Project description:Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated strong genetic associations between AMD and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes such as CFH and HTRA1. However, we have identified monozygotic twins discordant for AMD phenotypes (one with disease, the other without disease), suggesting that an epigenetic mechanism may also contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. Methods We identified two twin pairs with phenotypic discordance of AMD. We obtained genomic DNA from their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and subjected them to DNA methylation-chip analysis (MeDIP-chip) that profiled genome-wide DNA methylation patterns on promoters of all genes and microRNAs. We next utilized the Methyl-Profiler DNA methylation assays to detect the methylation status of selected promoters. Flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR were used to detect the expression of the selected gene in peripheral blood cells, as well as in retinal and choroidal tissues of AMD patients and non-AMD controls. Results Our MeDIP-chip analysis identified 256 genes with hypo-methylated promoters only in the twins with AMD and 744 genes with hyper-methylated promoters only in the twins with AMD. Importantly, the promoter region of IL17RC was associated with hypo-methylated CpG sites only in the twins with AMD but not in the twins without AMD. We also found the association of the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter with AMD in 7 pairs of siblings with discordant AMD pathology (P=0.003), as well as an independent patient cohort (95 neovascular wet and 107 geographic atrophy dry AMD patients as well as 96 non-AMD controls (95% CI, 0.01-0.10, P=9.8x10-8 for wet AMD vs. control; 95% CI, 0.05-0.32, P=2.2x10-5 for dry AMD vs. control)). Interestingly, we did not find an association between the levels of methylation on the IL17RC promoter with the previously identified genetic risk alleles in CFH, HTRA1, and ARMS2. We demonstrated an elevated expression of the IL-17RC protein in CD14+ monocytes in the peripheral blood of AMD patients as compared to non-AMD controls. These IL-17RC+ monocytes have elevated expression of CXCR1, CXCR2, and CXCR4. In addition, IL17RC was expressed only in the retinal and choroidal tissues from AMD patients but not from age-matched controls. Conclusions We show an association of the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter with AMD, which resulted in the elevated expression of IL-17RC in peripheral blood cells as well as the retinal and choroidal tissues of AMD patients. Our study suggests that the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter and elevated expression of IL-17RC can potentially serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of AMD, while IL-17RC can be a new therapeutic target for AMD. In addition, our results strongly suggest an epigenetic control mechanism of AMD pathogenesis. The Affymetrix MOE430 2.0 GeneChip was used to detect gene expression patterns within the whole eye of C57B/6 normal mice.

Project description:Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated strong genetic associations between AMD and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes such as CFH and HTRA1. However, we have identified monozygotic twins discordant for AMD phenotypes (one with disease, the other without disease), suggesting that an epigenetic mechanism may also contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. Methods We identified two twin pairs with phenotypic discordance of AMD. We obtained genomic DNA from their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and subjected them to DNA methylation-chip analysis (MeDIP-chip) that profiled genome-wide DNA methylation patterns on promoters of all genes and microRNAs. We next utilized the Methyl-Profiler DNA methylation assays to detect the methylation status of selected promoters. Flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR were used to detect the expression of the selected gene in peripheral blood cells, as well as in retinal and choroidal tissues of AMD patients and non-AMD controls. Results Our MeDIP-chip analysis identified 256 genes with hypo-methylated promoters only in the twins with AMD and 744 genes with hyper-methylated promoters only in the twins with AMD. Importantly, the promoter region of IL17RC was associated with hypo-methylated CpG sites only in the twins with AMD but not in the twins without AMD. We also found the association of the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter with AMD in 7 pairs of siblings with discordant AMD pathology (P=0.003), as well as an independent patient cohort (95 neovascular wet and 107 geographic atrophy dry AMD patients as well as 96 non-AMD controls (95% CI, 0.01-0.10, P=9.8x10-8 for wet AMD vs. control; 95% CI, 0.05-0.32, P=2.2x10-5 for dry AMD vs. control)). Interestingly, we did not find an association between the levels of methylation on the IL17RC promoter with the previously identified genetic risk alleles in CFH, HTRA1, and ARMS2. We demonstrated an elevated expression of the IL-17RC protein in CD14+ monocytes in the peripheral blood of AMD patients as compared to non-AMD controls. These IL-17RC+ monocytes have elevated expression of CXCR1, CXCR2, and CXCR4. In addition, IL17RC was expressed only in the retinal and choroidal tissues from AMD patients but not from age-matched controls. Conclusions We show an association of the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter with AMD, which resulted in the elevated expression of IL-17RC in peripheral blood cells as well as the retinal and choroidal tissues of AMD patients. Our study suggests that the hypo-methylated IL17RC promoter and elevated expression of IL-17RC can potentially serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of AMD, while IL-17RC can be a new therapeutic target for AMD. In addition, our results strongly suggest an epigenetic control mechanism of AMD pathogenesis.

Project description:CD47 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is ubiquitously expressed in different organs and tissues (Barclay and Van den Berg 2014; Liu, et al. 2017). In the human immune system, CD47 interacts with some integrins, two counter-receptor signal regulator protein (SIRP) family members, and the secreted thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) (Barclay and Van den Berg 2014; Gao, et al. 2016; Kaur, et al. 2013; Oldenborg, et al. 2000). CD47 has two established roles in the immune system. The CD47-SIRPα interaction was identified as a critical innate immune checkpoint, which delivers an antiphagocytic signal to macrophages and inhibits neutrophil cytotoxicity (Martínez- Sanz, et al. 2021). Its interaction with inhibitory SIRPα is a physiological anti-phagocytic “don’t eat me” signal on circulating red blood cells that is co-opted by cancer cells (Matlung, et al. 2017). Many malignant cells overexpress CD47 (Betancur, et al. 2017; Chao, et al. 2011; Jaiswal, et al. 2009; Majeti, et al. 2009; Oronsky, et al. 2020; Petrova, et al. 2017). CD47/SIRPα-targeted therapeutics have been developed to overcome this immune checkpoint for cancer treatment (Kaur, et al. 2020; Matlung, et al. 2017). Secondly, engagement of CD47 on T cells by TSP1 regulates their differentiation and survival (Grimbert, et al. 2006; Lamy, et al. 2007) and inhibits T cell receptor signaling and antigen presentation by dendritic cells (DCs) (Kaur, et al. 2014; Li, et al. 2002; Liu, et al. 2015; Miller, et al. 2013; Soto-Pantoja, et al. 2014; Weng, et al. 2014). TSP1/CD47 signaling has similar inhibitory functions to limit NK cell activation (Kim, et al. 2008; Nath, et al. 2018; Nath, et al. 2019; Schwartz, et al. 2019) and IL1β production by macrophages (Stein, et al. 2016). CD47 is therefore a checkpoint that regulates both innate and adaptive immunity. The recent understanding of CD47 antagonism associated with increased antigen presentation by DCs (Liu, et al. 2016) and natural killer cell cytotoxicity (Nath, et al. 2019) contributes to the heightened interest in CD47 as a therapeutic target (Kaur, et al. 2020).

			Action	DRS
	DL2_TSP1_HTRA1_LCT02_10uL_RA2_01_15217.d.zip	Other
	DL2_TSP1_HTRA1_LCT02_10uL_RA2_01_15217_F001421.dat	Other
	DL2_TSP1_seule_LCT02_10uL_RA1_01_15216.d.zip	Other
	Digest-liquid-2_TSP1-HTRA1_RA2_01_15104.d.zip	Other
	Digest-liquid-2_TSP1-HTRA1_RA2_01_15104_F001420.dat	Other

Dataset Information

Recombinant TSP1 cleaved by HTRA1 (LCMS)

Dataset's files

Publications

The 10q26 Risk Haplotype of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Aggravates Subretinal Inflammation by Impairing Monocyte Elimination.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets