Project description:The study comprises various components: Samples TD: We aims to screen out different gene expression profile in donor biopsies after revascularization , We aims to predict renal allograft dysfunction early after transplantation. Samples AR, ATN, Tx: We aim to screen out different gene expression profile in acute rejection on the kidney. We aim to screen out different gene expression profile in acute tubular necrosis on the kidney. Results from the various study components can help to diagnose renal allograft dysfunction with different causes by distinct gene expression profile. Keywords: acute rejection, acute tubular necrosis, donor biopsies, renal allograft dysfunction
Project description:Liver transplantation is the only lifesaving therapy for patients with irreversible liver failure, and 30% of the recipients experience acute rejection in the first 12 months following transplantation. Acute rejection is diagnosed by core needle biopsy and noninvasive methods for predicting acute rejection could improve clinical care. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as biomarkers of clinically significant events. We investigated whether circulating extracellular miRNA profiles in sera matched to liver allograft biopsies predict human liver allograft status. Small RNA sequencing and TaqMan low-density array analysis of RNA from biopsy matched sera identified that liver specific miR-122, and miRs -885, -210, -194, 193b, -192, -148a, -34a and -22 distinguish patients with acute rejection biopsies from those with biopsies without rejection features (false discovery rate of <0.15). We measured absolute levels of these informative 9 miRNAs using quantitative real-time PCR assays. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of circulating levels of miRNA levels validated that all 9 miRNAs discriminate patients with acute rejection in their biopsies from those without rejection in their biopsies (P <0.01 to P<0.0001). A parsimonious diagnostic signature of miR-122 and miR-194 was diagnostic of acute rejection with a sensitivity of 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 49% to 95%) and a specificity of 88% (95% CI, 64% to 99%) (area under the curve, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.00; P<0.001 by ROC curve analysis). Our findings suggest that a molecular signature of miR-122 and miR-194 in serum offers a noninvasive means of diagnosing acute rejection including mild forms in human liver allografts.
Project description:MOLECULAR PROFILING IMPROVES DIAGNOSES OF REJECTION AND INFECTION IN TRANSPLANTED ORGANS. The monitoring of transplanted hearts is currently based on histological evaluation of endomyocardial biopsies, a method that is fairly insensitive and that does not always accurately discriminate between rejection and infection in the heart. Accurate diagnosis of rejection and infection is absolutely crucial, however, as the respective treatments are completely different. Using microarrays we analyzed gene expression in 76 cardiac biopsies from 40 heart recipients undergoing rejection, no rejection, or T. cruzi infection. We found a set of 98 genes whose expression patterns were typical of acute rejection, and 87 genes that discriminated between rejection and T. cruzi infection. These sets revealed acute rejection episodes up to two weeks earlier, and trypanosome infection up to two months earlier than did histological evaluation. When applied to raw data from other institutions, the two sets of predictive genes were also able to accurately pinpoint acute rejection of lung and kidney transplants, as well as bacterial infections in kidneys. In addition to their usefulness as diagnostic tools, the data suggest that there are similarities in the biology of the processes involved in rejection of different grafts and also in the tissue responses to pathogens as diverse as bacteria and protozoa. Keywords: disease state analysis
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.
Project description:Gene methylation profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells comparing HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)- and HPV E6/E7-transfected MSCs. hTERT may increase gene methylation in MSCs. Goal was to determine the effects of different transfected genes on global gene methylation in MSCs.
Project description:CONTEXT Slowly progressive chronic tubulo-interstitial damage jeopardizes long-term renal allograft survival. Both immune and non-immune mechanisms are thought to contribute, but the most promising targets for timely intervention have not been identified. OBJECTIVE In the current study we seek to determine the driving force behind progressive histological damage of renal allografts, without the interference of donor pathology, delayed graft function and acute graft rejection. DESIGN We used microarrays to examine whole genome expression profiles in renal allograft protocol biopsies, and analyzed the correlation between gene expression and the histological appearance over time. The gene expression profiles in these protocol biopsies were then compared with gene expression of biopsies with acute T-cell mediated rejection. PATIENTS Human renal allograft biopsies (N=120) were included: 96 rejection-free protocol biopsies and 24 biopsies with T-cell mediated acute rejection. RESULTS In this highly cross-validated study, we demonstrate the significant association of established, ongoing and future chronic histological damage with regulation of adaptive immune gene expression (T-cell and B-cell transcript sets) and innate immune response gene expression (dendritic cell, NK-cell, mast cell and granulocyte transcripts). We demonstrate the ability of gene expression analysis to perform as a quantitative marker for ongoing inflammation with a wide dynamic range: from subtle subhistological inflammation prior to development of chronic damage, over moderate subclinical inflammation associated with chronic histological damage, to marked inflammation of Banff-grade acute T-cell mediated rejection. CONCLUSION Progressive chronic histological damage after kidney transplantation is associated with significant regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, months before the histological lesions appear. This study therefore corroborates the hypothesis that quantitative inflammation below the diagnostic threshold of classic T-cell or antibody-mediated rejection is associated with early subclinical stages of progressive renal allograft damage. We used microarrays to examine whole genome expression profiles in renal allograft protocol biopsies, and analyzed the correlation between gene expression and the histological appearance over time. The gene expression profiles in these protocol biopsies were then compared with gene expression of biopsies with acute T-cell mediated rejection. Human renal allograft biopsies (N=120) were included: 96 rejection-free protocol biopsies and 24 biopsies with T-cell mediated acute rejection.
Project description:The study comprises various components: Samples TD: We aims to screen out different gene expression profile in donor biopsies after revascularization , We aims to predict renal allograft dysfunction early after transplantation. Samples AR, ATN, Tx: We aim to screen out different gene expression profile in acute rejection on the kidney. We aim to screen out different gene expression profile in acute tubular necrosis on the kidney. Results from the various study components can help to diagnose renal allograft dysfunction with different causes by distinct gene expression profile. Keywords: acute rejection, acute tubular necrosis, donor biopsies, renal allograft dysfunction Samples AR1-AR17: This study has been accomplished with 17 patients of acute rejection on the kidney.Technical replicates: 2 replicates Samples ATN1-ATN5: This study has been accomplished with 5 patients of acute tubular necrosis on the kidney. Technical replicates: 2 replicates Samples Tx1-Tx14: This study has been accomplished with 14 patients of stable renal function on the kidney.Tecnical replicates:2 replicates(except Tx12) Samples TD1-TD12: This study has been accomplished with 12 patients of donor tissue with stable function early after transplantation on the kidney.Technical replicates: 2 replicates Samples TD13-TD21: This study has been accomplished with 9 patients of donor tissue with renal dysfunction early after transplantation on the kidney.Technical replicates: 2 replicates
Project description:As the evolution of miRNA genes has been found to be one of the important factors in formation of the modern type of man, we performed a comparative analysis of the evolution of miRNA genes in two archaic hominines, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova, and elucidated the expression of their target mRNAs in bain.A comparative analysis of the genomes of primates, including species in the genus Homo, identified a group of miRNA genes having fixed substitutions with important implications for the evolution of Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens denisova. The mRNAs targeted by miRNAs with mutations specific for Homo sapiens denisova exhibited enhanced expression during postnatal brain development in modern humans. By contrast, the expression of mRNAs targeted by miRNAs bearing variations specific for Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was shown to be enhanced in prenatal brain development.Our results highlight the importance of changes in miRNA gene sequences in the course of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis evolution. The genetic alterations of miRNAs regulating the spatiotemporal expression of multiple genes in the prenatal and postnatal brain may contribute to the progressive evolution of brain function, which is consistent with the observations of fine technical and typological properties of tools and decorative items reported from archaeological Denisovan sites. The data also suggest that differential spatial-temporal regulation of gene products promoted by the subspecies-specific mutations in the miRNA genes might have occurred in the brains of Homo sapiens denisova and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, potentially contributing to the cultural differences between these two archaic hominines.
Project description:PurposeWe investigated the evidence of recent positive selection in the human phototransduction system at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and gene level.MethodsSNP genotyping data from the International HapMap Project for European, Eastern Asian, and African populations was used to discover differences in haplotype length and allele frequency between these populations. Numeric selection metrics were computed for each SNP and aggregated into gene-level metrics to measure evidence of recent positive selection. The level of recent positive selection in phototransduction genes was evaluated and compared to a set of genes shown previously to be under recent selection, and a set of highly conserved genes as positive and negative controls, respectively.ResultsSix of 20 phototransduction genes evaluated had gene-level selection metrics above the 90th percentile: RGS9, GNB1, RHO, PDE6G, GNAT1, and SLC24A1. The selection signal across these genes was found to be of similar magnitude to the positive control genes and much greater than the negative control genes.ConclusionsThere is evidence for selective pressure in the genes involved in retinal phototransduction, and traces of this selective pressure can be demonstrated using SNP-level and gene-level metrics of allelic variation. We hypothesize that the selective pressure on these genes was related to their role in low light vision and retinal adaptation to ambient light changes. Uncovering the underlying genetics of evolutionary adaptations in phototransduction not only allows greater understanding of vision and visual diseases, but also the development of patient-specific diagnostic and intervention strategies.