Project description:We collected airway epithelial brushings for microarray analysis from 42 asthmatics and two control groups â 28 healthy subjects and 16 smokers. A subgroup of 32 asthmatics completed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of fluticasone propionate in which collection of brushings was repeated after 1 week of treatment. Experiment Overall Design: 1) Comparison of gene expression in asthmatics to healthy controls Experiment Overall Design: 2) Comparison of smokers to healthy controls Experiment Overall Design: 3) Comparison of change in gene expression in the fluticasone treated group to the change in the placebo treated group
Project description:We collected airway epithelial brushings for microarray analysis from 42 asthmatics and two control groups – 28 healthy subjects and 16 smokers. A subgroup of 32 asthmatics completed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of fluticasone propionate in which collection of brushings was repeated after 1 week of treatment. Keywords: disease state analysis, clinical trial
Project description:Molecular profiling studies in asthma cohorts have identified a Th2-driven asthma subtype, characterized by elevated lower airway expression of POSTN, CLCA1 and SERPINB2. To assess upper airway gene expression as a potential biomarker for lower airway Th2 inflammation, we assayed upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin in a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls. 23 of 51 asthmatics in our cohort were classified as âTh2 highâ based on lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. Consistent with this classification, âTh2 highâ subjects displayed elevated total IgE and blood eosinophil levels relative to âTh2 lowâ subjects. Upper airway Th2 signature expression was significantly correlated with lower airway Th2 signature expression (r=0.44), with similar strength of association as serum total IgE and blood eosinophils, known biomarkers of Th2 inflammation. In an unbiased genome-wide scan, we identified 8 upper airway genes more strongly correlated with lower airway Th2 gene signature expression (r=0.58), including Eotaxin-3 (CCL26), Galectin-10 (CLC) and Cathepsin-C (CTSC). Asthmatics classified as âTh2 highâ using this 8-gene signature show similar serum total IgE and blood eosinophil levels as âTh2 highâ asthmatics classified using lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. We have identified an 8-gene upper airway signature correlated with lower airway Th2 inflammation, which may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for Th2-driven asthma. Upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial brushings obtained from a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls were profiled by gene expression by microarray. Subjects were assayed for gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin.
Project description:Molecular profiling studies in asthma cohorts have identified a Th2-driven asthma subtype, characterized by elevated lower airway expression of POSTN, CLCA1 and SERPINB2. To assess upper airway gene expression as a potential biomarker for lower airway Th2 inflammation, we assayed upper airway (nasal) and lower airway (bronchial) epithelial gene expression, serum total IgE, blood eosinophils and serum periostin in a cohort of 54 allergic asthmatics and 30 matched healthy controls. 23 of 51 asthmatics in our cohort were classified as ‘Th2 high’ based on lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. Consistent with this classification, ‘Th2 high’ subjects displayed elevated total IgE and blood eosinophil levels relative to ‘Th2 low’ subjects. Upper airway Th2 signature expression was significantly correlated with lower airway Th2 signature expression (r=0.44), with similar strength of association as serum total IgE and blood eosinophils, known biomarkers of Th2 inflammation. In an unbiased genome-wide scan, we identified 8 upper airway genes more strongly correlated with lower airway Th2 gene signature expression (r=0.58), including Eotaxin-3 (CCL26), Galectin-10 (CLC) and Cathepsin-C (CTSC). Asthmatics classified as ‘Th2 high’ using this 8-gene signature show similar serum total IgE and blood eosinophil levels as ‘Th2 high’ asthmatics classified using lower airway Th2 gene signature expression. We have identified an 8-gene upper airway signature correlated with lower airway Th2 inflammation, which may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for Th2-driven asthma.
Project description:Using a human model of asthma exacerbation, we compared the airway mucosa in allergic asthmatics and allergic non-asthmatic controls using single-cell RNA-sequencing frameworks. In response to allergen challenge, the airway epithelium in asthmatics was highly dynamic and upregulated genes involved in matrix degradation, mucus metaplasia, and glycolysis while failing to induce injury-repair and antioxidant pathways observed in controls. Asthmatics also had a unique mucosal immune profile, characterized by IL9-expressing pathogenic TH2 cells and enrichment of DC2 (CD1C) and CCR2-expressing monocyte-derived cells (MC) after allergen, with upregulation of genes that promote pathologic airway remodeling. In contrast, controls were enriched for macrophage-like MC that upregulated tissue repair programs after allergen challenge, suggesting these populations may protect against asthmatic airway remodeling. These findings reveal a novel TH2-mononuclear phagocyte-epithelial interactome unique to asthmatics, suggesting that pathogenic effector circuits and the absence of pro-resolution programs drive structural airway disease in response to type 2 inflammation.
Project description:MicroRNA expression was assayed from bronchial epithelial cells collected via bronchoscopy from healthy current and never smoker volunteers in order to determine the effect of cigarette smoke exposure on airway epithelial microRNA expression Keywords: Global microRNA expression profiling Bronchial epithelial cells were collected from current and never smokers via bronchoscopy. Low molecular weight RNA ( < 200 nucleotides) was isolated and hybridized to Invitrogen NCode microRNA microarrays to determine which microRNAs detected in bronchial epithelial cells were differentially expressed in the airways of smokers.
Project description:We generated genome-wide RNASeq data from freshly isolated airway epithelial cells of asthmatics and non-asthmatics. This data was paired with genome-wide genetic and methylation data from the same individuals allowing for an integrated analysis of genetic, transcriptional, and epigenetic signatures in asthma.
Project description:The Wnt pathway plays a central role in controlling differentiation of epithelial tissues; when Wnt is on, differentiation is suppressed, but when Wnt is off, differentiation is allowed to proceed. Based on this concept, we hypothesized that expression of key genes in the Wnt pathway are suppressed in the human airway epithelium under the stress of cigarette smoking, a stress associated with dysregulation of the differentiated state of the airway epithelium. For this purpose, HG-U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays were used to assess the expression of Wnt-related genes in the small airway (10th-12th generation) epithelium (SAE) obtained via bronchoscopy and brushing of healthy nonsmokers (n=47), healthy smokers (n=58), and smokers with established COPD (n=22). With expression defined as present in >20% of samples, microarray analysis demonstrated that 35 of 57 known Wnt-related genes are expressed in the adult SAE. Wnt pathway downstream targets β-catenin (p<0.05) and the transcription factor 7-like 1 were down-regulated in healthy smokers, and smokers with COPD, as were a number of Wnt target genes, including VEGFA, CCND1, MMP7, CLDN1, SOX9, RHOU (all p<0.05 compared to healthy nonsmokers). As a mechanism to explain this broad, smoking-induced suppression of the Wnt pathway, we assessed expression of the DKK and SFRP families, extracellular regulators that suppress the Wnt pathway. Among these, secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), was up-regulated 4.3-fold (p<0.0001) in healthy smokers and 4.9-fold (p<0.0001) in COPD smokers, an observation confirmed by TaqMan Real-time PCR. AT the protein levels, Western analysis demonstrated SFRP2 up-regulation, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the smoking-induced SFRP2 upregulation occurred in differentiated ciliated cells. Finally, cigarette smoke extract mediated up-regulation of SFRP2 and downregulation of Wnt target genes in airway epithelial cells in vitro. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the Wnt pathway plays a role in airway epithelial cell differentiation in the adult human airway epithelium, with smoking associated with down-regulation of Wnt pathway, contributing to the dysregulation of airway epithelial differentiation observed in the smoking-related airway disorders. Affymetrix arrays were used to assess gene expression data of genes in the Wnt pathway in small airway epithelium obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy of 47 healthy non-smokers and 58 healthy smokers and 22 smokers with COPD.
Project description:We generated genome-wide methylation data using the 450K from freshly isolated airway epithelial cells of asthmatics and non-asthmatics. This data was paired with genome-wide genetic and gene expression data from the same individuals allowing for an integrated analysis of genetic, transcriptional, and epigenetic signatures in asthma.
Project description:Smokers weigh less and have less body fat than non-smokers, and increased body fat and weight gain are observed following smoking cessation. To assess a possible molecular mechanism underlying the inverse association between smoking and body weight, we hypothesized that smoking may induce the expression of a fat depleting gene in the airway epithelium, the cell population that takes the brunt of the stress of cigarette smoke. As a candidate gene we evaluated the expression of alpha2-zinc-glycoprotein1 (AZGP1), a soluble protein that stimulates lipolysis, induces a reduction in body fat in mice and is associated with the cachexia related to cancer, and is known to be expressed in secretory cells of lung epithelium. To assess if smoking upregulates AZGP1 expression, microarray analysis with TaqMan confirmation was used to evaluate large airway epithelial samples obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy from 37 normal smokers and 55 normal nonsmokers. Both microarray and TaqMan analysis demonstrated that AZGP1 mRNA levels were higher in the large airway epithelium of normal smokers compared to normal nonsmokers (p<0.05, all comparisons). Western analysis of airway biopsies of smokers compared with nonsmokers demonstrated upregulation of AZGP1 at the protein level, and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated upregulation of AZGP1 in secretory as well as neuroendocrine cells of smokers. In the context that AZGP1 is involved in lipolysis and fat loss, its overexpression in the airway epithelium of chronic smokers may represent one mechanism for the weight difference in smokers vs nonsmokers. Keywords: Comparison of gene expression in large airway epithleium of normal non-smokers and normal smokers Airway epithelial cells obtained by bronchoscopy with brushing from healthy smokers and healthy non-smokers