network of genes, including genes involved in lipid and fatty acid metabolism, through the activation of key transcription factors, such as sterol regulatory element binding transcription factors and peroxisome proliferative activated receptors. Experiment Overall Design: 1. Profile gene expression in human peripheral blood cells. Experiment Overall Design: 2. Test blood biochemistry and blood cell differential counts Experiment Overall Design: 3. Examine the correlation between blood gene expression and blood lipid levels. Experiment Overall Design: 4. Explore possible pathways with significant genes. Experiment Overall Design: 5. Validate a number of significant genes with RT-PCR
Project description:Mechanisms underlying variability in patient’s responses to platelet transfusions are not fully understood. To characterize platelet transfusion induced changes on plasma proteins, we used plasma proteomics to study the effect of 1) autologous platelet transfusions in healthy volunteers in absence and presence of controlled endotoxemia, and of 2) allogenic platelet transfusions in haemato-oncologic patients. Longitudinal plasma profiling revealed intra-individual variation in healthy volunteers, but no impact of autologous transfusions. Controlled endotoxemia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in healthy volunteers elicited a shared acute phase response across all recipients, which was characterized by increased abundance of two distinct protein clusters. However, this did not result in transfusion-specific responses on plasma protein levels. Likewise, plasma proteomic profiling of paired samples from haemato-oncological patients prior- and post-administration of allogenic transfusions revealed intra-individual variation and a transfusion-specific response that remained limited to platelet basic protein (PPBP). We found a positive association of haptoglobin levels (HP, ρ = 0.61) and a negative association of extracellular superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn] levels (SOD3, ρ = -0.62) prior transfusion to corrected count increments (CCI) at 1h and 24h, respectively. Taken together, platelet transfusions did not induce specific changes in plasma protein levels in controlled endotoxemia but were associated with increased levels of platelet-associated proteins in haemato-oncological patients. Importantly, no additional changes in plasma protein profiles, which could be associated with inflammation or dysregulated processes, were observed following platelet transfusions.
Project description:After mapping to transcriptome using bowtie2 and peak calling by RNA peak caller (cfPeak), count matrix was created by merge 3 pairs of samples. EV-sorting small RNA sites in normal human plasma total RNA-seq were annotated by comparing differentially expressed peaks (EV vs. EV-depleted Plasma).
Project description:Maternal plasma samples collected longitudinally from pregnant women were profiled using SomaLogic aptamer-based assays in women with normal pregnancy and those who delivered preterm. DiagnosisGA is the gestational age at diagnosis with any disease indicated by the Group variable, and it is set to NA for normal pregnancies. In the Group variable, sPTD stands for spontaneous preterm delivery, and PPROM for preterm premature rupture of membranes. Additional longitudinal samples of the controls, including the two samples included herein, are also available and described in PMID: 28738067.