Project description:The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu. Umbilical cord blood was drawn into Tempus Blood RNA tubes (Applied Biosystems) from children born between January and May 2010 at the maternity unit of Jorvi hospital (Espoo, Finland; n=48), maternity units of Tartu and PM-CM-5lva (Estonia; n=25), or two maternity departments in Petrozavodsk (capital of the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation; n=40) according to the manufacturerM-BM-4s protocol and then stored in M-bM-^HM-^R70 M-BM-0C until analyzed. All newborn infants were full-term (>36 gestational weeks) and born vaginally. 113 cord blood RNA samples were analyzed with Affymetrix U219 gene array. Gender, pregnancy week, month of birth and HLA risk class were included as confounding factors in the analysis model.
Project description:The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu.
Project description:The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu.
Project description:The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases is on the rise in the developed world. Microbial exposure is known to modulate the risk for these diseases. In order to explore differences in the gene expression patterns induced in utero in infants born in contrasting standards of living and hygiene, we collected umbilical cord blood RNA samples from full-term newborn infants born with normal vaginal delivery in Finland (modern society), Estonia (rapidly developing society) and the Republic of Karelia, Russia (poor economical conditions). Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using whole genome microarrays including gender, gestational age, birth month and HLA allele genotype as confounding variables in the analysis. The data revealed that the whole blood transcriptome of Finnish and Estonian neonates differ from their Karelian counterparts. Samples from Karelian infants had an increase in transcripts associated with LPS induction and bacterial sepsis observed in 1-year-old infants in earlier studies. The results suggest exposure to toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and a more matured immune response in infants born in Petrozavodsk compared to the Finnish and Estonian infants. These results further support the concept of a conspicuous plasticity in the developing immune system: the environmental factors that play a role in the susceptibility/protection towards immune-mediated diseases begin to shape the neonatal immunity already in utero and direct the maturation of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses in accordance with the surrounding microbial milieu. These 15 rehybridized samples were only utilized in the batch correction and excluded from any further analysis steps. Umbilical cord blood was drawn into Tempus Blood RNA tubes (Applied Biosystems) from children born at the maternity unit of Jorvi hospital (Espoo, Finland; n=4), maternity units of Tartu and PM-CM-5lva (Estonia; n=4), or two maternity departments in Petrozavodsk (capital of the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation; n=7) according to the manufacturerM-BM-4s protocol and then stored in -70 M-BM-0C until analyzed.
Project description:At birth, human infants are poised to survive in harsh, hostile conditions. An understanding of the state of newborn skin development and maturation is key to the maintenance of health, optimum response to injury, healing and disease. The observational study collected full-thickness newborn skin samples from 27 infants at surgery and compared them to skin samples from 43 adult sites protected from ultraviolet radiation exposure, as the standard for stable, mature skin. Transcriptomics profiling and gene set enrichment analysis were performed. Statistical analysis established over 25,000 differentially regulated probe sets, representing 10,647 distinct genes, in infant skin compared to adult skin. Gene set enrichment analysis showed a significant increase in 143 biological processes (adjusted p < 0.01) in infant skin, versus adult skin samples, including extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, cell adhesion, collagen fibril organization and fatty acid metabolic process. The top two biological processes were ECM organization and ECM structure organization. Genes involving epidermis development, immune function, cell differentiation, and hair cycle were overexpressed in adults, representing 101 significantly enriched biological processes (adjusted p < 0.01). The top processes involved skin and epidermal development, e.g., keratinocyte differentiation, keratinization and cornification intermediate filament cytoskeleton organization and hair cycle. Over half of the enriched biological processes also involved immune function, including antigen processing and presentation. The results provide essential insight regarding newborn infant skin and its ability to support the newborn’s preparedness to survive and flourish, despite the infant’s new environment laden with microbes, high oxygen tension and potential irritants. To our knowledge, this is the first report on newborn infant skin transcriptomics analysis. When compared to ultraviolet radiation protected adult skin, it highlights the substantial differences between them. This fundamental knowledge is expected to guide strategies to protect and preserve the features of unperturbed, young skin.
Project description:Although modern clinical practices such as cesarean sections and perinatal antibiotics have improved infant survival, treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics alters intestinal microbiota and causes dysbiosis. Infants exposed to perinatal antibiotics have an increased likelihood of life-threatening infections, including pneumonia. Here, we investigated how the gut microbiota sculpt pulmonary immune responses, promoting recovery and resolution of infection in newborn rhesus macaques. Early-life antibiotic exposure interrupted the maturation of intestinal commensal bacteria and disrupted the developmental trajectory of the pulmonary immune system, as assessed by single-cell proteomic and transcriptomic analyses. Early-life antibiotic exposure rendered newborn macaques more susceptible to bacterial pneumonia, concurrent with increases in neutrophil senescence and hyperinflammation, broad inflammatory cytokine signaling, and macrophage dysfunction. This pathogenic reprogramming of pulmonary immunity was further reflected by a hyperinflammatory signature in all pulmonary immune cell subsets coupled with a global loss of tissue-protective, homeostatic pathways in the lungs of dysbiotic newborns. Fecal microbiota transfer was associated with partial correction of the broad immune maladaptations and protection against severe pneumonia. These data demonstrate the importance of intestinal microbiota in programming pulmonary immunity and support the idea that gut microbiota promote the balance between pathways driving tissue repair and inflammatory responses associated with clinical recovery from infection in infants. Our results highlight a potential role for microbial transfer for immune support in these at-risk infants.
Project description:Increased morbidity and fetal growth restriction are reported in uninfected children born to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)–infected women treated with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Viruses and/or pharmacological interventions such as ARVs can induce metabolic stress, skewing the cell’s immune response and restricting (cell) growth. Novel metabolomic techniques provided the opportunity to investigate the impact of fetal HIV-1 and combination ARV therapy (cART) exposure on the infants’ immune metabolome. Peroxidized lipids, generated by reactive oxygen species, were increased in cART/HIV-1–exposed infants, indicating altered mitochondrial functioning. The lipid metabolism was further dysregulated with increased triglyceride species and a subsequent decrease in phospholipids in cART/HIV-1–exposed infants compared to control infants. Proinflammatory immune mediators, lysophospholipids as well as cytokines such as CXCL10 and CCL3, were increased whereas anti-inflammatory metabolites from the cytochrome P450 pathway were reduced in cART/HIV-1–exposed infants. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the fetal metabolism is impacted by maternal factors (cART and HIV-1) and skews physiological immune responses toward inflammation in the newborn infant.
Project description:There is little information regarding the allergen content of milk feeds in the preterm population. Previous studies have evaluated specific proteins/peptides via ELISA, but no studies have performed a broad analysis of the allergenic peptide content and protease activity of milk feeds in this population. Preterm infants spend a critical window of time for immune development in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and may receive fortified donor milk, maternal milk or formula feeds via nasogastric tube or bottle instead of fresh breastmilk via breastfeeding.