Kidney whole-transcriptome profiling in primary antiphospholipid syndrome reveals complement, interferons and NETs-related gene expression.

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) remains poorly elucidated. We aimed to evaluate for the first time, kidney transcriptome profiles in primary APS vs systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and control subjects. METHODS: We performed RNA-sequencing on archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney biopsies from APS (n = 4) SLE (n = 5), and control (n = 3) individuals, differential gene expression analysis (DGEA), and enrichment analysis using gene ontology (GO), and CORUM, KEGG and Reactome pathway databases. RESULTS: Two-dimensional projection showed a distinct gene profile in primary APS vs control kidneys samples, but similar to SLE. DGEA in APS vs controls returned 276 upregulated and 217 downregulated genes, while the comparison between APS and SLE identified 75 upregulated and 111 downregulated genes. In 276 upregulated genes, enriched GO terms were (innate) immune response, inflammatory response, leucocyte and lymphocyte activation, cytokine production and T cell activation. CORUM and KEGG revealed complement-related genes (C3, C4A, C4B). Expression levels showed logFC values of 2.25 (p= 1.58e-05) for C3, 2.17 (p= 2.69e-06) for C4A, and 2.135 (p= 3.7e-06) for C4B in APS vs controls, without differences between APS and SLE. Interferon (IFN) alpha/beta signalling was revealed by Reactome. Expression levels of nine IFN-regulated genes found upregulated in APS vs control kidneys (p-values ≤ 0.001 for all). Examining neutrophil-extracellular traps (NETs)-related gene expression, 13 of 15 upregulated NETs-related genes exhibited higher expression in APS vs controls but not vs SLE. CONCLUSION: Complement, interferon and NETs-related genes are highly expressed in APS kidney tissues, similarly to SLE, pointing out the role of innate immunity in APS nephropathy pathogenesis and potential treatment targets.

Calreticulin mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms and new methodology for their detection and monitoring.

The diagnosis of the BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), namely polycythemia vera, essential thombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis has relied significantly on the detection of known causative mutations in the JAK2 or MPL genes, which account for the majority of MPN patients. However, around 30 % of patients with MPN, primarily essential thombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis, lack mutations in these two genes making it difficult to reach a confident diagnosis in these cases. The recent discovery of frameshift mutations in CALR in approximately 70 % of MPN patients lacking the JAK2 and MPL mutations offers a reliable diagnostic marker for the latter group. A review of the current literature, plus unpublished data from our laboratory, shows that 55 different CALR insertion/deletion mutations have been identified so far in MPN patients. Among these 55 variants reported to date, a 52-base pair deletion and a 5-base pair insertion are by far the most prominent representing 50 and 35 %, respectively, of all cases with CALR mutations. In this paper, we describe a high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and a Taqman® Real-Time PCR (RQ-PCR) assay and we propose a new clinical laboratory diagnostic algorithm for CALR mutation analysis. According to this algorithm, samples can go through front-line screening with HMR or fragment analysis, followed by the newly developed RQ-PCR to both discriminate and quantify the two most common mutations in CALR gene.

Intestinal epithelial cells as producers but not targets of chronic TNF suffice to cause murine Crohn-like pathology.

TNF plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Crohn disease. Dysregulated TNF production in mice that bear the genetic deletion of the TNF AU-rich regulatory elements (ARE) (Tnf(ΔARE/+) mice) results in TNF receptor I (TNFRI)-dependent spontaneous Crohn-like pathology. Current concepts consider intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) responses to TNF to be critical for intestinal pathology, but the potential contribution of IEC-derived TNF in disease pathogenesis has not been addressed. In this study we examined whether IEC are sufficient as cellular targets or sources of TNF in the development of intestinal pathology. Using IEC-specific reactivation of a hypomorphic Tnf(ΔAREneo) allele in mice, we show that selective chronic overproduction of TNF by IEC suffices to cause full development of Crohn-like pathology. Epithelial TNF overexpression leads to early activation of the underlying intestinal myofibroblast, a cell type previously identified as a sufficient target of TNF for disease development in the Tnf(ΔARE) model. By contrast, restricted TNFRI expression on IEC although sufficient to confer IEC apoptosis after acute exogenous TNF administration, fails to induce pathology following chronic specific targeting of IEC by endogenous TNF in Tnf(ΔARE/+) mice. Our results argue against IEC being early and sufficient responders to chronic TNF-mediated pathogenic signals and suggest that proinflammatory aberrations leading to chronic TNF production by IEC may initiate pathology in Crohn disease.

Blood Transcriptomes of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody-Positive Healthy Individuals Who Experienced Asymptomatic Versus Clinical Infection.

The reasons behind the clinical variability of SARS-CoV-2 infection, ranging from asymptomatic infection to lethal disease, are still unclear. We performed genome-wide transcriptional whole-blood RNA sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and PCR validation to test the hypothesis that immune response-related gene signatures reflecting baseline may differ between healthy individuals, with an equally robust antibody response, who experienced an entirely asymptomatic (n=17) versus clinical SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=15) in the past months (mean of 14 weeks). Among 12.789 protein-coding genes analysed, we identified six and nine genes with significantly decreased or increased expression, respectively, in those with prior asymptomatic infection relatively to those with clinical infection. All six genes with decreased expression (IFIT3, IFI44L, RSAD2, FOLR3, PI3, ALOX15), are involved in innate immune response while the first two are interferon-induced proteins. Among genes with increased expression six are involved in immune response (GZMH, CLEC1B, CLEC12A), viral mRNA translation (GCAT), energy metabolism (CACNA2D2) and oxidative stress response (ENC1). Notably, 8/15 differentially expressed genes are regulated by interferons. Our results suggest that subtle differences at baseline expression of innate immunity-related genes may be associated with an asymptomatic disease course in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Whether a certain gene signature predicts, or not, those who will develop a more efficient immune response upon exposure to SARS-CoV-2, with implications for prioritization for vaccination, warrant further study.

Genetic dissection of the cellular pathways and signaling mechanisms in modeled tumor necrosis factor-induced Crohn's-like inflammatory bowel disease.

Recent clinical evidence demonstrated the importance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the development of Crohn's disease. A mouse model for this pathology has previously been established by engineering defects in the translational control of TNF mRNA (Tnf(Delta)(ARE) mouse). Here, we show that development of intestinal pathology in this model depends on Th1-like cytokines such as interleukin 12 and interferon gamma and requires the function of CD8(+) T lymphocytes. Tissue-specific activation of the mutant TNF allele by Cre/loxP-mediated recombination indicated that either myeloid- or T cell-derived TNF can exhibit full pathogenic capacity. Moreover, reciprocal bone marrow transplantation experiments using TNF receptor-deficient mice revealed that TNF signals are equally pathogenic when directed independently to either bone marrow-derived or tissue stroma cell targets. Interestingly, TNF-mediated intestinal pathology was exacerbated in the absence of MAPKAP kinase 2, yet strongly attenuated in a Cot/Tpl2 or JNK2 kinase-deficient genetic background. Our data establish the existence of redundant cellular pathways operating downstream of TNF in inflammatory bowel disease, and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of selective kinase blockade in TNF-mediated intestinal pathology.

Role of beta7 integrin and the chemokine/chemokine receptor pair CCL25/CCR9 in modeled TNF-dependent Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In the present work, we address the requirement for intestinal-specific homing molecules, the chemokine/chemokine receptor pair CCL25/CCR9 and beta7 integrin, in the pathogenesis of the CD8(+) T cell-dependent Tnf(DeltaARE) mouse model of Crohn's-like inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: We investigated by flow cytometry lymphocyte recruitment in the intestinal epithelium and lamina propria (LP); cytokine production by intraepithelial and LP lymphocytes; and peripheral expression of CCR9, alpha4beta7, and alphaEbeta7 integrin. The functional significance of CCL25/CCR9 and beta7 integrin in inflammatory lymphocyte recruitment and intestinal disease development was assessed in Tnf(DeltaARE) mice genetically lacking these molecules. RESULTS: Intestinal inflammation in the Tnf(DeltaARE) mice is associated with early reduction of CD8alphaalpha-expressing intraepithelial lymphocytes, decreased T helper cell 1 and increased T helper cell 17 responses by LP CD4(+) lymphocytes, increased alphaEbeta7 integrin expression in peripheral activated/memory intestinal-homing CD8alphabeta lymphocytes, and predominance of tumor necrosis factor/interferon-gamma-producing CD8alphabeta lymphocytes in the epithelium. Although CCL25/CCR9 have been strongly implicated in T-lymphocyte recruitment to the small intestine, inflammatory pathology develops unperturbed in the genetic absence of CCL25/CCR9. Furthermore, CD8alphabeta lymphocyte recruitment in the intestinal epithelium and inflammatory infiltration in the LP are not impaired in CCR9- or CCL25-deficient Tnf(DeltaARE) mice. In contrast, genetic ablation of beta7 integrin results in complete amelioration of intestinal pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that development of intestinal inflammation in the Tnf(DeltaARE) mice is critically dependent on beta7 integrin-mediated T-lymphocyte recruitment, whereas the function of the CCL25/CCR9 axis appears dispensable in this model.

Somatic mutations of the tyrosine kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor response to TKIs in non-small cell lung cancer: an analytical database.

BACKGROUND: After the discovery of somatic mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (exons 18-24) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) correlating with responses of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) gefitinib and erlotinib, there has been increasing interest in utilizing this molecular marker for treatment selection. We aimed to analytically catalogue the mutational spectrum of somatic mutations in EGFR and format a database allowing correlation of specific mutations with clinico-pathologic factors and response to TKIs. METHODS: A computerized search of MEDLINE (January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2007) was performed to identify articles reporting on NSCLC patients harboring somatic mutations in EGFR. Demographic, clinico-pathologic, mutational, and response data were extracted and tabulated. RESULTS: A total of 202 eligible articles were identified. We report data on 12,244 patients with 3381 somatic EGFR mutations. The majority of mutations have been reported on only one occasion (158 of 254, 62.2%), and only nine mutations occur at a rate of >or=1%. L858R and delE746-A750 account for 32.84% and 24.28% of all mutations, respectively; with 50% of mutations being exon 19 deletions or "deletional-insertions." There is a clear association between the presence of mutations and response to TKI. CONCLUSIONS: We have generated a free access, nonprofit online analytical database of somatic EGFR mutations in NSCLC. Cumulative information will be made available through a routine update of both database tables and associated graphical representations. Direct updates and submissions through the online site (www.somaticmutations-EGFR.org) are encouraged, as are comments and suggestions.