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:In cattle, harnessing information from the maternal blood to predict fetal health and development is attractive yet scarcely explored. We hypothesised that variations in fetal growth at the end of the organogenesis period impact on the molecular profile of fetal organs and is reflected in the maternal blood transcriptome. The objectives were to determine the transcriptomic modifications in maternal blood and in fetal liver, gonads, and heart according to fetal weight and to model a molecular signature based on the fetal organs allowing the prediction of fetal weight from the maternal blood transcriptome. In addition to a contemporaneous maternal blood sample, organ samples were collected from 10 male fetuses at day 42 day of gestation for RNA-sequencing. Fetal weight ranged from 1.25 to 1.69 gr (mean 1.44 ± 0.15 gr). Data were analysed through co-expression cluster analysis to identify biologically relevant genes dynamically changing according to fetal weight in each fetal organ and in maternal blood. Results revealed clusters of genes, the expression of which was positively correlated with fetal weight, and which enriched ontological terms involved in the organ functionality. For the heart, the 1346 co-expressed genes were involved in energy generation and protein synthesis. For the gonads, the 1042 co-expressed genes enriched seminiferous tubule development. The 459 co-expressed genes identified in the liver were associated with lipid synthesis and metabolism. Finally, the cluster of 571 co-expressed genes determined in maternal blood enriched oxidative phosphorylation and thermogenesis. The expression patterns of the common genes between the clusters in each fetal organ and the cluster in maternal blood were employed to construct a predictive regression model of fetal weight. The data from the fetal organs were used to train the model, and the data from the maternal blood were used to test it. The best prediction was achieved when the model was trained with the 35 common genes between heart and maternal blood (root mean square error=0.04, R-square=0.93). In conclusion, linking transcriptomic information from maternal blood with that from the fetal heart unveils maternal blood as a sensor of fetal development.

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Homo sapiens

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