Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Homo sapiens inflammatory skin diseases (whole skin biospies): Psoriasis (Pso), vs Atopic Dermatitis (AD) vs Lichen planus (Li), vs Contact Eczema (KE), vs Healthy control (KO) In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation. In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.
Project description:Cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of death in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and intracranial aneurysm (ICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage is among the most serious complications. The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for ICAs in ADPKD have not been fully established. We here generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from seven ADPKD patients, including four with ICAs. The vascular cells differentiated from ADPKD-iPSCs showed altered Ca2+ entry and gene expression profiles compared with those from control-iPSCs. We found that the expression level of a metalloenzyme gene, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, was specifically elevated in the iPSC-derived endothelia from ADPKD patients with ICAs. Furthermore, we confirmed a statistically significant correlation between the serum MMP1 levels and the development of ICAs in 354 ADPKD patients, indicating that the serum MMP1 levels may be a novel risk factor and become more beneficial when combined with other risk factors. These results suggest that cellular disease models with ADPKD-specific iPSCs can be used to study the disease mechanisms and to identify novel disease-related molecules or risk factors. The gene expression profiles of vascular endothelia and smooth muscle cells derived from ADPKD-iPSCs were analyzed. Seven ADPKD-iPSC derived ECs, and seven ADPKD-iPSC derived SMCs were analyzed.
Project description:Cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of death in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and intracranial aneurysm (ICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage is among the most serious complications. The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for ICAs in ADPKD have not been fully established. We here generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from seven ADPKD patients, including four with ICAs. The vascular cells differentiated from ADPKD-iPSCs showed altered Ca2+ entry and gene expression profiles compared with those from control-iPSCs. We found that the expression level of a metalloenzyme gene, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, was specifically elevated in the iPSC-derived endothelia from ADPKD patients with ICAs. Furthermore, we confirmed a statistically significant correlation between the serum MMP1 levels and the development of ICAs in 354 ADPKD patients, indicating that the serum MMP1 levels may be a novel risk factor and become more beneficial when combined with other risk factors. These results suggest that cellular disease models with ADPKD-specific iPSCs can be used to study the disease mechanisms and to identify novel disease-related molecules or risk factors. The gene expression profiles of vascular endothelia and smooth muscle cells derived from control- and ADPKD-iPSCs were analyzed. Seven control-iPSC derived endothelial cells (ECs), seven ADPKD-iPSC derived ECs, ten control-iPSC derived vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and seven ADPKD-iPSC derived SMCs were analyzed.
Project description:Cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of death in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and intracranial aneurysm (ICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage is among the most serious complications. The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for ICAs in ADPKD have not been fully established. We here generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from seven ADPKD patients, including four with ICAs. The vascular cells differentiated from ADPKD-iPSCs showed altered Ca2+ entry and gene expression profiles compared with those from control-iPSCs. We found that the expression level of a metalloenzyme gene, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, was specifically elevated in the iPSC-derived endothelia from ADPKD patients with ICAs. Furthermore, we confirmed a statistically significant correlation between the serum MMP1 levels and the development of ICAs in 354 ADPKD patients, indicating that the serum MMP1 levels may be a novel risk factor and become more beneficial when combined with other risk factors. These results suggest that cellular disease models with ADPKD-specific iPSCs can be used to study the disease mechanisms and to identify novel disease-related molecules or risk factors.