Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Mostrar: 20 | 50 | 100
Resultados 1 - 20 de 164
Filtrar
1.
JCI Insight ; 9(8)2024 Mar 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38470486

RESUMO

IL-17C is an epithelial cell-derived proinflammatory cytokine whose transcriptional regulation remains unclear. Analysis of the IL17C promoter region identified TCF4 as putative regulator, and siRNA knockdown of TCF4 in human keratinocytes (KCs) increased IL17C. IL-17C stimulation of KCs (along with IL-17A and TNF-α stimulation) decreased TCF4 and increased NFKBIZ and ZC3H12A expression in an IL-17RA/RE-dependent manner, thus creating a feedback loop. ZC3H12A (MCPIP1/Regnase-1), a transcriptional immune-response regulator, also increased following TCF4 siRNA knockdown, and siRNA knockdown of ZC3H12A decreased NFKBIZ, IL1B, IL36G, CCL20, and CXCL1, revealing a proinflammatory role for ZC3H12A. Examination of lesional skin from the KC-Tie2 inflammatory dermatitis mouse model identified decreases in TCF4 protein concomitant with increases in IL-17C and Zc3h12a that reversed following the genetic elimination of Il17c, Il17ra, and Il17re and improvement in the skin phenotype. Conversely, interference with Tcf4 in KC-Tie2 mouse skin increased Il17c and exacerbated the inflammatory skin phenotype. Together, these findings identify a role for TCF4 in the negative regulation of IL-17C, which, alone and with TNF-α and IL-17A, feed back to decrease TCF4 in an IL-17RA/RE-dependent manner. This loop is further amplified by IL-17C-TCF4 autocrine regulation of ZC3H12A and IL-17C regulation of NFKBIZ to promote self-sustaining skin inflammation.


Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal , Interleucina-17 , Queratinócitos , Receptores de Interleucina-17 , Ribonucleases , Transdução de Sinais , Fator de Transcrição 4 , Animais , Fator de Transcrição 4/metabolismo , Fator de Transcrição 4/genética , Humanos , Interleucina-17/metabolismo , Interleucina-17/genética , Camundongos , Queratinócitos/metabolismo , Ribonucleases/metabolismo , Ribonucleases/genética , Receptores de Interleucina-17/metabolismo , Receptores de Interleucina-17/genética , Inflamação/metabolismo , Inflamação/genética , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Epiderme/metabolismo , Dermatite/metabolismo , Dermatite/genética , Dermatite/imunologia , Dermatite/patologia , Retroalimentação Fisiológica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica
2.
JCI Insight ; 9(6)2024 Feb 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38358820

RESUMO

Fibroblasts are stromal cells known to regulate local immune responses important for wound healing and scar formation; however, the cellular mechanisms driving damage and scarring in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) remain poorly understood. Dermal fibroblasts in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience increased cytokine signaling in vivo, but the effect of inflammatory mediators on fibroblast responses in nonscarring versus scarring CLE subtypes is unclear. Here, we examined responses to cytokines in dermal fibroblasts from nonlesional skin of 22 patients with SLE and CLE and 34 individuals acting as healthy controls. Notably, inflammatory cytokine responses were exaggerated in SLE fibroblasts compared with those from individuals acting as healthy controls. In lesional CLE biopsies, these same inflammatory profiles were reflected in single-cell RNA-Seq of SFRP2+ and inflammatory fibroblast subsets, and TGF-ß was identified as a critical upstream regulator for inflammatory fibroblasts in scarring discoid lupus lesions. In vitro cytokine stimulation of nonlesional fibroblasts from patients who scar from CLE identified an upregulation of collagens, particularly in response to TGF-ß, whereas inflammatory pathways were more prominent in nonscarring patients. Our study revealed that SLE fibroblasts are poised to hyperrespond to inflammation, with differential responses among patients with scarring versus nonscarring disease, providing a potential skin-specific target for mitigating damage.


Assuntos
Lúpus Eritematoso Cutâneo , Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico , Humanos , Cicatriz/metabolismo , Lúpus Eritematoso Cutâneo/patologia , Citocinas/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/metabolismo
3.
iScience ; 27(2): 108805, 2024 Feb 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38299111

RESUMO

A group of keratin intermediate filament genes, the type II KRT6A-C and type I KRT16 and KRT17, are deemed stress responsive as they are induced in keratinocytes of surface epithelia in response to environmental stressors, in skin disorders (e.g., psoriasis) and in carcinomas. Monitoring stress keratins is widely used to identify keratinocytes in an activated state. Here, we analyze single-cell transcriptomic data from healthy and diseased human skin to explore the properties of stress keratins. Relative to keratins occurring in healthy skin, stress-induced keratins are expressed at lower levels and show lesser type I-type II pairwise regulation. Stress keratins do not "replace" the keratins expressed during normal differentiation nor reflect cellular proliferation. Instead, stress keratins are consistently co-regulated with genes with roles in differentiation, inflammation, and/or activation of innate immunity at the single-cell level. These findings provide a roadmap toward explaining the broad diversity and contextual regulation of keratins.

4.
Commun Biol ; 7(1): 152, 2024 Feb 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38316920

RESUMO

Netherton syndrome (NS) is a rare skin disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 5 (SPINK5) gene. Disease severity and the lack of efficacious treatments call for a better understanding of NS mechanisms. Here we describe a novel and viable, Spink5 conditional knock-out (cKO) mouse model, allowing to study NS progression. By combining transcriptomics and proteomics, we determine a disease molecular profile common to mouse models and NS patients. Spink5 cKO mice and NS patients share skin barrier and inflammation signatures defined by up-regulation and increased activity of proteases, IL-17, IL-36, and IL-20 family cytokine signaling. Systemic inflammation in Spink5 cKO mice correlates with disease severity and is associated with thymic atrophy and enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen. This systemic inflammation phenotype is marked by neutrophils and IL-17/IL-22 signaling, does not involve primary T cell immunodeficiency and is independent of bacterial infection. By comparing skin transcriptomes and proteomes, we uncover several putative substrates of tissue kallikrein-related proteases (KLKs), demonstrating that KLKs can proteolytically regulate IL-36 pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our study thus provides a conserved molecular framework for NS and reveals a KLK/IL-36 signaling axis, adding new insights into the disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.


Assuntos
Síndrome de Netherton , Inibidor de Serinopeptidase do Tipo Kazal 5 , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Inflamação , Interleucina-17/genética , Camundongos Knockout , Síndrome de Netherton/genética , Síndrome de Netherton/metabolismo , Síndrome de Netherton/patologia , Peptídeo Hidrolases , Inibidor de Serinopeptidase do Tipo Kazal 5/genética
5.
J Invest Dermatol ; 2024 Feb 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38417541

RESUMO

Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a rare granulomatous disease. There are few effective treatments for NL. We sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of the Jak1/2 inhibitor, ruxolitnib, in the treatment of NL and identify the biomarkers associated with the disease and treatment response. We conducted an open-label, phase 2 study of ruxolitinib in 12 patients with NL. We performed transcriptomic analysis of tissue samples before and after treatment. At week 12, the mean NL lesion score decreased by 58.2% (SD = 28.7%, P = .003). Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated enrichment of type I and type II IFN pathways in baseline disease. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis demonstrated post-treatment changes in IFN pathways with key hub genes IFNG and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 gene STAT1. Limitations include small sample size and a study group limited to patients with <10% body surface area. In conclusion, ruxolitinib is an effective treatment for NL and targets the key pathogenic mediators of the disease.

6.
iScience ; 27(2): 108986, 2024 Feb 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38327798

RESUMO

Interferon (IFN) activity exhibits a gender bias in human skin, skewed toward females. We show that HERC6, an IFN-induced E3 ubiquitin ligase, is induced in human keratinocytes through the epidermal type I IFN; IFN-κ. HERC6 knockdown in human keratinocytes results in enhanced induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) upon treatment with a double-stranded (ds) DNA STING activator cGAMP but not in response to the RNA-sensing TLR3 agonist. Keratinocytes lacking HERC6 exhibit sustained STING-TBK1 signaling following cGAMP stimulation through modulation of LATS2 and TBK1 activity, unmasking more robust ISG responses in female keratinocytes. This enhanced female-biased immune response with loss of HERC6 depends on VGLL3, a regulator of type I IFN signature. These data identify HERC6 as a previously unrecognized negative regulator of ISG expression specific to dsDNA sensing and establish it as a regulator of female-biased immune responses through modulation of STING signaling.

7.
medRxiv ; 2024 Jan 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38260663

RESUMO

Background: Cutaneous lichen planus (LP) is a recalcitrant, difficult-to-treat, inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritic, flat-topped, violaceous papules on the skin. Baricitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK) 1/2 inhibitor that interrupts the signaling pathway of interferon (IFN)-γ, a cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of LP. Methods: In this phase II trial, twelve patients with cutaneous LP received baricitinib 2 mg daily for 16 weeks, accompanied by in-depth spatial, single-cell, and bulk transcriptomic profiling of pre-and post-treatment samples. Results: An early and sustained clinical response was seen with 83.3% of patients responsive at week 16. Our molecular data identified a unique, oligoclonal IFN-γ, CD8+, CXCL13+ cytotoxic T-cell population in LP skin and demonstrate a rapid decrease in interferon signature within 2 weeks of treatment, most prominent in the basal layer of the epidermis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy and molecular mechanisms of JAK inhibition in LP. Trial Registration Number : NCT05188521.

9.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 210, 2024 Jan 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38172207

RESUMO

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating autoimmune disease characterized by excessive production and accumulation of extracellular matrix, leading to fibrosis of skin and other internal organs. However, the main cellular participants in SSc skin fibrosis remain incompletely understood. Here using differentiation trajectories at a single cell level, we demonstrate a dual source of extracellular matrix deposition in SSc skin from both myofibroblasts and endothelial-to-mesenchymal-transitioning cells (EndoMT). We further define a central role of Hippo pathway effectors in differentiation and homeostasis of myofibroblast and EndoMT, respectively, and show that myofibroblasts and EndoMTs function as central communication hubs that drive key pro-fibrotic signaling pathways in SSc. Together, our data help characterize myofibroblast differentiation and EndoMT phenotypes in SSc skin, and hint that modulation of the Hippo pathway may contribute in reversing the pro-fibrotic phenotypes in myofibroblasts and EndoMTs.


Assuntos
Via de Sinalização Hippo , Escleroderma Sistêmico , Humanos , Fibrose , Escleroderma Sistêmico/patologia , Miofibroblastos/metabolismo , Células Endoteliais/metabolismo , Pele/patologia , Fibroblastos/metabolismo
10.
J Clin Invest ; 134(3)2024 Feb 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38051587

RESUMO

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abscesses, nodules, dissecting/draining tunnels, and extensive fibrosis. Here, we integrate single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and immunostaining to provide an unprecedented view of the pathogenesis of chronic HS, characterizing the main cellular players and defining their interactions. We found a striking layering of the chronic HS infiltrate and identified the contribution of 2 fibroblast subtypes (SFRP4+ and CXCL13+) in orchestrating this compartmentalized immune response. We further demonstrated the central role of the Hippo pathway in promoting extensive fibrosis in HS and provided preclinical evidence that the profibrotic fibroblast response in HS can be modulated through inhibition of this pathway. These data provide insights into key aspects of HS pathogenesis with broad therapeutic implications.


Assuntos
Hidradenite Supurativa , Humanos , Hidradenite Supurativa/genética , Via de Sinalização Hippo , Fibrose
11.
Genet Med ; 26(2): 101028, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37978863

RESUMO

PURPOSE: Persistent human papillomavirus infection (PHPVI) causes cutaneous, anogenital, and mucosal warts. Cutaneous warts include common warts, Treeman syndrome, and epidermodysplasia verruciformis, among others. Although more reports of monogenic predisposition to PHPVI have been published with the development of genomic technologies, genetic testing is rarely incorporated into clinical assessments. To encourage broader molecular testing, we compiled a list of the various monogenic etiologies of PHPVI. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the genetic, immunological, and clinical characteristics of patients with PHPVI. RESULTS: The inclusion criteria were met by 261 of 40,687 articles. In 842 patients, 83 PHPVI-associated genes were identified, including 42, 6, and 35 genes with strong, moderate, and weak evidence for causality, respectively. Autosomal recessive inheritance predominated (69%). PHPVI onset age was 10.8 ± 8.6 years, with an interquartile range of 5 to 14 years. GATA2,IL2RG,DOCK8, CXCR4, TMC6, TMC8, and CIB1 are the most frequently reported PHPVI-associated genes with strong causality. Most genes (74 out of 83) belong to a catalog of 485 inborn errors of immunity-related genes, and 40 genes (54%) are represented in the nonsyndromic and syndromic combined immunodeficiency categories. CONCLUSION: PHPVI has at least 83 monogenic etiologies and a genetic diagnosis is essential for effective management.


Assuntos
Epidermodisplasia Verruciforme , Infecções por Papillomavirus , Verrugas , Humanos , Pré-Escolar , Criança , Adolescente , Infecções por Papillomavirus/complicações , Infecções por Papillomavirus/genética , Verrugas/genética , Verrugas/complicações , Epidermodisplasia Verruciforme/genética , Epidermodisplasia Verruciforme/complicações , Pele , Síndrome , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Fatores de Troca do Nucleotídeo Guanina
12.
J Allergy Clin Immunol ; 153(1): 146-160, 2024 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37506977

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic neuroimmune skin disease characterized by bilaterally distributed pruritic hyperkeratotic nodules on extremities and trunk. Neuroimmune dysregulation and chronic scratching are believed to both induce and maintain the characteristic lesions. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to provide a comprehensive view of the molecular pathogenesis of PN at the single-cell level to identify and outline key pathologic processes and the cell types involved. Features that distinguish PN skin from the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis were of particular interest. We further aimed to determine the impact of the IL31RA antagonist, nemolizumab, and its specificity at the single-cell level. METHODS: Single-cell RNA-sequencing of skin from 15 healthy donors and nonlesional and lesional skin from 6 patients each with PN and atopic dermatitis, combined with spatial-sequencing using the 10x Visium platform. Integration with bulk RNA-sequencing data from patients treated with nemolizumab. RESULTS: This study demonstrates that PN is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by both keratinocyte proliferation and activation of profibrotic responses. This study also demonstrates that the COL11A1+ fibroblast subset is a major contributor to fibrosis and is predominantly found in the papillary dermis of PN skin. Activation of fibrotic responses is the main distinguishing feature between PN and atopic dermatitis skin. This study further shows the broad effect of nemolizumab on PN cell types, with a prominent effect driving COL11A1+ fibroblast and keratinocyte responses toward normal. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a high-resolution characterization of the cell types and cellular processes activated in PN skin, establishing PN as a chronic fibrotic inflammatory skin disease. It further demonstrates the broad effect of nemolizumab on pathological processes in PN skin.


Assuntos
Dermatite Atópica , Prurigo , Humanos , Prurigo/tratamento farmacológico , Dermatite Atópica/patologia , Pele/patologia , Doença Crônica , RNA , Prurido/patologia
13.
J Invest Dermatol ; 2023 Dec 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38085213

RESUMO

Type 2 immune-mediated diseases give a clear answer to the issue of nature (genetics) versus nurture (environment). Both genetics and environment play vital complementary roles in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). As a key component of the atopic march, AD demonstrates the interactive nature of genetic and environmental contributions to atopy. From sequence variants in the epithelial barrier gene encoding FLG to the hygiene hypothesis, AD combines a broad array of contributions into a single syndrome. This review will focus on the genetic contribution to AD and where genetics facilitates the elicitation or enhancement of AD pathogenesis.

14.
JCI Insight ; 8(24)2023 Dec 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38131377

RESUMO

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the expression of protein-coding genes and have been shown to play important roles in inflammatory skin diseases. However, we still have limited understanding of the functional impact of lncRNAs in skin, partly due to their tissue specificity and lower expression levels compared with protein-coding genes. We compiled a comprehensive list of 18,517 lncRNAs from different sources and studied their expression profiles in 834 RNA-Seq samples from multiple inflammatory skin conditions and cytokine-stimulated keratinocytes. Applying a balanced random forest to predict involvement in biological functions, we achieved a median AUROC of 0.79 in 10-fold cross-validation, identifying significant DNA binding domains (DBDs) for 39 lncRNAs. G18244, a skin-expressing lncRNA predicted for IL-4/IL-13 signaling in keratinocytes, was highly correlated in expression with F13A1, a protein-coding gene involved in macrophage regulation, and we further identified a significant DBD in F13A1 for G18244. Reflecting clinical implications, AC090198.1 (predicted for IL-17 pathway) and AC005332.6 (predicted for IFN-γ pathway) had significant negative correlation with the SCORAD metric for atopic dermatitis. We also utilized single-cell RNA and spatial sequencing data to validate cell type specificity. Our research demonstrates lncRNAs have important immunological roles and can help prioritize their impact on inflammatory skin diseases.


Assuntos
RNA Longo não Codificante , Dermatopatias , Humanos , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/metabolismo , Pele/metabolismo , Dermatopatias/genética
15.
BMC Bioinformatics ; 24(1): 412, 2023 Nov 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37915001

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The PubMed archive contains more than 34 million articles; consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a biomedical researcher to keep up-to-date with different knowledge domains. Computationally efficient and interpretable tools are needed to help researchers find and understand associations between biomedical concepts. The goal of literature-based discovery (LBD) is to connect concepts in isolated literature domains that would normally go undiscovered. This usually takes the form of an A-B-C relationship, where A and C terms are linked through a B term intermediate. Here we describe Serial KinderMiner (SKiM), an LBD algorithm for finding statistically significant links between an A term and one or more C terms through some B term intermediate(s). The development of SKiM is motivated by the observation that there are only a few LBD tools that provide a functional web interface, and that the available tools are limited in one or more of the following ways: (1) they identify a relationship but not the type of relationship, (2) they do not allow the user to provide their own lists of B or C terms, hindering flexibility, (3) they do not allow for querying thousands of C terms (which is crucial if, for instance, the user wants to query connections between a disease and the thousands of available drugs), or (4) they are specific for a particular biomedical domain (such as cancer). We provide an open-source tool and web interface that improves on all of these issues. RESULTS: We demonstrate SKiM's ability to discover useful A-B-C linkages in three control experiments: classic LBD discoveries, drug repurposing, and finding associations related to cancer. Furthermore, we supplement SKiM with a knowledge graph built with transformer machine-learning models to aid in interpreting the relationships between terms found by SKiM. Finally, we provide a simple and intuitive open-source web interface ( https://skim.morgridge.org ) with comprehensive lists of drugs, diseases, phenotypes, and symptoms so that anyone can easily perform SKiM searches. CONCLUSIONS: SKiM is a simple algorithm that can perform LBD searches to discover relationships between arbitrary user-defined concepts. SKiM is generalized for any domain, can perform searches with many thousands of C term concepts, and moves beyond the simple identification of an existence of a relationship; many relationships are given relationship type labels from our knowledge graph.


Assuntos
Algoritmos , Neoplasias , Humanos , PubMed , Conhecimento , Descoberta do Conhecimento
16.
Br J Dermatol ; 190(1): 70-79, 2023 Dec 20.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37672660

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Multiple treatment options are available for the management of psoriasis, but clinical response varies among individual patients and no biomarkers are available to facilitate treatment selection for improved patient outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To utilize retrospective data to conduct a pharmacogenetic study to explore the potential genetic pathways associated with drug response in the treatment of psoriasis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective pharmacogenetic study using self-evaluated treatment response from 1942 genotyped patients with psoriasis. We examined 6 502 658 genetic markers to model their associations with response to six treatment options using linear regression, adjusting for cohort variables and demographic features. We further utilized an integrative approach incorporating epigenomics, transcriptomics and a longitudinal clinical cohort to provide biological implications for the topmost signals associated with drug response. RESULTS: Two novel markers were revealed to be associated with treatment response: rs1991820 (P = 1.30 × 10-6) for anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) biologics; and rs62264137 (P = 2.94 × 10-6) for methotrexate, which was also associated with cutaneous mRNA expression levels of two known psoriasis-related genes KLK7 (P = 1.0 × 10-12) and CD200 (P = 5.4 × 10-6). We demonstrated that KLK7 expression was increased in the psoriatic epidermis, as shown by immunohistochemistry, as well as single-cell RNA sequencing, and its responsiveness to anti-TNF treatment was highlighted. By inhibiting the expression of KLK7, we further illustrated that keratinocytes have decreased proinflammatory responses to TNF. CONCLUSIONS: Our study implicates the genetic regulation of cytokine responses in predicting clinical drug response and supports the association between pharmacogenetic loci and anti-TNF response, as shown here for KLK7.


Assuntos
Psoríase , Humanos , Calicreínas/genética , Calicreínas/uso terapêutico , Farmacogenética , Testes Farmacogenômicos , Psoríase/tratamento farmacológico , Psoríase/genética , Psoríase/patologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Inibidores do Fator de Necrose Tumoral/uso terapêutico , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/genética
17.
J Invest Dermatol ; 143(9): 1667-1677, 2023 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37612031

RESUMO

Single-cell technologies have become essential to driving discovery in both basic and translational investigative dermatology. Despite the multitude of available datasets, a central reference atlas of normal human skin, which can serve as a reference resource for skin cell types, cell states, and their molecular signatures, is still lacking. For any such atlas to receive broad acceptance, participation by many investigators during atlas construction is an essential prerequisite. As part of the Human Cell Atlas project, we have assembled a Skin Biological Network to build a consensus Human Skin Cell Atlas and outline a roadmap toward that goal. We define the drivers of skin diversity to be considered when selecting sequencing datasets for the atlas and list practical hurdles during skin sampling that can result in data gaps and impede comprehensive representation and technical considerations for tissue processing and computational analysis, the accounting for which should minimize biases in cell type enrichments and exclusions and decrease batch effects. By outlining our goals for Atlas 1.0, we discuss how it will uncover new aspects of skin biology.


Assuntos
Pesquisadores , Pele , Humanos , Consenso
18.
JCI Insight ; 8(16)2023 08 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37606044

RESUMO

Risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19 is increased in certain patient demographic groups, including those of advanced age, male sex, and obese body mass index. Investigations of the biological variations that contribute to this risk have been hampered by heterogeneous severity, with immunologic features of critical disease potentially obscuring differences between risk groups. To examine immune heterogeneity related to demographic risk factors, we enrolled 38 patients hospitalized with clinically homogeneous COVID-19 pneumonia - defined as oxygen saturation less than 94% on room air without respiratory failure, septic shock, or multiple organ dysfunction - and performed single-cell RNA-Seq of leukocytes collected at admission. Examination of individual risk factors identified strong shifts within neutrophil and monocyte/dendritic cell (Mo/DC) compartments, revealing altered immune cell type-specific responses in higher risk COVID-19 patient subgroups. Specifically, we found transcriptional evidence of altered neutrophil maturation in aged versus young patients and enhanced cytokine responses in Mo/DCs of male versus female patients. Such innate immune cell alterations may contribute to outcome differences linked to these risk factors. They also highlight the importance of diverse patient cohorts in studies of therapies targeting the immune response in COVID-19.


Assuntos
COVID-19 , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Idoso , Índice de Massa Corporal , Citocinas , Hipóxia , Imunidade Inata , Demografia
19.
bioRxiv ; 2023 Jun 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37397987

RESUMO

Background: The PubMed database contains more than 34 million articles; consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a biomedical researcher to keep up-to-date with different knowledge domains. Computationally efficient and interpretable tools are needed to help researchers find and understand associations between biomedical concepts. The goal of literature-based discovery (LBD) is to connect concepts in isolated literature domains that would normally go undiscovered. This usually takes the form of an A-B-C relationship, where A and C terms are linked through a B term intermediate. Here we describe Serial KinderMiner (SKiM), an LBD algorithm for finding statistically significant links between an A term and one or more C terms through some B term intermediate(s). The development of SKiM is motivated by the the observation that there are only a few LBD tools that provide a functional web interface, and that the available tools are limited in one or more of the following ways: 1) they identify a relationship but not the type of relationship, 2) they do not allow the user to provide their own lists of B or C terms, hindering flexibility, 3) they do not allow for querying thousands of C terms (which is crucial if, for instance, the user wants to query connections between a disease and the thousands of available drugs), or 4) they are specific for a particular biomedical domain (such as cancer). We provide an open-source tool and web interface that improves on all of these issues. Results: We demonstrate SKiM's ability to discover useful A-B-C linkages in three control experiments: classic LBD discoveries, drug repurposing, and finding associations related to cancer. Furthermore, we supplement SKiM with a knowledge graph built with transformer machine-learning models to aid in interpreting the relationships between terms found by SKiM. Finally, we provide a simple and intuitive open-source web interface ( https://skim.morgridge.org ) with comprehensive lists of drugs, diseases, phenotypes, and symptoms so that anyone can easily perform SKiM searches. Conclusions: SKiM is a simple algorithm that can perform LBD searches to discover relationships between arbitrary user-defined concepts. SKiM is generalized for any domain, can perform searches with many thousands of C term concepts, and moves beyond the simple identification of an existence of a relationship; many relationships are given relationship type labels from our knowledge graph.

20.
JCI Insight ; 8(16)2023 08 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37471168

RESUMO

Pansclerotic morphea (PSM) is a rare, devastating disease characterized by extensive soft tissue fibrosis, secondary contractions, and significant morbidity. PSM pathogenesis is unknown, and aggressive immunosuppressive treatments rarely slow disease progression. We aimed to characterize molecular mechanisms driving PSM and to identify therapeutically targetable pathways by performing single-cell and spatial RNA-Seq on 7 healthy controls and on lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies of a patient with PSM 12 months apart. We then validated our findings using immunostaining and in vitro approaches. Fibrotic skin was characterized by prominent type II IFN response, accompanied by infiltrating myeloid cells, B cells, and T cells, which were the main IFN-γ source. We identified unique CXCL9+ fibroblasts enriched in PSM, characterized by increased chemokine expression, including CXCL9, CXCL10, and CCL2. CXCL9+ fibroblasts were related to profibrotic COL8A1+ myofibroblasts, which had enriched TGF-ß response. In vitro, TGF-ß and IFN-γ synergistically increased CXCL9 and CXCL10 expression, contributing to the perpetuation of IFN-γ responses. Furthermore, cell-to-cell interaction analyses revealed cDC2B DCs as a key communication hub between CXCL9+ fibroblasts and COL8A1+ myofibroblasts. These results define PSM as an inflammation-driven condition centered on type II IFN responses. This work identified key pathogenic circuits between T cells, cDC2Bs, and myofibroblasts, and it suggests that JAK1/2 inhibition is a potential therapeutic option in PSM.


Assuntos
Quimiocina CXCL10 , Esclerodermia Localizada , Humanos , Células Dendríticas/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Interferon gama/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta
SELEÇÃO DE REFERÊNCIAS
DETALHE DA PESQUISA
...