Project description:Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST Array was applied to compare the expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) between healthy controls and multiple sclerosis patients(MS pt). It suggested that certain genes involved in apoptosis pathway have been changed regulated in PBMC from MS pt. Applying Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST Array and the mixed effects model for gene set analysis, we compared gene expression profiles between 8 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 4 healthy controls (HC).
Project description:Background Despite compelling evidence that cigarette smoking impacts the risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS), little is known about smoking-associated changes in the primary exposed cells in the lung of patients. We aimed to examine molecular changes occurring in pulmonary immune cells from MS patients in relation to smoking and in comparison to healthy controls (HC). Methods We profiled genome-wide DNA methylation (5mC) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells collected from female MS patients (9 smokers, 8 non-smokers) and healthy volunteers (10 smokers, 12 non-smokers), using Illumina Infinium EPIC arrays on conventional (BS) and oxidative (oxBS) bisulfite DNA. We profiled gene expression using RNA-sequencing in non-smoker MS patients and controls. Findings The most prominent changes were found in relation to smoking, with 1376 BS-differentially methylated positions (DMPs), 131 5mC-DMPs and 4 5hmC-DMP (adjusted P < 0.05) differing between MS smokers and non-smokers. Approximately 30% of the affected genes overlapped with smoking-associated changes in HC, leading to a strong common smoking signature in both MS and HC after gene ontology analysis. Smoking in MS patients resulted in additional discrete changes related to neuronal processes. To further explore MS-specific signature, we performed RNA sequencing in BAL cells from non-smoker MS patients and controls. Overall, methylome and transcriptome analyses in non-smokers suggest that BAL cells from MS patients display very subtle but concordant changes associated to genes connected to reduced transcriptional/translational processes and enhanced cellular adhesion and migration, further corroborating findings from animal studies. Interpretation Our study provides new insights into the impact of smoking on lung inflammation in the immunopathogenesis of MS. -
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:Objective: To evaluate gene expression profiles in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who improved their fatigue status after a program of physical exercise and to compare them with healthy controls (HC). Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted. Gene expression in whole blood was profiled at baseline in 7 healthy controls and also in 7 fatigued-MS patients. Patients underwent a physical exercise program for 6 months, and their fatigue status and gene expression profiles were again analyzed at the end of this program. Results: MS patients showed a significant activation of genes participating in the systemic interferon response in comparison with healthy controls. Fatigue improved at the end of the physical activity program, and, in parallel, systemic activation of interferon related genes disappeared. Conclusions: Fatigue improvement following an exercise program is associated to down modulation of interferon activity at the systemic level in MS patients. Our results provide a biological basis for the observed benefit of physical exercise in MS.
Project description:Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) were harvested from subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with obesity or healthy controls and expanded for 3-4 passages, and 5hmC profiles were examined through hydroxymethylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (hMeDIP-seq). We hypothesized that obesity and cardiovascular risk factors induce functionally-relevant, locus-specific changes in overall exonic coverage of 5hmC in human adipose-derived MSCs.
Project description:This study examined the miRNA expression level in exosomal derived from the plasma of first episode schizophrenia (FOS) patients and Healthy controls (HC), and explored the the potential of exosomes as biomarkers for schizophrenia. This study examined the lncRNA expression level in exosomal derived from the plasma of first episode schizophrenia (FOS) patients and Healthy controls (HC), and explored the the potential of exosomes as biomarkers for schizophrenia. This study examined the mRNA expression level in exosomal derived from the plasma of first episode schizophrenia (FOS) patients and Healthy controls (HC), and explored the the potential of exosomes as biomarkers for schizophrenia.
Project description:In this study, we evaluated the common proteomic profile, as well as, the exclusively deregulated proteins in ON cells from healthy controls cannabis users (HC/c), SCZ patients non-cannabis users (SCZ/nc) and SCZ patients cannabis users (SCZ/c) as compared to healthy controls non-cannabis users (HC/nc). Moreover, we investigated quantitative and functional differences between HC/c and SCZ, and we characterized the distinct effect of cannabis in SCZ comparing SCZ/nc and SCZ/c.
Project description:RNA-seq was performed using RNA extracted from blasted CD4+ T cells from individuals with TCF3 (haploinsufficiency [HI], null, or dominant negative [DN] mutations and healthy controls for the following study groups: healthy controls (HC, n=4) and patients with TCF3 mutations (HI=4, null=1, DN=1 ). Libraries were prepared using the AmpliSeq for Illumina Transcriptome Human Gene Expression panel. RNA-seq was performed on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 (Illumina; AmpliSeq for Illumina/HiSeq 2500). Demultiplexed reads were mapped to the hg19 genome using the splice-aware aligner Tophat (Trapnell et al., 2009). Gene-level counts data were generated using the Rsubread feature counts a read summarization program that counts mapped reads for genomic features such as genes (Liao et al., 2019). Differential expression analysis was performed using R (v.3.5.3) and DESeq2 (v.1.22.2)(Love et al., 2014).
Project description:CCR9+ Tfh-like pathogenic T helper (Th) cells are elevated in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) and indicated to play a role in pSS immunopathology. CCR9+, CXCR5+ and CCR9-CXCR5- (double negative, DN) Th cells from blood of 7 healthy controls (HC) and 7 pSS patients were FACS sorted and RNA sequencing was performed. Our aim is to delineate the CCR9+ Th cell-specific transcriptome to study the molecular dysregulation of these cells in pSS patients. Transcriptomic analysis of circulating CCR9+ Th cells reveals CCR9-specific pathways involved in effector T cell function, equally expressed in pSS patients and HC. Given the increased numbers of CCR9+ Th cells in the blood and inflamed glands of pSS patients and presence of inflammatory stimuli to activate these cells this suggests that CCR9-specific functions, such as cell recruitment upon CCL5 secretion, could significantly contribute to immunopathology in pSS.
Project description:To evaluate whether TB infections are associated with any lncRNA signatures in humans, we therefore used human lncRNAs microarray and hierarchical clustering analyses to compare lncRNAs expression in active TB patients and healthy controls. From 15,683 denoted lncRNAs, 5076 lncRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed (TB/HC > 2 or TB/HC< 0.5) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) between TB and healthy subjects.