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Whole blood RNA signatures in leprosy patients identify reversal reactions before clinical onset: a prospective, multicenter study.

ABSTRACT: Early diagnosis of leprosy is challenging, particularly its inflammatory reactions, the major cause of irreversible neuropathy in leprosy. Current diagnostics cannot identify which patients are at risk of developing reactions. This study assessed blood RNA expression levels as potential biomarkers for leprosy. Prospective cohorts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients, including reactions, and healthy controls were recruited in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia and Nepal. RNA expression in 1,090 whole blood samples was determined for 103 target genes for innate and adaptive immune profiling by dual color Reverse-Transcription Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (dcRT-MLPA) followed by cluster analysis. We identified transcriptomic biomarkers associated with leprosy disease, different leprosy phenotypes as well as high exposure to Mycobacterium leprae which respectively allow improved diagnosis and classification of leprosy patients and detection of infection. Importantly, a transcriptomic signature of risk for reversal reactions consisting of five genes (CCL2, CD8A, IL2, IL15 and MARCO) was identified based on cross-sectional comparison of RNA expression. In addition, intra-individual longitudinal analyses of leprosy patients before, during and after treatment of reversal reactions, indicated that several IFN-induced genes increased significantly at onset of reaction whereas IL15 decreased. This multi-site study, situated in four leprosy endemic areas, demonstrates the potential of host transcriptomic biomarkers as correlates of risk for leprosy. Importantly, a prospective five-gene signature for reversal reactions could predict reversal reactions at least 2 weeks before onset. Thus, transcriptomic biomarkers provide promise for early detection of these acute inflammatory episodes and thereby help prevent permanent neuropathy and disability in leprosy patients.

SUBMITTER: Tio-Coma M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6884598 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Whole blood RNA signatures in leprosy patients identify reversal reactions before clinical onset: a prospective, multicenter study.

Tió-Coma Maria M van Hooij Anouk A Bobosha Kidist K van der Ploeg-van Schip Jolien J JJ Banu Sayera S Khadge Saraswoti S Thapa Pratibha P Kunwar Chhatra B CB Goulart Isabela M IM Bekele Yonas Y Hagge Deanna A DA Moraes Milton O MO Teles Rosane M B RMB Pinheiro Roberta Olmo RO van Zwet Erik W EW Goeman Jelle J JJ Aseffa Abraham A Haks Mariëlle C MC Ottenhoff Tom H M THM Modlin Robert L RL Geluk Annemieke A

Scientific reports 20191129 1

Early diagnosis of leprosy is challenging, particularly its inflammatory reactions, the major cause of irreversible neuropathy in leprosy. Current diagnostics cannot identify which patients are at risk of developing reactions. This study assessed blood RNA expression levels as potential biomarkers for leprosy. Prospective cohorts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients, including reactions, and healthy controls were recruited in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia and Nepal. RNA expression in 1,090 whole b ...[more]

PMID: 31784594

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Project description:BackgroundLeprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is often late- or misdiagnosed leading to irreversible disabilities. Blood transcriptomic biomarkers that prospectively predict those who progress to leprosy (progressors) would allow early diagnosis, better treatment outcomes and facilitate interventions aimed at stopping bacterial transmission. To identify potential risk signatures of leprosy, we collected whole blood of household contacts (HC, n=5,352) of leprosy patients, including individuals who were diagnosed with leprosy 4-61 months after sample collection.MethodsWe investigated differential gene expression (DGE) by RNA-Seq between progressors before presence of symptoms (n=40) and HC (n=40), as well as longitudinal DGE within each progressor. A prospective leprosy signature was identified using a machine learning approach (Random Forest) and validated using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).FindingsAlthough no significant intra-individual longitudinal variation within leprosy progressors was identified, 1,613 genes were differentially expressed in progressors before diagnosis compared to HC. We identified a 13-gene prospective risk signature with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 95.2%. Validation of this RNA-Seq signature in an additional set of progressors (n=43) and HC (n=43) by RT-qPCR, resulted in a final 4-gene signature, designated RISK4LEP (MT-ND2, REX1BD, TPGS1, UBC) (AUC=86.4%).InterpretationThis study identifies for the first time a prospective transcriptional risk signature in blood predicting development of leprosy 4 to 61 months before clinical diagnosis. Assessment of this signature in contacts of leprosy patients can function as an adjunct diagnostic tool to target implementation of interventions to restrain leprosy development.FundingThis study was supported by R2STOP Research grant, the Order of Malta-Grants-for-Leprosy-Research, the Q.M. Gastmann-Wichers Foundation and the Leprosy Research Initiative (LRI) together with the Turing Foundation (ILEP# 702.02.73 and # 703.15.07).

Project description:Background: Reactions in Leprosy are immune exacerbations that cause debilitating consequences like nerve damage and permanent deformities. Prediction of these reactional states using appropriate biomarkers would enable early treatment interventions to prevent nerve function impairment. The current study investigated whole transcriptomic expression profiles of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) that differentiate leprosy cases in type 2 (Erythema Nodosum Leprosum) reactions with those without reactions in host skin tissue derived RNA. Methods: Post clinical examination, excisional skin biopsy specimens were collected from skin lesions of subjects with and without type 2 reaction. Total RNA was extracted following the Trizol protocol and bacterial RNA was enriched in the samples. A 2 x 400K gene expression array (whole genome tiling array) was designed with the probes having 60-mer oligonucleotides tiling every 10bp of the genome sequence of M. leprae (NC_011896.1). The array comprised 420288 features which include probes and Agilent controls. The quality of RNA was estimated using BioAnalyzer (Agilent Technologies) followed by labelling, reverse transcription, amplification and hybridization to the arrays. The hybridized slides were scanned on a G2600D scanner (Agilent Technologies). The data thus acquired is analysed using GeneSpring GX Version 12.1 software. Data was normalized and fold difference in expression was noted from 359,922 probes which include sense and antisense orientations of 179,961 probes. The differentially expressing M. leprae genomic regions between type 2 reactions and non reactional cases were noted. Results: Considering a statistical cut-off value of 0.6 for fold difference in expression between the test and the control samples, a set of 107 genes indicated statistically significant up-regulation with volcano plot p-values less than 0.05. Functional characterization revealed higher-expression of genes encoding transmembrane proteins (12), regulatory proteins (9), fatty acid biosynthesis (6), amino acid metabolism (13), nucleic acid metabolism (7), DNA replication and repair (7), Secretory proteins (2) Krebs Cycle (1), Glycolysis (1), Drug Efflux Protein (1),Stress Response Protein (1), Energy Metabolism (2), Pantothenate biosynthesis (1), Metalloproteins (3), Hydrolases (1) and Hypothetical Proteins (40). Additionally there are 157 genes that are down regulated in cases with reaction. Conclusion: Differential expression of genes in the human skin biopsy specimens among leprosy cases with type 2 reaction in contrast to those without reaction suggests the role of pathogen associated gene expression triggers with the aetiology of these reactions. As most of the transmembrane and cell wall proteins possess epitope and surface exposed domains, higher expression levels of genes encoding these proteins may have a possible role in enhancing host immune responses characteristic of type 2 reactions in leprosy.

Project description:BackgroundThe ILEP Nerve Function Impairment in Reaction (INFIR) is a cohort study designed to identify predictors of reactions and nerve function impairment in leprosy. The aim was to study correlations between clinical and histological diagnosis of reactions.Methodology/principal findingsThree hundred and three newly diagnosed patients with World Health Organization multibacillary (MB) leprosy from two centres in India were enrolled in the study. Skin biopsies taken at enrolment were assessed using a standardised proforma to collect data on the histological diagnosis of leprosy, leprosy reactions and the certainty level of the diagnosis. The pathologist diagnosed definite or probable Type 1 Reactions (T1R) in 113 of 265 biopsies from patients at risk of developing reactions whereas clinicians diagnosed skin only reactions in 39 patients and 19 with skin and nerve involvement. Patients with Borderline Tuberculoid (BT) leprosy had a clinical diagnosis rate of reactions of 43% and a histological diagnosis rate of 61%; for patients with Borderline Lepromatous (BL) leprosy the clinical and histological diagnosis rates were 53.7% and 46.2% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of clinical diagnosis for T1R was 53.1% and 61.9% for BT patients and 61.1% and 71.0% for BL patients. Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) was diagnosed clinically in two patients but histologically in 13 patients. The Ridley-Jopling classification of patients (n = 303) was 42.8% BT, 27.4% BL, 9.4% Lepromatous Leprosy (LL), 13.0% Indeterminate and 7.4% with non-specific inflammation. This data shows that MB classification is very heterogeneous and encompasses patients with no detectable bacteria and high immunological activity through to patients with high bacterial loads.Conclusions/significanceLeprosy reactions may be under-diagnosed by clinicians and increasing biopsy rates would help in the diagnosis of reactions. Future studies should look at sub-clinical T1R and ENL and whether they have impact on clinical outcomes.

Dataset Information

Whole blood RNA signatures in leprosy patients identify reversal reactions before clinical onset: a prospective, multicenter study.

Publications

Whole blood RNA signatures in leprosy patients identify reversal reactions before clinical onset: a prospective, multicenter study.

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