Project description:Our group has proposed that low-density granulocytes (LDGs) play an important role in lupus pathogenesis, as they can damage endothelial cells and synthesize increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. LDGs have a heightened capacity to synthesize neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs from LDGs display increased levels of bactericidal and immunostimulatory proteins, such as the cathelicidin LL37 and externalize double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Lupus netting LDGs have increased capacity to kill endothelial cells and expose IL-17. Through NETosis, lupus neutrophils stimulate plasmacytoid DCs to synthesize IFN-?. Our results further expand the potential pathogenic role of aberrant lupus neutrophils through a NET-mediated effect. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression of neutrophils in healthy and lupus patients, and of low-density granulocytes in lupus patients. Human neutrophils and LDGs were isolated from PBMCs. RNA from healthy neutrophils, lupus neutrophils and lupus LDGs was extracted and processed for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Recent literature has shown that neutrophils exert significant influence on the course of disease progression in lupus, but there is currently controversy in the lupus field regarding a) whether neutrophils are predominantly protective or deleterious toward the propagation of auto-reactivity, b) the specific mechanism of neutrophil influence on adaptive immune dysregulation, and c) identity and origin of functionally abnormal neutrophil subsets in lupus. Here we used RNA sequencing of splenic neutrophils isolated from a murine lupus model (NZB/W) to characterize changes in the transcriptional program of neutrophils over the course of lupus progression. We find that the transcription of immunologically relevant genes change over the course of disease, and that lupus neutrophils early in disease show enrichment for transcripts associated with neutrophil precursors. These data provide the first detailed profile of the splenic neutrophil transcriptional program changes during the progression of lupus.
Project description:We identified genome-wide DNA methylation patterns within neutrophils and low-density granulocytes of Lupus patients and demographically matched controls Comparison of 15 Lupus patients vs 15 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched controls using the Illumina HumanMethylation 450 beadchip array
Project description:Our group has proposed that low-density granulocytes (LDGs) play an important role in lupus pathogenesis, as they can damage endothelial cells and synthesize increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. LDGs have a heightened capacity to synthesize neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs from LDGs display increased levels of bactericidal and immunostimulatory proteins, such as the cathelicidin LL37 and externalize double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Lupus netting LDGs have increased capacity to kill endothelial cells and expose IL-17. Through NETosis, lupus neutrophils stimulate plasmacytoid DCs to synthesize IFN-α. Our results further expand the potential pathogenic role of aberrant lupus neutrophils through a NET-mediated effect. We used microarrays to analyze the gene expression of neutrophils in healthy and lupus patients, and of low-density granulocytes in lupus patients.
Project description:We identified genome-wide DNA methylation patterns within neutrophils and low-density granulocytes of Lupus patients and demographically matched controls
Project description:Autoantibodies against nucleic acids and excessive type I Interferon (IFN) are hallmarks of human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). We previously reported that SLE neutrophils, exposed to TLR7-agonist autoantibodies, release interferogenic DNA, which we now demonstrate to be of mitochondrial origin. We further show that healthy human neutrophils do not complete mitophagy upon induction of mitochondrial damage. Rather, they extrude mitochondrial components, including DNA (mtDNA), devoid of oxidized residues. When MtDNA undergoes oxidation, it is directly routed to lysosomes for degradation. This rerouting requires dissociation from the transcription factor TFAM, a dual high mobility group (HMG) protein involved in maintenance and compaction of the mitochondrial genome into nucleoids. Exposure of SLE neutrophils, or healthy IFNprimed neutrophils, to anti-RNP autoantibodies blocks TFAM phosphorylation, a necessary step for nucleoid dissociation. Consequently, oxidized nucleoids accumulate within mitochondria and are eventually extruded as potent interferogenic complexes. In support of the in vivo relevance of this phenomenon, mitochondrial retention of oxidized nucleoids is a feature of SLE blood neutrophils, and autoantibodies against oxidized mtDNA are present in a fraction of patients. This pathway represents a novel therapeutic target in human SLE. 4 samples, no replicates, 2 controls. 2 samples are Neutrophils cultured with and without CCCP (control). 2 samples are Monocytes cultured with and without CCCP (control).
Project description:Peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4), encoded by PADI4, plays critical roles in the immune system. The pathological roles of PAD4 were investigated in lupus model mice. PAD4-regulated pathways were identified by RNA-sequencing of WT and Padi4 KO neutrophils.
Project description:Autoantibodies against nucleic acids and excessive type I Interferon (IFN) are hallmarks of human Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). We previously reported that SLE neutrophils, exposed to TLR7-agonist autoantibodies, release interferogenic DNA, which we now demonstrate to be of mitochondrial origin. We further show that healthy human neutrophils do not complete mitophagy upon induction of mitochondrial damage. Rather, they extrude mitochondrial components, including DNA (mtDNA), devoid of oxidized residues. When MtDNA undergoes oxidation, it is directly routed to lysosomes for degradation. This rerouting requires dissociation from the transcription factor TFAM, a dual high mobility group (HMG) protein involved in maintenance and compaction of the mitochondrial genome into nucleoids. Exposure of SLE neutrophils, or healthy IFNprimed neutrophils, to anti-RNP autoantibodies blocks TFAM phosphorylation, a necessary step for nucleoid dissociation. Consequently, oxidized nucleoids accumulate within mitochondria and are eventually extruded as potent interferogenic complexes. In support of the in vivo relevance of this phenomenon, mitochondrial retention of oxidized nucleoids is a feature of SLE blood neutrophils, and autoantibodies against oxidized mtDNA are present in a fraction of patients. This pathway represents a novel therapeutic target in human SLE.
Project description:Genome-wide alternative splice analysis of RNA from lupus and its severe form lupus nephritis We aimed to explore the genome-wide peripheral blood transcriptome of lupus (SLE) and its severe form lupus nephritis (LN) cases compared to healthy subjects (HC) using high density Affymetrix Human Exon1.0.ST arrays. Analysis revealed 15 splice variants that are differentially expressed between SLE/HC and 99 variants between LN/HC (pâ¤0.05,SI>orâ¤0.5,Benjamin Hochberg-False discovery rate correction). Comparison between LN/SLE revealed 7 variants that are differentially expressed with pâ¤0.05,SI>0.5,Benjamin Hochberg-FDR correction. Pathway analysis of differentially spliced genes revealed 11 significant pathways in SLE and 12 in LN (p<0.05). Analysis of peripheral blood transcriptome revealed signature causative genes that are alternatively spliced, signifying their clinical relevance in the pathophysiology of disease. The extent of differential splicing was found to be higher in LN than in SLE, signifying the need for further in-depth research in the same domain. Present study is the first to reveal the significance of alternative variants in susceptibility to SLE and LN. We analyzed blood from 11 female subjects (5 lupus, 3 lupus nephritis and 3 healthy control) using the Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST platform. Array data was processed by Alt Analyze and Genespring software. No techinical replicates were performed. One of the outiler sample (HC2) was excluded from further analysis.