Project description:Background and Aims: Individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, although underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. We sought to identify a potential gene expression signature in non-dysplastic distal mucosa that as a “genetic field effect” could be a marker for remote neoplastic lesions. Results: 468 genes were significantly up-regulated and 541 genes were significantly down-regulated >2-fold in UC patients with neoplasia compared to UC patients without neoplasia. Nine genes (ACSL1, BIRC3, CLC, CREM, ELTD1, FGG, S100A9, THBD, and TPD52L1) were progressively and significantly up-regulated from controls to quiescent non-dysplastic UC to UC with neoplasia. Immunostaining of proteins revealed increases in tissue expression of S100A9 and REG1 in UC-associated cancer and in non-dysplastic tissue from UC patients harboring remote neoplasia, compared to UC patients without dysplasia and normal controls. Conclusions: Gene expression changes occur as a field effect in UC patients without active inflammation who harbor a remote dysplastic lesion. Further characterization of these genes and proteins might elucidate pathways of carcinogenesis in IBD and lead to the development of more accurate, less invasive markers of dysplasia in those at increased risk. Microarray assay were conducted on 20 RNA samples isolated from colon mucosa of 20 patients. Of these patients, 5 were normal controls, 4 had quiescent UC, and 11 had UC with neoplasia. Patients were included if they had a previous clinical diagnosis of UC confirmed by an expert GI pathologist, a disease duration > 7 years, and an extent of disease >20 cm proximal to the anal verge.
Project description:To acquire a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of pediatric UC with different disease extent, we performed mRNA microarray studies to compare gene expression of patients with extensive UC vs. that of patients with limited UC. No significant difference was observed in mRNA expression between extensive and limited UC in pediatric patients.
Project description:The samples are a part of a study aiming at diagnosing ulcerative colitis from genome-wide gene expression analysis of the colonic mucosa. Colonic mucosal samples were collected as endoscopic pinch biopsies from ulcerative colitis patients and from control subjects. Samples with and without macroscopic signs of inflammation were collected from the patients. Experiment Overall Design: The series contain eight UC samples with macroscopic signs of inflammation, 13 UC smaples without macroscopic signs of inflammation, five control subjects.
Project description:Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by disruption of the epithelial barrier, and its etiology has long been enigmatic. We here observed a significant depletion of macrophages directly beneath the UC epithelial layer, and hypothesized that this depletion may be caused by a toxic bacteria. By screening fecal bacteria of UC patients, we identified the causative bacteria as Aeromonas spp MTB (macrophage-toxic bacteria), a novel variant of Aeromonas genus. The expressed aerolysin was preferentially toxic towards macrophages, and severs as a primary virulent factor. MTB efficiently colonized mice after pretreatment with DSS and antibiotics, and thereby induced UC-like colitis. Moreover, both aerolysin toxin and fecal MTB respectively distributed in UC colon tissue and stool with high frequency. We thus proposed that MTB infection was causally linked to ulcerative colitis. As aerolysin antibody mitigated the colitis phenotypes, our result also revealed an innovative therapeutic approach for UC.
Project description:Background: This study addresses whether existing specific transcriptional profiles can improve and support the current status of the definition of ulcerative colitis (UC) remission apart from the existing endoscopic, histologic, and laboratory scoring systems. For that purpose, a well-stratified UC patient population in remission was compared to active UC and control patients and was investigated by applying the next-generation technology RNA-Seq. Methods: Mucosal biopsies from patients in remission (n = 14), patients with active UC (n = 14), and healthy control patients (n = 16) underwent whole-transcriptome RNA-Seq. Principal component analysis, cell deconvolution methods, gene profile enrichment, and pathway enrichment methods were applied to define a specific transcriptional signature of UC in remission. Results: Analyses revealed specific transcriptional signatures for UC in remission with increased expression of genes involved in O-glycosylation (MUC17, MUC3A, MUC5AC, MUC12, SPON1, B3GNT3), ephrin-mediated repulsion of cells (EFNB2E, EFNA3, EPHA10, EPHA1), GAP junction trafficking (TUBA1C, TUBA4A, TUBB4B, GJB3, CLTB), and decreased expression of several toll-like receptors (TLR1, TLR3, TLR5, TLR6). Conclusions: This study reveals specific transcriptional signatures for remission. Partial restoration and improvement of homeostasis in the epithelial mucus layer and revival of immunological functions were observed. A clear role for bacterial gut flora composition can be implied. The results can be useful for the development of treatment strategies for UC in remission and may be useful targets for further investigations aiming to predict the outcome of UC in the future.
Project description:Background and Aims: The diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease (CD), relies on clinical and pathologic criteria. Non-invasive precision medicine tools to diagnose IBD and discriminate between UC and CD are needed to personalize management. Serum proteomics identified protein biomarkers capable of diagnosing IBD and differentiating Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis subtypes. Methods: We obtained serum samples from 47 IBD and non-IBD patients seen in a tertiary care pediatric gastroenterology clinic and applied SomaScan proteomics to measure 1,305 proteins to discriminate between IBD and non-IBD and UC and CD. Four proteins were further validated by immunoassays in two cohorts of 295 and 105 individuals and multi-protein predictors were developed using Support Vector Machines (SVM). Findings: The SomaScan discovery phase identified 95 serum protein biomarkers (BH p<0.01) that differentiated IBD from non-IBD and 70 proteins (p<0.01) that distinguished UC from CD. Pathway analysis linked specific inflammatory processes and vascular functions to IBD and UC versus CD. An 8-protein classifier achieved an AUC of 0.95 for identifying IBD. Significant elevation of four key predictor proteins (MMP1, MMP3, Resistin, Haptoglobin) in IBD was validated by ELISA in the expanded cohort (N=295). The 4-protein SVM predictor achieved an AUC of 0.86 and 0.90 for IBD discrimination in two independent cohorts. A separate 4-protein SVM predictor for differentiating UC from CD achieved an AUC of 0.93 in independent validation. Interpretation: Patients with pediatric-onset IBD have a unique serum protein signature associated with pro-inflammatory and vascular pathways. Additional studies are needed to determine whether these dysregulated proteins can be used in conjunction with traditional risk factors to support non-invasive biomarkers that identify IBD and discriminate between its subtypes. The diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn's disease (CD), relies on clinical and pathologic criteria. Non-invasive precision medicine tools to diagnose IBD and discriminate between UC and CD are needed to personalize management. Serum proteomics identified protein biomarkers capable of diagnosing IBD and differentiating Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis subtypes. Methods We obtained serum samples from 47 IBD and non-IBD patients seen in a tertiary care pediatric gastroenterology clinic and applied SomaScan proteomics to measure 1,305 proteins to discriminate between IBD and non-IBD and UC and CD. Four proteins were further validated by immunoassays in two cohorts of 295 and 105 individuals and multi-protein predictors were developed using Support Vector Machines (SVM). Findings Som The SomaScan discovery phase identified 95 serum protein biomarkers (BH p<0.01) that differentiated IBD from non-IBD and 70 proteins (p<0.01) that distinguished UC from CD. Pathway analysis linked specific inflammatory processes and vascular functions to IBD and UC versus CD. An 8-protein classifier achieved an AUC of 0.95 for identifying IBD. Significant elevation of four key predictor proteins (MMP1, MMP3, Resistin, Haptoglobin) in IBD was validated by ELISA in the expanded cohort (N=295). The 4-protein SVM predictor achieved an AUC of 0.86 and 0.90 for IBD discrimination in two independent cohorts. A separate 4-protein SVM predictor for differentiating UC from CD achieved an AUC of 0.93 in independent validation. Interpretation Patients with pediatric-onset IBD have a unique serum protein signature associated with pro-inflammatory and vascular pathways. Additional studies are needed to determine whether these dysregulated proteins can be used in conjunction with traditional risk factors to support non-invasive biomarkers that identify IBD and discriminate between its subtypes.
Project description:Gene expression patterns of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) colonic specimens were analyzed using whole-genome microarrays. Healthy control samples were included in order to detect gene expression changes associated with CD or UC. CD and UC samples were also compared in order to identify the molecular mechanisms that distinguish both fenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease. Total RNA obtained from intestinal biopsies were analyzed using whole-genome microarrays.
Project description:IBS: Patients who have undergone a diagnostic program for gastrointestinal symptoms and where the diagnosis irritable bowel syndrome was reached. UC: Patients with well-diagnosed ulcerative colitis Keywords: other
Project description:Samples were taken from either surgically resected specimens or during surveillance colonoscopic examination. The expression profiles were determined using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Comparison between the sample groups allow to identify a set of discriminating genes that can be used for molecular markers for predicting development of cancer and/or dysplasia in ulcerative colitis, and to characterize potential diagnostic markers in UC-associated neoplasm. Experiment Overall Design: 43 UC-NonCa, 10 UC-Ca, 60 sporadic-Ca and 6 UC-associated Ca were analyzed