A sputum bioassay for airway eosinophilia using an eosinophil peroxidase aptamer
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ABSTRACT: We genearted a DNA aptamer against EPX via SELEX protocol using a random DNA library and developed an assay to monitor EPX in patients spitum samples After 15 rounds of selection, the aptamer sequences were obtained by high throughput sequencing
Project description:Eosinophils are granulocytes that play a significant role in the pathogenesis of asthma and other airway diseases. Directing patient treatment based on the level of eosinophilia has been shown to be extremely effective in reducing exacerbations and therefore has tremendous potential as a routine clinical test. Herein, we describe the in vitro selection and optimization of DNA aptamers that bind to eosinophil peroxidase (EPX), a protein biomarker unique to eosinophils. Fifteen rounds of magnetic bead aptamer selection were performed prior to high throughput DNA sequencing. The top 10 aptamer candidates were assessed for EPX binding using a mobility shift assay. This process identified a lead aptamer candidate termed EAP1-05 with low nanomolar affinity and high specificity for EPX over other common sputum proteins. This aptamer sequence was further optimized through truncation and used to develop an easy-to-use colourimetric pull-down assay that can detect EPX over a concentration range from 1 - 100 nM in processed sputum. Forty-six clinical samples were processed using a new sputum dispersal method, appropriate for a rapid assessment assay, that avoids centrifugation and lengthy processing times. The assay showed 89% sensitivity and 96% specificity to detect eosinophilia (compared to gold standard sputum cytometry), with results being produced in under an hour. This assay could allow for an easy assessment of eosinophil activity in the airway to guide anti-inflammatory therapy for several airway diseases.
Project description:Sputum eosinophilia has been shown to be a predictor of response to anti-eosinophil therapies in patients with airway diseases. However, quantitative cell counts and differentials of sputum are labor intensive. The objective of this study was to validate a novel ELISA-based assay of eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) in sputum as a rapid and reliable marker of airway eosinophils.The utility of EPX-based ELISA as an eosinophil-specific assay was achieved through comparisons with sputum eosinophil differential counts in freshly prepared and archived patient samples from a variety of clinical settings.EPX levels in sputum correlated with eosinophil percentage (r(s) = 0.84) in asthma patients with varying degrees of airway eosinophilia. Significantly, unlike assays of other eosinophil granule proteins (e.g., ECP and EDN), which often detect the presence of these proteins even in asthma patients with neutrophilic bronchitis, EPX-based ELISA levels are not increased in this subset of asthma patients or in COPD patients lacking evidence of an airway eosinophilia. Moreover, sputum EPX was a surrogate marker of airway eosinophilia in other patient studies (e.g., allergen inhalation and treatment trials the anti-(IL-5) therapeutic Mepolizumab™). Finally, EPX levels in cytocentrifuged prepared sputum supernatants correlated with those from rapidly prepared noncentrifuged filtrates of sputum (r(s) = 0.94).EPX-based ELISA is a valid, reliable, repeatable, and specific surrogate marker of eosinophils and/or eosinophil degranulation in the sputum of respiratory patients. The novel EPX assay is a valid and reproducible eosinophil-specific assay that can potentially be developed into a point-of-care assessment of eosinophil activity in airway secretions.
Project description:The objective of the study was to compare nasal, pharyngeal, and sputum eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) levels with induced sputum eosinophil percentage in 10 adults with poorly controlled asthma and 10 normal controls. EPX was measured using an ELISA and normalized for grams of protein for nasal and pharynx specimens and for mL-gram of protein for sputum. Sputum EPX levels were statistically different between asthma and control subjects (P = 0.024). EPX levels measured in the nasal and pharyngeal swab samples derived from the same patients were also different between asthma and control subjects, each displaying a high degree of significance (P = 0.002). Spearman's correlation coefficients for nasal EPX and pharyngeal EPX levels compared to induced sputum eosinophil percentage were 0.81 (P = 0.0007) and 0.78 (P = 0.0017), respectively. Thus, there is a strong association in a given patient between both nasal and pharyngeal EPX levels and the eosinophil percentage of induced sputum.
Project description:In this project, in vitro selection was carried out to generate DNAzymes for Eosinophil peroxidase using a synthetic DNA library. Total 15 rounds of selections were carried out. The DNA molecules obtain in round 15, was applied in Illumina MiSeq deep sequencing which provided fastq files. Sequencing samples were prepared from each parallel SELEX experiment by PCR tagging with Illumina sequencing primers. Samples were size purified by agarose gel electrophoresis prior to being quantified by measuring absorbance at 260 nm. Tagged samples were pooled and paired-end sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq high-throughput DNA sequencer. Sequence data processing was performed on a Windows 10 computer running Ubuntu 20.04 under WSL2. Raw paired-end reads were trimmed of sequencing and library primers using cutadapt 3.4. Trimmed paired-end reads were then: 1) merged into a consensus sense read; 2) dereplicated; and, 3) clustered at 90% identity using USEARCH v11.0.667_i86linux32. Sequence frequencies and ranking lists were generated using custom Python scripts. Multiple sequence alignments were performed using MUSCLE v3.8.1551 and converted to sequence logos using WebLogo 3.7.8. Processed sequencing data and cluster linkage data were stored on a MySQL 8.0.22 database. Analysis of sequence copy number, frequency, cluster linkage and data plots were performed using the database and Microsoft Excel Top 20 sequences were tested for cleavage performance. The most active DNAzyme was characterized and optimized. At the end, fluorescence and lateral flow assays were developed and evaluated in real patients' sputums.
Project description:BackgroundMany asthmatic patients exhibit sputum eosinophilia associated with exacerbations. Benralizumab targets eosinophils by binding IL-5 receptor α, inducing apoptosis through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.ObjectivesWe sought to evaluate the safety of benralizumab in adults with eosinophilic asthma and its effects on eosinophil counts in airway mucosal/submucosal biopsy specimens, sputum, bone marrow, and peripheral blood.MethodsIn this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I study, 13 subjects were randomized to single-dose intravenous placebo or 1 mg/kg benralizumab (day 0; cohort 1), and 14 subjects were randomized to 3 monthly subcutaneous doses of placebo or 100 or 200 mg of benralizumab (days 0, 28, and 56; cohort 2). Cohorts 1 and 2 were consecutive.ResultsThe incidence of adverse events was similar between groups. No serious adverse events related to benralizumab occurred. In cohort 1 intravenous benralizumab produced a median decrease from baseline of 61.9% in airway mucosal eosinophil counts (day 28; placebo: +19.6%; P = .28), as well as an 18.7% decrease (day 21) in sputum and a 100% decrease (day 28) in blood counts. Eosinophils were not detectable in bone marrow of benralizumab-treated subjects (day 28, n = 4). In cohort 2 subcutaneous benralizumab demonstrated a combined (100 + 200 mg) median reduction of 95.8% in airway eosinophil counts (day 84; placebo, 46.7%; P = .06), as well as an 89.9% decrease (day 28) in sputum and a 100% decrease (day 84) in blood counts.ConclusionSingle-dose intravenous and multiple-dose subcutaneous benralizumab reduced eosinophil counts in airway mucosa/submucosa and sputum and suppressed eosinophil counts in bone marrow and peripheral blood. The safety profile supports further development. Additional studies are needed to assess the clinical benefit in asthmatic patients.
Project description:The experiments were carried out to map the ligand binding landscape of various DNA and RNA duplexed aptamer families. Duplexed Aptamer (DA) constructs were engineered from (i) natural and synthetic DNA and RNA aptamers and (i) synthetic oligonucleotide aptamer-complementary elements synthesized on custom DNA microarrays. The aptamers tested consist of the ATP DNA aptamer, the ATP RNA aptamer, the cocaine DNA aptamer, the human alpha-thrombin DNA aptamer, and the natural add riboswitch aptamer from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Each duplexed aptamer family consists of 1000's of synthetic constructs, each formed by hybridizing the aptamer with an aptamer-complementary element (ACE) - here, ACEs consisted of various DNA oligonucleotides synthesized as a custom DNA microarray.
Project description:The experiments were carried out to map the ligand binding landscape of various DNA and RNA duplexed aptamer families. Duplexed Aptamer (DA) constructs were engineered from (i) natural and synthetic DNA and RNA aptamers and (i) synthetic oligonucleotide aptamer-complementary elements synthesized on custom DNA microarrays. The aptamers tested consist of the ATP DNA aptamer, the ATP RNA aptamer, the cocaine DNA aptamer, the human alpha-thrombin DNA aptamer, and the natural add riboswitch aptamer from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Each duplexed aptamer family consists of 1000's of synthetic constructs, each formed by hybridizing the aptamer with an aptamer-complementary element (ACE) - here, ACEs consisted of various DNA oligonucleotides synthesized as a custom DNA microarray.
Project description:The experiments were carried out to map the ligand binding landscape of various DNA and RNA duplexed aptamer families. Duplexed Aptamer (DA) constructs were engineered from (i) natural and synthetic DNA and RNA aptamers and (i) synthetic oligonucleotide aptamer-complementary elements synthesized on custom DNA microarrays. The aptamers tested consist of the ATP DNA aptamer, the ATP RNA aptamer, the cocaine DNA aptamer, the human alpha-thrombin DNA aptamer, and the natural add riboswitch aptamer from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Each duplexed aptamer family consists of 1000's of synthetic constructs, each formed by hybridizing the aptamer with an aptamer-complementary element (ACE) - here, ACEs consisted of various DNA oligonucleotides synthesized as a custom DNA microarray.
Project description:The experiments were carried out to map the ligand binding landscape of various DNA and RNA duplexed aptamer families. Duplexed Aptamer (DA) constructs were engineered from (i) natural and synthetic DNA and RNA aptamers and (i) synthetic oligonucleotide aptamer-complementary elements synthesized on custom DNA microarrays. The aptamers tested consist of the ATP DNA aptamer, the ATP RNA aptamer, the cocaine DNA aptamer, the human alpha-thrombin DNA aptamer, and the natural add riboswitch aptamer from the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio vulnificus. Each duplexed aptamer family consists of 1000's of synthetic constructs, each formed by hybridizing the aptamer with an aptamer-complementary element (ACE) - here, ACEs consisted of various DNA oligonucleotides synthesized as a custom DNA microarray.