Project description:Background: Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory skin disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that recently have been found in the blood to be relevant as disease biomarkers. Objective: We aimed to explore miRNAs potential as blood biomarkers for psoriasis. Methods: Using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR we measured the global miRNA expression in whole blood, plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis and healthy controls. Results: We identified several deregulated miRNAs in the blood from patients with psoriasis including miR-223 and miR-143 which were found to be significantly upregulated in the PBMCs from patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls (FCH=1.63, P<0.01; FCH=2.18, P<0.01, respectively). In addition, miR-223 and miR-143 significantly correlated with the PASI score (r = 0.46, P<0.05; r=0.55, P<0.02, respectively). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis (ROC) showed that miR-223 and -143 have the potential to distinguish between psoriasis and healthy controls (miR-223: Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.80, miR-143: AUC = 0.75). Interestingly, after 3-5 weeks of treatment with methotrexate following a significant decrease in psoriasis severity, miR-223 and miR-143 were significantly downregulated in the PBMCs from patients with psoriasis. Conclusion: We suggest that changes in the miR-223 and miR-143 expressions in PBMCs from patients with psoriasis may serve as novel biomarkers for disease activity in psoriasis; however, further investigations are warranted to clarify their specific roles.
Project description:Background: Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory skin disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that recently have been found in the blood to be relevant as disease biomarkers. Objective: We aimed to explore miRNAs potential as blood biomarkers for psoriasis. Methods: Using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR we measured the global miRNA expression in whole blood, plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis and healthy controls. Results: We identified several deregulated miRNAs in the blood from patients with psoriasis including miR-223 and miR-143 which were found to be significantly upregulated in the PBMCs from patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls (FCH=1.63, P<0.01; FCH=2.18, P<0.01, respectively). In addition, miR-223 and miR-143 significantly correlated with the PASI score (r = 0.46, P<0.05; r=0.55, P<0.02, respectively). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis (ROC) showed that miR-223 and -143 have the potential to distinguish between psoriasis and healthy controls (miR-223: Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.80, miR-143: AUC = 0.75). Interestingly, after 3-5 weeks of treatment with methotrexate following a significant decrease in psoriasis severity, miR-223 and miR-143 were significantly downregulated in the PBMCs from patients with psoriasis. Conclusion: We suggest that changes in the miR-223 and miR-143 expressions in PBMCs from patients with psoriasis may serve as novel biomarkers for disease activity in psoriasis; however, further investigations are warranted to clarify their specific roles. In the present study, we compared the global miRNA expression profile between whole blood samples obtained from 24 patients with psoriasis (5 samples were excluded due to poor quality control) compared with 15 healthy controls.
Project description:We used a multi-omics approach combining transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics to study the impact of over-expression and inhibition of the microRNA miR-223, a pleiotropic regulator of metabolic-related disease, in the RAW monocyte-macrophage cell line. We analyzed the levels of proteins, mRNAs, and metabolites in order to identify genes involved in miR-223 regulation, to determine candidate disease biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. We observed that both up- and down-regulation of miR-223 induced profound changes in the mRNA, protein and metabolite profiles in RAW cells. Microarray-based transcriptomics evidenced a change in 120 genes that were linked predominantly to histone acetylation, bone remodeling and RNA regulation. In addition, 30 out the 120 genes encoded long noncoding RNAs. The nanoLC-MS/MS revealed that 52 proteins were significantly altered when comparing scramble, pre- and anti-miR-223 treatments. Sixteen out of the mRNAs coding these proteins genes are predicted to have binding sites for miR-223. CARM-1, Ube2g2, Cactin and Ndufaf4 were confirmed to be miR-223 targets by western blotting. Analyses using Gene Ontology annotations evidenced association with cell death, splicing and stability of mRNAs, bone remodeling and cell metabolism. miR-223 alteration changed the expression of CARM-1, Ube2g2, Cactin and Ndufaf4 during osteoclastogenesis and macrophage, indicating that these genes are potential biomarkers of these processes. The most important discriminant metabolites found in the metabolomics study were found to be hydrophilic amino acids, carboxylic acids linked to metabolism and pyrimidine nucleotides, indicating that changes in miR-223 expression alter the metabolic profile of cells, and may affect their apoptotic and proliferative state.
Project description:Psoriasis is a systemic disease with cutaneous manifestations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules that are differentially expressed in psoriatic skin, however; only few miRNAs have been localized to specific cells or regions of psoriatic lesions. We used laser capture microdissection (LCM) and next-generation sequencing to study the specific miRNA expression profiles in the epidermis (Epi) and dermal inflammatory aggregates (RD/ICs) of psoriatic skin. We identified 24 deregulated miRNAs in the Epi and 37 deregulated miRNAs in the RD/ICs of lesional psoriatic skin compared with non-lesional psoriatic skin (FCH>2, FDR<0.05). Interestingly, 9 of the 37 miRNAs, including miR-193b and miR-223 that have recently been described as deregulated in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis. Using flow cytometry and qRT-PCR, miR-193b and miR-223 were found to be expressed in Th17 cells. In conclusion, we demonstrate that LCM combined with small RNA sequencing provides a robust strategy to explore the global miRNA expression in the epidermal and dermal compartments of psoriatic skin. Furthermore, our results indicate that the altered local miRNA changes seen in the RD/ICs is reflected in the circulating immune cells, altogether emphasizing that miRNAs may contribute to a systemic component in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Examination of the global miRNA expression in epidermis (Epi) and dermis (RD/ICs) of paired (non-lesional vs. lesional) psoriatic skin using a combination of laser-capture microdissection and barcoded small RNA sequencing
Project description:Psoriasis is a systemic disease with cutaneous manifestations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules that are differentially expressed in psoriatic skin, however; only few miRNAs have been localized to specific cells or regions of psoriatic lesions. We used laser capture microdissection (LCM) and next-generation sequencing to study the specific miRNA expression profiles in the epidermis (Epi) and dermal inflammatory aggregates (RD/ICs) of psoriatic skin. We identified 24 deregulated miRNAs in the Epi and 37 deregulated miRNAs in the RD/ICs of lesional psoriatic skin compared with non-lesional psoriatic skin (FCH>2, FDR<0.05). Interestingly, 9 of the 37 miRNAs, including miR-193b and miR-223 that have recently been described as deregulated in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis. Using flow cytometry and qRT-PCR, miR-193b and miR-223 were found to be expressed in Th17 cells. In conclusion, we demonstrate that LCM combined with small RNA sequencing provides a robust strategy to explore the global miRNA expression in the epidermal and dermal compartments of psoriatic skin. Furthermore, our results indicate that the altered local miRNA changes seen in the RD/ICs is reflected in the circulating immune cells, altogether emphasizing that miRNAs may contribute to a systemic component in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Project description:We investigated the biomolecular activity of miR-29a-3p/miR-223-3p in human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) by performing transcriptome profiling of H2023 (LUAD) cell line upon modulation of miR-29a-3p/miR-223-3p by mimic (QIAGEN) (OE) or antisense microRNA (KD).
Project description:Next to genetic alterations, it is being recognized that the cellular environment also acts as a major determinant in onset and progression of disease. In cases where different cell types contribute to the final disease outcome, this imposes environmental challenges as different cell types likely differ in their extracellular dependencies. A number of skin diseases, including psoriasis is characterized by a combination of keratinocyte hyperproliferation and immune cell activation. Activation of immune cells involves increased glucose consumption thereby intrinsicly limiting glucose availability for other cell types. Thus, these type of skin diseases require metabolic adaptations that enable coexistence between hyperproliferative keratinocytes and activated immune cells in a nutrient-limited environment. Hsa-microRNA-31-5p (miR-31) is highly expressed in keratinocytes within the psoriatic skin. Here we show that miR-31 expression in keratinocytes is induced by limited glucose availability and enables increased survival of keratinocytes under limiting glucose conditions, by increasing glutamine metabolism. In addition, miR-31 induced glutamine metabolism results in secretion of specific metabolites (aspartate and glutamate) but also secretion of immuno-modulatory factors. We show that this miR-31-induced secretory phenotype is sufficient to induce Th17 cell differentiation, a hallmark of psoriasis. Inhibition of glutaminase (GLS) using CB-839 impedes miR31-induced metabolic rewiring and secretion of immuno-modulatory factors. Concordantly, pharmacological targeting of GLS alleviated psoriasis pathology in a mouse model of psoriasis. Together our data illustrate an emerging concept of metabolic interaction across cell compartments that characterizes disease development, which can be employed to design effective treatment options for disease, as shown here for psoriasis.
Project description:Chagas disease (CD), caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major public health concern in Latin America. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving disease progression and identifying biomarkers are crucial. We investigated the association of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) with CD susceptibility and heart disease progression. A multicentric prospective observational study was conducted with 150 CD patients (46 indeterminate, 104 CCC [chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy] staged A-D) and 42 healthy controls from CD endemic areas. Sequencing of circulating miRNAs was performed, and differential expression analyses were conducted. We identified 40 differentially expressed miRNAs between CD patients and healthy controls, highlighting miR-199b-5p, miR-153-3p, miR-143-3p, and miR-223-3p upregulated, and miR-150-3p, miR-4508, miR-486-5p, and miR-3960, downregulated in CD patients. Moreover, functional analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software revealed that these miRNAs were involved in immune response and cardiovascular signaling pathways. Several miRNAs (miR-6734-5p, miR-1285-5p, miR-10527-5p, miR-31-5p, miR-5187-5p, miR-6515-5p) tended to present a higher expression in patients with severe compared to those with mild CCC, while miR-30c-2-3p presented lower expression in these groups. This study provides evidence for the dysregulation of specific miRNAs in CD, highlighting their potential role in disease pathophysiology and possible use as biomarkers for CD susceptibility and CCC severity.
Project description:Here, we found that microRNA-223 (miR-223) was highly elevated in hepatocytes after high fat diet (HFD) feeding in mice and in human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) samples. Genetic deletion of the miR-223 induced a full spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in mice after long-term (up to one year) HFD feeding including NASH-related steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and HCC. To better explore the mechanisms underlying the abnormalities observed in HFD-fed miR-223KO mice, we examined hepatic gene expression in 3-month-HFD-fed WT and miR-223KO mice by microarray analysis. Finally, we revealed that miR-223 plays a key role in controlling steatosis-to-NASH progression by inhibiting hepatic Cxcl10 and Taz expression.
Project description:Retinal neovascularization is a severe complication of several neovascular retinal diseases, including proliferative diabetic retinopathy, central retinal vein occlusion and retinopathy of prematurity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are master regulators of gene expression that play an important role in retinal neovascularization. Here, we investigate the retinal miRNA expression profile in a rat model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) using miRNA-Seq. We show that miR-143-3p, miR-126-3p, and miR-150-5p are significantly downregulated in the retina of OIR rats, and intravitreal injection of synthetic mimics of these miRNAs significantly ameliorate retinal neovascularization in this animal model. Of these identified miRNAs, miR-143 which is highly expressed in the neural retina and retinal vasculature is here identified for the first time to be associated with retinal neovascularization. With a focus on miR-143 expression in primary human retinal endothelial cells, we explore its involved pathways through a multi-omics analysis. In miR-143 treated cells, the functional evaluation showed a decrease in cell migration and delayed endothelial vessel-like tube remodelling. Consequently, the multi-omics analysis suggests that miR-143 negatively impacts endothelial cell activity through regulating cell-matrix adhesion and mediating HIF signalling pathway. Furthermore, using cytoHubba, a topological analysis method to assess the essentiality of genes, we predict 20 top hub genes regulated by miR-143 that may be involved in mediating endothelial cell function. Using CIBERSORTx, a bulk gene expression deconvolution algorithm, we analyze a public RNA-Seq dataset (GSE102485) and demonstrate that the retinal neovascular membranes in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) principally consist of endothelial cells. We then identify 2 hub genes, THBS1 and SERPINE1, direct targets of miR-143, which on further analysis demonstrate an expression level significantly altered in the PDR patients compared to controls. These findings suggest that miR-143 appears to be essential for limiting endothelial cell-matrix adhesion, thus suppressing retinal neovascularization. The present study might have important implications for the exploration of potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of neovascular ocular diseases.