Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Homo sapiens inflammatory skin diseases (whole skin biospies): Psoriasis (Pso), vs Atopic Dermatitis (AD) vs Lichen planus (Li), vs Contact Eczema (KE), vs Healthy control (KO) In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation. In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.
Project description:Hypothesis: Gene expression differences in biopsies from patients with inflammatory bowel disease can be used to identify molecular heterogeneity within patients with active disease. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or normal healthy controls (with or without infectious colitis) underwent ileocolonoscopy. In healthy controls, biopsies were taken in the sigmoid colon (n=21), ascending/descending colon (n=25) and the terminal ileum (n=12). In patients with Crohn's disease, biopsies were taken in the ascending/descending colon (n=107) and terminal ileum (n=70) in uninflamed areas in all patients; in patients with mucosal lesions, additional biopsies were taken in inflamed regions of the ascending/descending colon (n=35) and terminal ileum (n=55). In ulcerative colitis patients, paired uninflamed sigmoid (n=48) and inflamed sigmoid biopsies (n=46) were taken. Biopsies were placed in RNAlater at the clinical site, frozen and shipped to Genentech, where they were disrupted using TissueLyzer beads, then RNA was isolated using RNeasy columns. RNA was hybridized to Agilent human 4x44kv1 arrays, dual channel, using universal reference.
Project description:Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) were harvested from subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with obesity or healthy controls and expanded for 3-4 passages, and 5hmC profiles were examined through hydroxymethylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (hMeDIP-seq). We hypothesized that obesity and cardiovascular risk factors induce functionally-relevant, locus-specific changes in overall exonic coverage of 5hmC in human adipose-derived MSCs.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of colon epithelial biopsies from ulcerative colitis patients and healthy control donors. Study aims to survey and analyze variation from disease in different GI regions. Keywords: disease state analysis Biopsies from a variety of anatomic locations, from patients of various treatment status or healthy controls.