Project description:We developed a coronary plaque sampling approach that could be applied broadly in live patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to obtain molecular and cellular insights into human coronary atherosclerosis. Our approach combined RNA retrieval directly from balloons used in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and inexpensive, low-input RNA-Seq using SMART-seq. We generated SMART-Seq libraries from coronary samples from 27 patients. Of the 27 patients, 13 were confirmed to have stable CAD (sCAD) and 14 confirmed to have been performed on lesions causing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We applied CIBERSORTx to analyze the SMART-seq data from each of the 27 samples. We found fibroblasts and fibromyoctes were enriched, while smooth muscle cells were reduced, in samples from ACS compared with sCAD patients. We identified 371 genes as significantly differential expressed (q<0.05) between sCAD and ACS patients.
Project description:This study aims at identifying gene expression patterns in the whole blood that could differentiate patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis from subjects without detectable coronary artery disease (CAD), and assess associations of gene expression patterns with plaque features at coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Patients undergoing CCTA for suspected CAD, with no cardiovascular history, were enrolled. Coronary stenosis was quantified and CCTA plaque features were assessed. The whole-blood transcriptome was analyzed by RNA-Sequencing. We detected highly significant differences in the circulating transcriptome between patients with high-degree coronary stenosis (> 70%) at CCTA and subjects with the absence of coronary plaques. Noteworthy, regression analysis revealed expression signatures associated with Leaman score, segment involved score, segment-stenosis score, and plaque volume with density <150 HU at CCTA. This pilot study shows that patients with significant coronary stenosis are characterized by whole blood transcriptome profiles that may discriminate them from patients without CAD. Furthermore, our results suggest that whole blood transcriptional profiles may predict plaque characteristics.
Project description:The identification of classic risk factors for coronary artery disease unveiled pathophysiologic mechanisms of atherosclerosis. Among them, inflammation as a systemic process measurable in peripheral blood plays a central role in plaque progression. However, other mechanisms of plaque progression remain to be fully understood. Therefore, this study sought to further investigate systemic correlates of plaque progression by global gene expression in peripheral blood. Microrarray gene expression analysis revealed 93 genes differentially expressed between the groups, of which 23 genes have no known function. Among the remaining 70 genes, 10 (14%) were identified to be associated with progenitor and pluripotent cells whereas only 3 genes (4%) had been associated with atherosclerosis. A risk prediction gene signature was developed by a multivariable statistical approach model integrating comprehensive laboratory and clinical patient data. This signature identified plaque progression with 81% sensitivity and 80% specificity (AUC: 0.86) for new patients, as estimated by resampling techniques. Array results were validated by qPCR for the genes ankyrin-2 (ANK2) and glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1). In conclusion, patients with pogressive coronary artery disease despite good risk factor control exhibit particular gene expression patterns in peripheral blood. Understanding the functional implications of the observed changes might help to design new approaches to control atherosclerosis progression. From a large database of 45,727 coronary angiograms, peripheral blood was drawn from two patient groups with good risk factor control, but different clinical evolution: First, 16 patients with significant lesion progression leading to repeated coronary interventions and second, 16 patients with angiographically documented stable courses.
Project description:The human LncRNA microarray analysis of the 6 monocytes samples from Coronary Artery Disease patients and non Coronary Artery Disease 3 Coronary Artery Disease patients and 3 non-Coronary Artery Disease donors
Project description:The identification of classic risk factors for coronary artery disease unveiled pathophysiologic mechanisms of atherosclerosis. Among them, inflammation as a systemic process measurable in peripheral blood plays a central role in plaque progression. However, other mechanisms of plaque progression remain to be fully understood. Therefore, this study sought to further investigate systemic correlates of plaque progression by global gene expression in peripheral blood. Microrarray gene expression analysis revealed 93 genes differentially expressed between the groups, of which 23 genes have no known function. Among the remaining 70 genes, 10 (14%) were identified to be associated with progenitor and pluripotent cells whereas only 3 genes (4%) had been associated with atherosclerosis. A risk prediction gene signature was developed by a multivariable statistical approach model integrating comprehensive laboratory and clinical patient data. This signature identified plaque progression with 81% sensitivity and 80% specificity (AUC: 0.86) for new patients, as estimated by resampling techniques. Array results were validated by qPCR for the genes ankyrin-2 (ANK2) and glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1). In conclusion, patients with pogressive coronary artery disease despite good risk factor control exhibit particular gene expression patterns in peripheral blood. Understanding the functional implications of the observed changes might help to design new approaches to control atherosclerosis progression.
Project description:The human LncRNA microarray analysis of the 6 monocytes samples from Coronary Artery Disease patients and non Coronary Artery Disease
Project description:Background: Coronary artery disease is an incurable, life-threatening disease that was once considered primarily a disorder of lipid deposition. Coronary artery disease is now also characterized by chronic inflammation‚ notable for the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques containing immune cells in various states of activation and differentiation. Understanding how these immune cells contribute to disease progression may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Methods: We used single-cell technology and in vitro assays to interrogate the immune microenvironment of human coronary atherosclerotic plaque at different stages of maturity. Results: In addition to macrophages, we found a high proportion of αβ T cells in the coronary plaques. Most of these T cells lack high expression of CCR7 and L-selectin, indicating that they are primarily antigen-experienced memory cells. Notably, nearly one-third of these cells express the HLA-DRA surface marker, signifying activation through their TCRs (T-cell receptors). Consistent with this, TCR repertoire analysis confirmed the presence of activated αβ T cells (CD4<CD8), exhibiting clonal expansion of specific TCRs. Interestingly, we found that these plaque T cells had TCRs specific for influenza, coronavirus, and other viral epitopes, which share sequence homologies to proteins found on smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, suggesting potential autoimmune-mediated T-cell activation in the absence of active infection. To better understand the potential function of these activated plaque T cells, we then interrogated their transcriptome at the single-cell level. Of the 3 T-cell phenotypic clusters with the highest expression of the activation marker HLA-DRA, 2 clusters expressed a proinflammatory and cytolytic signature characteristic of CD8 cells, while the other expressed AREG (amphiregulin), which promotes smooth muscle cell proliferation and fibrosis, and, thus, contributes to plaque progression. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings demonstrate that plaque T cells are clonally expanded potentially by antigen engagement, are potentially reactive to self-epitopes, and may interact with smooth muscle cells and macrophages in the plaque microenvironment.