ABSTRACT
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a gastrointestinal inflammatory disease caused by malnutrition and chronic infection. EED is associated with stunting in children and reduced efficacy of oral vaccines. To study the mechanisms of oral vaccine failure during EED, we developed a microbiota- and diet-dependent mouse EED model. Analysis of E. coli-labile toxin vaccine-specific CD4+ T cells in these mice revealed impaired CD4+ T cell responses in the small intestine and but not the lymph nodes. EED mice exhibited increased frequencies of small intestine-resident RORγT+FOXP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells. Targeted deletion of RORγT from Treg cells restored small intestinal vaccine-specific CD4 T cell responses and vaccine-mediated protection upon challenge. However, ablation of RORγT+FOXP3+ Treg cells made mice more susceptible to EED-induced stunting. Our findings provide insight into the poor efficacy of oral vaccines in EED and highlight how RORγT+FOXP3+ Treg cells can regulate intestinal immunity while leaving systemic responses intact.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins/immunology , Escherichia coli Vaccines/immunology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/immunology , Intestine, Small/immunology , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology , Administration, Oral , Animals , Cell Line , Disease Models, Animal , Drosophila , Escherichia coli/immunology , Female , Forkhead Transcription Factors/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/microbiology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Transgenic , Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3/metabolism , VaccinationABSTRACT
Mutations in receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C) cause severe gastrointestinal disease, including meconium ileus, early onset acute diarrhea, and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease that continues into adulthood. Agonists of GC-C are US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for the treatment of constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Therapeutic strategies targeting GC-C are tested in preclinical mouse models, assuming that murine GC-C mimics human GC-C in its biochemical properties and downstream signaling events. Here, we reveal important differences in ligand-binding affinity and GC activity between mouse GC-C and human GC-C. We generated a series of chimeric constructs of various domains of human and mouse GC-C to show that the extracellular domain of mouse GC-C contributed to log-orders lower affinity of mouse GC-C for ligands than human GC-C. Further, the Vmax of the murine GC domain was lower than that of human GC-C, and allosteric regulation of the receptor by ATP binding to the intracellular kinase-homology domain also differed. These altered properties are reflected in the high concentrations of ligands required to elicit signaling responses in the mouse gut in preclinical models and the specificity of a GC inhibitor towards human GC-C. Therefore, our studies identify considerations in using the murine model to test molecules for therapeutic purposes that work as either agonists or antagonists of GC-C, and vaccines for the bacterial heat-stable enterotoxin that causes watery diarrhea in humans.
Subject(s)
Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled , Animals , Child , Humans , Mice , Diarrhea , Enterotoxins , Guanylate Cyclase/metabolism , Ligands , Receptors, Enterotoxin/genetics , Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled/antagonists & inhibitors , Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled/genetics , Receptors, Guanylate Cyclase-Coupled/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/drug therapy , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
Epithelial cells line the entire surface of the gastrointestinal tract and its accessory organs where they primarily function in transporting digestive enzymes, nutrients, electrolytes, and fluid to and from the luminal contents. At the same time, epithelial cells are responsible for forming a physical and biochemical barrier that prevents the entry into the body of harmful agents, such as bacteria and their toxins. Dysregulation of epithelial transport and barrier function is associated with the pathogenesis of a number of conditions throughout the intestine, such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, pancreatitis, reflux esophagitis, and cancer. Driven by discovery of specific receptors on intestinal epithelial cells, new insights into mechanisms that control their synthesis and enterohepatic circulation, and a growing appreciation of their roles as bioactive bacterial metabolites, bile acids are currently receiving a great deal of interest as critical regulators of epithelial function in health and disease. This review aims to summarize recent advances in this field and to highlight how bile acids are now emerging as exciting new targets for disease intervention.
Subject(s)
Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Intestinal Mucosa/pathology , Intestines/pathology , Animals , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/pathology , HumansABSTRACT
Ferroptosis is a form of nonapoptotic cell death that involves iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation induced by accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and results in plasma membrane damage and the release of damage-associated molecular patterns. Ferroptosis has been implicated in aging and immunity, as well as disease states including intestinal and liver conditions and cancer. To date, several ferroptosis-associated genes and pathways have been implicated in liver disease. Although ferroptotic cell death is associated with dysfunction of the intestinal epithelium, the underlying molecular basis is poorly understood. As the mechanisms regulating ferroptosis become further elucidated, there is clear potential to use ferroptosis to achieve therapeutic benefit.
Subject(s)
Ferroptosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Reactive Oxygen Species , Humans , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/physiopathology , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Animals , Iron/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Lipid PeroxidationABSTRACT
This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the analysis of tubular gastrointestinal biopsies. These publications cover a spectrum of conditions, ranging from inflammatory ailments to malignancies. Moving beyond the conventional diagnosis based on hematoxylin and eosin-stained whole-slide images, the review explores additional implications of AI, including its involvement in interpreting immunohistochemical results, molecular subtyping, and the identification of cellular spatial biomarkers. Furthermore, the review examines how AI can contribute to enhancing the quality and control of diagnostic processes, introducing new workflow options, and addressing the limitations and caveats associated with current AI platforms in this context.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Gastrointestinal Tract , Workflow , Humans , Biopsy/methods , Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology , Gastrointestinal Tract/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosisABSTRACT
Significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the past decade potentially may lead to dramatic effects on clinical practice. Digitized histology represents an area ripe for AI implementation. We describe several current needs within the world of gastrointestinal histopathology, and outline, using currently studied models, how AI potentially can address them. We also highlight pitfalls as AI makes inroads into clinical practice.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Humans , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology , Histocytochemistry/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) affects the fibers involved in cutaneous and visceral pain and temperature sensation and are a crucial part of the autonomic nervous system. Autonomic dysfunction secondary to SFN and autoimmune receptor antibodies is being increasingly recognized, and gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations include constipation, early satiety, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Enteric nervous system involvement may be a possible explanation of abnormal GI motility patterns seen in these patients. METHODS: Children suspected to have SFN based on symptoms underwent skin biopsy at the Child Neurology clinic at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, which was processed at Therapath™ Neuropathology. SFN was diagnosed using epidermal nerve fiber density values that were below 5th percentile from the left distal leg (calf) as reported per Therapath™ laboratory. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were diagnosed with SFN. Retrospective chart review was performed, including demographic data, clinical characteristics, and evaluation. A majority of patients were white adolescent females. Autonomic dysfunction, including orthostasis and temperature dysregulation were seen in 61.5% of patients (p = 0.124). Somatosensory symptoms, including pain or numbness were seen in 85% of patients (p < 0.001). GI symptoms were present in 85% of patients (p < 0.001) with constipation being the most common symptom seen in 50% of patients. This correlated with the motility testing results. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients with SFN commonly have GI symptoms, which may be the main presenting symptom. It is important to recognize and look for symptoms of small fiber neuropathy in children with refractory GI symptoms that may explain multisystemic complaints often seen in these patients.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Diseases , Small Fiber Neuropathy , Female , Adolescent , Humans , Child , Small Fiber Neuropathy/diagnosis , Small Fiber Neuropathy/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Nerve Fibers/pathology , Skin/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Biopsy , Constipation/diagnosis , Constipation/etiology , Constipation/pathologyABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Presence of deep infiltrating bowel endometriosis (DE) is associated with occurrence of dyschezia and gastrointestinal symptoms. The degree of the disease, the lesion length, and the location, that is, lesion-to-anal-verge distance (LAVD) of DE, as well as the severity of the symptoms appear to be correlated. Nevertheless, it is not yet known to what extent the size and LAVD of bowel DE influence the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms. The present study aims to evaluate a possible correlation of lesion location (LAVD) and size (according to the #Enzian classification) with preoperative symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective study, premenopausal patients with histologically confirmed DE undergoing modified limited nerve-vessel sparing rectal segmental bowel resection or full-thickness discoid resection were evaluated. Extent of endometriosis was defined according to the #Enzian classification during surgery. The primary outcome measure was the correlation between lesion size and location with the GI function impairment reflected by presurgical lower anterior resection syndrome (LARS) scores; the secondary outcome was differences in presurgical numeric rating scale pain scores of dyschezia, dyspareunia, and dysmenorrhea as well as the impact of concomitant DE of other locations on symptom intensity. RESULTS: Of 162 consecutive patients, 151 were included in the final analysis. No significant correlation was observed between lesion size (#Enzian compartments C1/C2/C3) or LAVD and GI dysfunction reflected by LARS-like symptoms (p = 0.314 and p = 0.185, respectively) or pain symptoms (dyschezia, p = 0.440; dyspareunia, p = 0.136; and dysmenorrhea p = 0.221). Furthermore, no significant correlation was observed between lesion size and GI dysfunction when merging two severity grades (#Enzian compartments C1 plus C2 vs. C3; p = 0.611). In addition, LAVD did not affect the degree of dyschezia (p = 0.892), dyspareunia (p = 0.395), or dysmenorrhea (p = 0.705). Finally, the presence of concomitant DE lesions infiltrating the vagina/rectovaginal space (#Enzian compartment A) and/or sacrouterine ligaments/parametrium (#Enzian compartment B) did not alter the severity of preoperative dyschezia (p = 0.493) or dysmenorrhea (p = 0.128) but showed a trend toward affecting gastrointestinal function (p = 0.078) and was significantly associated with dyspareunia (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: In present study, we could not find a correlation between colorectal DE lesion size and location (LAVD) and gastrointestinal function impairment or intensity of dyschezia and dysmenorrhea. Additional involvement of vagina/rectovaginal space (#Enzian compartment A) and/or sacrouterine ligaments/parametrium (#Enzian compartment B) exerts a significant impact on the degree of dyspareunia in women with colorectal DE.
Subject(s)
Endometriosis , Humans , Female , Endometriosis/pathology , Endometriosis/complications , Endometriosis/surgery , Adult , Prospective Studies , Rectal Diseases/pathology , Rectal Diseases/surgery , Dysmenorrhea/etiology , Intestinal Diseases/pathology , Intestinal Diseases/surgery , Dyspareunia/etiology , Pain Measurement , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
In the summer of 2023, ingestion of Astylus atromaculatus (pollen beetle) was linked to spontaneous fatal disease in grazing cattle and sheep in Argentina and Uruguay. While the disease was experimentally reproduced in sheep and guinea pigs in the 1970's, no experimental reproductions have been attempted in cattle, and controversy exists as to whether this insect is indeed noxious to cattle and at which dose. Here, we demonstrate that A. atromaculatus causes acute fatal disease in Hereford calves at single oral dosages of 2.5, 4.5, 10.0, and 15.0 g of insect/kg body weight. Death or severe disease necessitating euthanasia occurred at 38 to 48 hours postinoculation regardless of the dose, suggesting that the single fatal dosage is likely <2.5 g/kg body weight (this dose representing approximately 850 mL of intact beetles in a 100 kg calf). Clinically, the disease was characterized by acute anorexia, prolonged recumbency, reluctance to move, listlessness/apathy, depression, ruminal hypomotility and tympany, hypothermia, bruxism with frothing at the mouth, and mucoid diarrhea progressing to death. Hematologic and biochemical alterations included hemoconcentration, stress/acute inflammatory leukogram, negative energy balance, and ketosis. The pathological hallmark of this experimental disease is acute necrotizing omaso-reticulo-rumenitis, fibrinohemorrhagic enteritis, and exfoliative colitis with intralesional chitinous insect fragments. While A. atromaculatus might contain a gastrointestinal toxin or pathogen, extensive toxicological testing failed to identify a causative toxin. Other pathomechanisms such as direct physical damage caused by insect fragments on the alimentary tract seem plausible, although further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of A. atromaculatus-associated disease.
Subject(s)
Cattle Diseases , Coleoptera , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Animals , Gastrointestinal Diseases/veterinary , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/parasitology , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/pathology , Cattle Diseases/parasitology , Administration, Oral , Female , MaleABSTRACT
The MODOMICS database has been, since 2006, a manually curated and centralized resource, storing and distributing comprehensive information about modified ribonucleosides. Originally, it only contained data on the chemical structures of modified ribonucleosides, their biosynthetic pathways, the location of modified residues in RNA sequences, and RNA-modifying enzymes. Over the years, prompted by the accumulation of new knowledge and new types of data, it has been updated with new information and functionalities. In this new release, we have created a catalog of RNA modifications linked to human diseases, e.g., due to mutations in genes encoding modification enzymes. MODOMICS has been linked extensively to RCSB Protein Data Bank, and sequences of experimentally determined RNA structures with modified residues have been added. This expansion was accompanied by including nucleotide 5'-monophosphate residues. We redesigned the web interface and upgraded the database backend. In addition, a search engine for chemically similar modified residues has been included that can be queried by SMILES codes or by drawing chemical molecules. Finally, previously available datasets of modified residues, biosynthetic pathways, and RNA-modifying enzymes have been updated. Overall, we provide users with a new, enhanced, and restyled tool for research on RNA modification. MODOMICS is available at https://iimcb.genesilico.pl/modomics/.
Subject(s)
Databases, Nucleic Acid , Enzymes/genetics , RNA/genetics , Ribonucleosides/genetics , User-Computer Interface , Base Sequence , Cardiovascular Diseases/genetics , Cardiovascular Diseases/metabolism , Cardiovascular Diseases/pathology , Computer Graphics , Databases, Protein , Datasets as Topic , Enzymes/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/genetics , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Hematologic Diseases/genetics , Hematologic Diseases/metabolism , Hematologic Diseases/pathology , Humans , Internet , Mental Disorders/genetics , Mental Disorders/metabolism , Mental Disorders/pathology , Musculoskeletal Diseases/genetics , Musculoskeletal Diseases/metabolism , Musculoskeletal Diseases/pathology , Mutation , Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/metabolism , Neoplasms/pathology , Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics , Neurodegenerative Diseases/metabolism , Neurodegenerative Diseases/pathology , RNA/metabolism , RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional , Ribonucleosides/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Gastrointestinal adverse reaction to food (GARF) is reported frequently in the general population and even more in patients with disorders of the gut brain axis. However, there is a significant difference between self-reported and objective proven GARF. The aim of the study was to characterize a mucosal correlate of GARF by endoscopic confocal laser endomicroscopy (eCLE) with duodenal food challenge (DFC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In an observational and proof of concept study we evaluated 71 patients with disorders of the gut brain axis without (group I, n=19) and with (group II, n=52) GARF by eCLE and DFC. Spontaneous and food induced transfer of fluorescein into duodenal lumen was detected 10 minutes following intravenously application of fluorescein and 10 minutes after DFC. RESULTS: According to Rom IV, the patients (group I/II) could be classified as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 32%/31%, functional abdominal pain without changes in bowel movement 47 %/48 %, functional abdominal bloating/distension 0 %/10 %, functional diarrhea 5 %/ 2 %, and unspecified functional bowel disorder 16 %/10 %, respectively. 21 %/27 % of the patients responded with a fluorescein leakage into the duodenal lumen before and 74 %/69 % following to DFC. Frequency rank order of food components that induced a response were soy (55.5 %/60 %), wheat (60 %/45.5 %), egg (35.7 %/8.3), milk (30 %/18.2 %) and yeast (10 %/6.6 %), respectively. Histology of duodenal biopsies, number, form and distribution of intraepithelial lymphocytes and mucosal mast cells as well as mast cell function were normal. Overall, 14 %/79 % reported main symptom benefit following a food exclusion therapy according to eCLE and DFC that was significant different between the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that eCLE with DFC is a technique to clinically evaluate patients with disorders of the gut brain axis and GARF resulting in a high proportion of patients reporting symptom benefit upon food exclusion dietary advice focussed on the results of eCLE.
Subject(s)
Microscopy, Confocal , Humans , Microscopy, Confocal/methods , Female , Male , Middle Aged , Adult , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology , Aged , Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/adverse effects , Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/methods , Food/adverse effects , Food Hypersensitivity , Intestinal Mucosa/pathologyABSTRACT
The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway is essential for the morphogenesis of multiple organs in the digestive system. Abnormal BMP signaling has also been associated with disease initiation and progression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and associated organs. Recent studies using animal models, tissue organoids, and human pluripotent stem cells have significantly expanded our understanding of the roles played by BMPs in the development and homeostasis of GI organs. It is clear that BMP signaling regulates GI function and disease progression that involve stem/progenitor cells and inflammation in a tissue-specific manner. In this review we discuss these new findings with a focus on the esophagus, stomach, and intestine.
Subject(s)
Bone Morphogenetic Proteins , Gastrointestinal Diseases/physiopathology , Signal Transduction , Stem Cells/physiology , Animals , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Tract , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID) patients may have gastrointestinal (GI) involvement and suffer from infections, which are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological features of CVID patients with GI symptoms and determine their correlation with infections. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 21 CVID patients with GI symptoms who underwent endoscopic examination in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2000 to 2020. The clinical, infectious, endoscopic, and histopathological features were reassessed. RESULTS: Chronic diarrhea was the most prevalent GI symptom, observed in 95.2% of our CVID cohort. Over 85% of patients had low body weight and malabsorption. Small bowel villous atrophy was found in 90.5% of patients under endoscopy and mostly confirmed by histopathology. GI infections were identified in 9 (42.9%) patients. Of these, 7 patients with diffuse and obvious nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) of small bowel under endoscopy had significantly higher infection rate (85.7% vs 21.4%, p < 0.05), predominantly with Giardia and bacteria. Small bowel biopsies showed 95% of patients lacked plasma cells and 60% had increased intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), but not significantly different between GI infection and non-infection group. Most patients improved after intravenous immunoglobulin and anti-infection therapy. CONCLUSIONS: CVID could involve GI tract, particularly small bowel. Obvious NLH under endoscopy could be a hint for GI infection in CVID patients. Comprehensive endoscopic and histopathological evaluation may be helpful in CVID diagnosis and identification of potential co-infection, leading to proper treatment.
Subject(s)
Common Variable Immunodeficiency , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Humans , Common Variable Immunodeficiency/complications , Common Variable Immunodeficiency/diagnosis , Retrospective Studies , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Endoscopy, GastrointestinalABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The leaky gut barrier is an important factor leading to various inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. The nutritional value of honey and variety of its health benefits have long been recognized. This study was undertaken to assess the role of Indian mustard honey in preventing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction using a combination of in vitro and in vivo experimental model systems. METHODS: LPS was used to induce intestinal barrier damage in a trans-well model of Caco-2 cells (1 µg/ml) and in Swiss albino mice (5 mg/kg body weight). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to analyse sugar and phenolic components in honey samples. The Caco-2 cell monolayer integrity was evaluated by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and paracellular permeability assays. The histopathology of intestinal tissue was analysed by haematoxylin and eosin dual staining. The quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to quantify the transcription of genes. The protein expression was analysed by immunofluorescence, western blot and ELISA-based techniques. RESULTS: The in vitro data showed that honey prevented LPS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction dose dependently as was measured by TEER and paracellular flux of FITC-dextran dye. Further, the in vivo data showed a prophylactic effect of orally administered honey as it prevented the loss of intestinal barrier integrity and villus structure. The cellular localization and expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins were upregulated along with downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to the administration of honey with LPS. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest a propitious role of honey in the maintenance of TJ protein integrity, thereby preventing LPS-induced intestinal barrier disintegration.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Diseases , Honey , Intestinal Diseases , Humans , Mice , Animals , Caco-2 Cells , Tight Junction Proteins/genetics , Tight Junction Proteins/metabolism , Up-Regulation , Lipopolysaccharides/metabolism , Tight Junctions/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , PermeabilityABSTRACT
The field of pediatric neurogastroenterology and motility encompasses some of the most common and severe gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that affect children. GI motility disorders remain, in general, poorly understood, variably diagnosed, and inadequately treated. Although the field progressed relatively slowly over the last decades, the coming years will, no doubt, see it move into a prolific and dynamic era. With this review, we look forward to this brighter future for the field and highlight emerging areas that show promise and deserve focus in the coming years. This includes the role of early life programming and insult of the enteric neuromusculature as a key determinant of motility diseases and factors that are likely to be relevant in disease etiopathogenesis. We discuss several recent and futuristic developments and advancements in investigative and diagnostic tools as well as novel approaches that have been introduced in the management of GI motility disorders. These include targeted and personalized medicine in both pharmacological and multidisciplinary approaches as well as the emerging therapeutic options such as bioelectrical neuromodulation and regenerative medicine.
Subject(s)
Enteric Nervous System , Gastrointestinal Diseases , Child , Humans , Enteric Nervous System/pathology , Gastrointestinal Motility , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases/therapy , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Cognition , Precision MedicineABSTRACT
We present Peryton (https://dianalab.e-ce.uth.gr/peryton/), a database of experimentally supported microbe-disease associations. Its first version constitutes a novel resource hosting more than 7900 entries linking 43 diseases with 1396 microorganisms. Peryton's content is exclusively sustained by manual curation of biomedical articles. Diseases and microorganisms are provided in a systematic, standardized manner using reference resources to create database dictionaries. Information about the experimental design, study cohorts and the applied high- or low-throughput techniques is meticulously annotated and catered to users. Several functionalities are provided to enhance user experience and enable ingenious use of Peryton. One or more microorganisms and/or diseases can be queried at the same time. Advanced filtering options and direct text-based filtering of results enable refinement of returned information and the conducting of tailored queries suitable to different research questions. Peryton also provides interactive visualizations to effectively capture different aspects of its content and results can be directly downloaded for local storage and downstream analyses. Peryton will serve as a valuable source, enabling scientists of microbe-related disease fields to form novel hypotheses but, equally importantly, to assist in cross-validation of findings.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Databases, Factual , Gastrointestinal Diseases/microbiology , Host-Pathogen Interactions , Mycoses/microbiology , Neoplasms/microbiology , Neurodegenerative Diseases/microbiology , Bacterial Infections/classification , Bacterial Infections/genetics , Bacterial Infections/pathology , Cohort Studies , Data Mining , Gastrointestinal Diseases/classification , Gastrointestinal Diseases/genetics , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Humans , Internet , Mycoses/classification , Mycoses/genetics , Mycoses/pathology , Neoplasms/classification , Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/pathology , Neurodegenerative Diseases/classification , Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics , Neurodegenerative Diseases/pathology , Research Design , SoftwareABSTRACT
SC2disease (http://easybioai.com/sc2disease/) is a manually curated database that aims to provide a comprehensive and accurate resource of gene expression profiles in various cell types for different diseases. With the development of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies, uncovering cellular heterogeneity of different tissues for different diseases has become feasible by profiling transcriptomes across cell types at the cellular level. In particular, comparing gene expression profiles between different cell types and identifying cell-type-specific genes in various diseases offers new possibilities to address biological and medical questions. However, systematic, hierarchical and vast databases of gene expression profiles in human diseases at the cellular level are lacking. Thus, we reviewed the literature prior to March 2020 for studies which used scRNA-seq to study diseases with human samples, and developed the SC2disease database to summarize all the data by different diseases, tissues and cell types. SC2disease documents 946 481 entries, corresponding to 341 cell types, 29 tissues and 25 diseases. Each entry in the SC2disease database contains comparisons of differentially expressed genes between different cell types, tissues and disease-related health status. Furthermore, we reanalyzed gene expression matrix by unified pipeline to improve the comparability between different studies. For each disease, we also compare cell-type-specific genes with the corresponding genes of lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to implicate cell type specificity of the traits.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/genetics , Autoimmune Diseases/genetics , Cardiovascular Diseases/genetics , Databases, Factual , Gastrointestinal Diseases/genetics , Neoplasms/genetics , Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics , Virus Diseases/genetics , Algorithms , Autism Spectrum Disorder/metabolism , Autism Spectrum Disorder/pathology , Autoimmune Diseases/metabolism , Autoimmune Diseases/pathology , Cardiovascular Diseases/metabolism , Cardiovascular Diseases/pathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gene Expression Profiling , Genetic Heterogeneity , Genome-Wide Association Study , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Humans , Internet , Neoplasms/metabolism , Neoplasms/pathology , Neurodegenerative Diseases/metabolism , Neurodegenerative Diseases/pathology , Organ Specificity , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Single-Cell Analysis/methods , Software , Transcriptome , Virus Diseases/metabolism , Virus Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
The number of drugs available to clinicians, especially targeted therapies, grows continuously. Some drugs are known to cause frequent digestive adverse effects, which may affect the gastro-intestinal tract in a diffuse or localized manner. Some treatments may leave relatively pathognomonic deposits, but histological lesions of iatrogenic origin are mostly non-specific. The diagnostic and etiological approach is often complex because of these non-specific aspects and also because (1) a single type of drug may cause different histological lesions, (2) different drugs may cause identical histological lesions, (3) the patient may receive different drugs, and (4) drug-induced lesions may mimic other pathological entities such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, or graft versus host disease. The diagnosis of iatrogenic gastrointestinal tract injury therefore requires close anatomic-clinical correlation. The iatrogenic origin can only be formally established if the symptomatology improves when the incriminating drug is stopped. This review aims to present the different histological patterns of gastrointestinal tract iatrogenic lesions, the potentially incriminate drugs, as well as the histological signs to look for in order to help the pathologist to distinguish an iatrogenic injury from another pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Diseases , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases , Humans , Gastrointestinal Diseases/chemically induced , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Pathologists , Gastrointestinal Tract/pathology , Iatrogenic Disease , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/pathologyABSTRACT
Our understanding of gut functioning and pathophysiology has grown considerably in the past decades, and advancing technologies enable us to deepen this understanding. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has opened a new realm of cellular diversity and transcriptional variation in the human gut at a high, single-cell resolution. ScRNA-seq has pushed the science of the digestive system forward by characterizing the function of distinct cell types within complex intestinal cellular environments, by illuminating the heterogeneity within specific cell populations and by identifying novel cell types in the human gut that could contribute to a variety of intestinal diseases. In this review, we highlight recent discoveries made with scRNA-seq that significantly advance our understanding of the human gut both in health and across the spectrum of gut diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal carcinoma and celiac disease.
Subject(s)
Computational Biology/methods , Gastrointestinal Diseases/genetics , Gastrointestinal Diseases/pathology , Gene Expression Profiling , Single-Cell Analysis/methods , Transcriptome , Animals , HumansABSTRACT
Diarrhea is the commonest gastrointestinal symptom in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Different pathologies in patients' bowel biopsies have been described and links with infections have been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to analyze the bowel histology of CVID patients in the Royal-Free-Hospital (RFH) London CVID cohort. Ninety-five bowel histology samples from 44 adult CVID patients were reviewed and grouped by histological patterns. Reasons for endoscopy and possible causative infections were recorded. Lymphocyte phenotyping results were compared between patients with different histological features. There was no distinctive feature that occurred in most diarrhea patients. Out of 44 patients (95 biopsies), 38 lacked plasma cells. In 14 of 21 patients with nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH), this was the only visible pathology. In two patients, an infection with Giardia lamblia was associated with NLH. An IBD-like picture was seen in two patients. A coeliac-like picture was found in six patients, four of these had norovirus. NLH as well as inflammation often occurred as single features. There was no difference in blood lymphocyte phenotyping results comparing groups of histological features. We suggest that bowel histology in CVID patients with abdominal symptoms falls into three major histological patterns: (i) a coeliac-like histology, (ii) IBD-like changes, and (iii) NLH. Most patients, but remarkably not all, lacked plasma cells. CVID patients with diarrhea may have an altered bowel histology due to poorly understood and likely diverse immune-mediated mechanisms, occasionally driven by infections.