Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of normal and IPF lung samples. The Illumina human methylation 27 Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 27,000 CpGs samples. 2 normal samples, and 4 IPF samples Bisulphite converted DNA from the 12 samples were hybridised to the Illumina Infinium 27k Human Methylation Beadchip v1.2
Project description:To further understand the pathologic microenvironment in IPF, we have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to distinguish normal and IPF lung in normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas of IPF lung. Four IPF lungs were dissected into normal-looking, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic areas by Laser-Capture-Microdissection. Gene expression analysis showed that 638 significantly different genes were identified that clearly distinguished the different IPF microenvironments . Among them, MMP19 was revealed as one of the most significantly up-regulated genes that distinguished normal looking epithelial cells (N) to hyperplastic epithelial cells, MMP19 up-regulation in IPF lungs was verified by immunohistochemical (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western-blot. IPF lungs are heterogeneity complex, which comprise normal looking area, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic area. In this study we separated the normal, fibrotic foci and hyperplastic area by LCM and employed Agilent whole genome gene expression microarray profiling to identify genes with the potential to distinguish the unique microenironment of IPF
Project description:Archived lung tissues of patients with IPF were obtained from the tissue bank of the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. The diagnosis of IPF was confirmed by open lung biopsy. All patients fulfilled the criteria of the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society for the diagnosis of IPF. Normal histology lung tissues resected from patients with lung cancer were used as controls. Keywords: parallel sample
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of normal and IPF lung samples. The Illumina human methylation 27 Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 27,000 CpGs samples. 2 normal samples, and 4 IPF samples
Project description:The activated fibroblast is the central effector cell for the progressive fibrotic process that characterizes idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). An understanding of the genomic phenotype of this cell in isolation is essential to the understanding of disease pathogenesis and is integral to strategizing therapeutic trials. Employing a unique technique that minimizes cellular phenotypic alterations, we characterized the genomic phenotype of non-cultured pulmonary fibroblasts from the lungs of patients with advanced IPF. This approach revealed several novel genes and pathways previously unreported in IPF fibroblasts. Specifically, we demonstrate altered expression in proteasomal constituents, ubiquitination mediators, the Wnt pathway and several cell cycle regulators suggestive of loss of normal cell cycle controls. The pro-inflammatory cytokine CXCL12 was also up-regulated which may provide a mechanism for fibrocytes’ recruitment, while up-regulated oncogenic KIT may promote fibroblast over proliferation. Paradoxically, pro-apoptotic inducers such as death inducing ligand TRAIL (TNFSF10) and pro-apoptotic Bax were also up-regulated. This comprehensive description of altered gene expression within IPF fibroblasts sheds further light on the complex interactions that characterize IPF. Further studies including therapeutic interventions directed at these pathways hold promise for the treatment of this devastating disease. 58 samples of total RNA isolated from 12 lungs of patients with end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 6 donors of normal lungs (controls) who were designated brain dead, non-diseased donors whose lungs failed criteria for transplantation and who were organ donors for research. RNA extraction followed the Qiagen RNeasy Kit using QIshredder columns for shredding of DNA contiminants. Experimental/control samples were amplified amino-allylated RNA labeled with Cy5 and Stratagene Reference RNA was amplified and amino-allylated and labeled with Cy3. Amplification was one round using Ambion MessageAmp II kit with amino-allylated UTP according to the protocol of the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy. Amplification and amino-allylation of the Stratagene Reference RNA and Hybridization of Reference with patient samples and controls was done by the Duke Institute for Genomic Sciences and Policy.
Project description:Circadian clocks are cell autonomous, transcriptionally-based, molecular mechanisms that confer the selective advantage of anticipation, enabling cells/organs to respond to environmental factors in a temporally appropriate manner. Critical to circadian clock function are two transcription factors, CLOCK and BMAL1. Previous studies in our laboratory have highlighted roles for CLOCK in cardiac physiology/pathophysiology. Here, we describe transcriptional, metabolic, and functional consequences of cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1 knockout (CBK). Microarray analysis revealed 2037 differentially expressed genes in CBK hearts, many of which were previously identified in cardiomyocyte-specific Clock mutant (CCM) hearts. Subsequent analysis showed that Beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 mRNA, protein, and enzymatic activity are markedly depressed in both CBK and CCM hearts, as is myocardial Beta-hydroxybutyrate oxidation, revealing a novel role for the circadian clock in ketone body utilization. A number of genes encoding for collagen isoforms were identified as oscillating in a time-of-day-dependent manner in wild-type, but not CBK, hearts, including col3a1, col4a1, and col4a2. Chronic induction of collagen isoform genes in CBK hearts was associated with severe age-dependent depression of cardiac function. Development of cardiomyopathy in CBK mice was associated with early mortality; all CBK mice die by one year of age. These studies highlight novel critical functions for BMAL1 in the heart, including regulation of ketone body metabolism and the extracellular matrix. RNA from whole hearts collected every 3 hours for 24 hours from wildtype and CBK mice was isolated and analyzed using MouseRef-8_V2 BeadChips (Illumina, Inc.). The 24-hour data were examined for rhythmicity using cosinor analysis and differences in rhythmicity between genotype groups were further examined for differences in the model fitting parameters.
Project description:Viruses in acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Keywords: viral detection BAL from patients with acute exacerbations of IPF and stable IPF were hybridized to a pan-viral cDNA microarray to evaluate the presence of virus during these episodes
Project description:The activated fibroblast is the putative effector cell for the progressive fibrotic phenotype idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Recent studies investigating global gene expression differences between normal and IPF fibroblasts indicate that changes in gene expression occur in these fibroblasts in culture. Employing a technique that minimizes cellular phenotypic alterations, we characterized the global gene expression changes in pulmonary fibroblasts by comparing both cultured and non-cultured IPF and normal cells. The results revealed dramatic difference between IPF and normal fibroblast as they progressed in culture. While there are significant differences in gene expression between IPF and normal fibroblast at P0, after 3 passages in culture, no statistically significant difference was observed. This study is a comprehensive investigation of gene expression within IPF and normal fibroblasts in culture and sheds light on the efficacy of in vitro models of pulmonary fibroblasts.