Project description:By integrating data on the immune profiles of healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs we estimated the variance in CD25 expression by naïve Th cells to be largely driven by genetic and shared early environmental influences. Nonetheless, the Th cell subset expanded in MS twins, which was also elevated in non-twin MS patients , emerged independent of the individual genetic makeup. These cells expressed CNS-homing receptors, exhibited a dysregulated CD25-IL-2 axis, and their proliferative capacity positively correlated with MS severity . Together, the pair-matched analysis of the extended twin approach allowed us to discern genetically- and environmentally- determined features of an MS-associated immune signature.
Project description:Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) and is correlated with disease activity and progression. Vitamin D treatment has emerged as potentially protective, even though results from randomized controlled trials are conflicting. Here, we used single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) coupled with barcoded antibodies targeting surface markers (CITE-seq) to discover candidate genes and pathways regulated in PBMC subpopulations from MS patients treated with high-dose vitamin D (n=5) or placebo (n=5). Best candidates were combined with genes involved in immune function and vitamin D metabolism for validation in a new cohort (n=8 in each group) by high-throughput qPCR (HT-qPCR) in naive CD4, Th1, Th17, Treg, naive CD8, memory and naive B cells, and MAIT cells, sorted by FACS. CITE-seq showed no significant changes in the proportions of these subpopulations in vitamin D-treated patients. Of the 92 candidate genes revealed by CITE-seq, differential expression of five genes (UXT, SNRPN, SUB1, GNLY and KLF6) was validated by HT-qPCR. CITE-seq also revealed the regulation of several pathways by vitamin D in naive and memory B cells, including MAPK, TLR and interleukin pathways, that contribute to counteract EBV-induced resistance to apoptosis through inhibition of the NF-kB pathway.
Project description:To gain insight into the etiopathogenesis of Multiple sclerosis (MS) we investigated gene expression changes in CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes from monozygotic twins (MZ) discordant for relapsing remitting MS. We studied 4 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for disease, with the affected co-twin free of disease modifying therapies (F/M = 3/1, mean age 36.25±3.9). Following leukapheresis, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were separated and studied by Affymetrix GeneChip®
Project description:The expression level for 15 887 transcripts in lymphoblastoid cell lines from 19 monozygotic twin pairs (10 male, 9 female) were analysed for the effects of genotype and sex. On an average, the effect of twin pairs explained 31% of the variance in normalized gene expression levels, consistent with previous broad sense heritability estimates. The effect of sex on gene expression levels was most noticeable on the X chromosome, which contained 15 of the 20 significantly differentially expressed genes. A high concordance was observed between the sex difference test statistics and surveys of genes escaping X chromosome inactivation. Notably, several autosomal genes showed significant differences in gene expression between the sexes despite much of the cellular environment differences being effectively removed in the cell lines. A publicly available gene expression data set from the CEPH families was used to validate the results. The heritability of gene expression levels as estimated from the two data sets showed a highly significant positive correlation, particularly when both estimates were close to one and thus had the smallest standard error. There was a large concordance between the genes significantly differentially expressed between the sexes in the two data sets. Analysis of the variability of probe binding intensities within a probe set indicated that results are robust to the possible presence of polymorphisms in the target sequences. Keywords: Monozygotic twin pair Expression Profiles Genome-wide gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines was determined using microarrays derived from 15 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (10 male, 9 female). 10 twin pair are discordant, 4 are concordant for a disease phenotype and their are 5 controls which have no disease phenotype. This data set was analyzed to interrupt replicated effects of sex and genotype, not disease characteristics. Subsets of these samples have been analyzed separately for disease characteristics, (GSE7036 M-bM-^@M-^S 3 MZ twins discordant for bipolar disorder) and (GSE7486 - 5 discordant and 4 concordant MZ twin pairs with idiopathic absence epilepsies and 5 unaffected MZ twin pairs).
Project description:Objective: To identify genes involved in idiopathic absence epilepsies by analysing gene expression using a monozygotic (MZ) twin design. Methods: Genome-wide gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines was determined using microarrays derived from five discordant and four concordant MZ twin pairs with idiopathic absence epilepsies and five unaffected MZ twin pairs. Gene expression was analysed using three strategies: discordant MZ twins were compared as matched pairs, MZ twins concordant for epilepsy were compared to control MZ twins, and a singleton design of affected versus unaffected MZ twin individuals was used irrespective of twin pairing. An overlapping gene list was generated from these analyses. Dysregulation of genes recognised from the microarray experiment were validated using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) in the twin sample and in an independent sample of 18 sporadic absence cases and 24 healthy controls. Results: Sixty-five probe sets were identified from the microarray analysis strategies. Sixteen genes were chosen for validation and nine of these genes confirmed by qRT-PCR in the twin sample. Differential expression of the immediate early gene EGR1 and RCN2, coding for the calcium-binding protein Reticulocalbin 2, was re-confirmed by qRT-PCR in the independent sample. Interpretation: Using a unique sample of discordant MZ twins, our study identified genes with altered expression, which suggest novel mechanisms in idiopathic absence epilepsy. Dysregulation of EGR1 and RCN2 might represent common transcriptional alterations in idiopathic absence epilepsy. Keywords: Childhood Absence Epilepsy, Juvenile Absence Epilepsy, Idiopathic Generalised Epilepsy, gene expression, twin study, monozygotic twins
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of 12 paired monozygotic twin samples. The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 450,000 CpGs in 12 paired monozygotic twin samples.