Serum microRNA-33 levels in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients

Molecular Biology Reports - Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and abnormal insulin secretion. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that are able to affect...     

Increased expression of microRNA-9 predicts an unfavorable prognosis in human glioma

microRNA-9 (miR-9) has been found to be upregulated along with tumor progression of gliomas by microarray-based expression profiling, and also be strongly linked to glioblastoma subtypes. However, its prognostic value in glioma is still elusive. miR-9 expression in human gliomas and nonneoplastic brain tissues was measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay. miR-9 expression in glioma tissues was significantly higher than that in corresponding nonneoplastic brain tissues (P < 0.001). The increased expression of miR-9 was more frequently observed in glioma tissues with high WHO grade than those with low WHO grade tissues (P = 0.001). The expression levels of miR-9 in glioma tissues with low Karnofsky performance score (KPS) were also significantly higher than those with high KPS (P = 0.008). Moreover, the overall survival of glioma patients with high miR-9 expression was obviously lower than that with low miR-9 expression (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis further showed that high miR-9 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in glioma patients (P = 0.01). More importantly, the subgroup analyses indicated that the overall survival of glioma patients with high WHO grade (III–IV) was significantly worse for high miR-9 expression group than for low miR-9 expression group (P < 0.001), but no significant difference was found for patients with low WHO grade (I–II). These findings suggest for the first time that the increased expression of miR-9 may play an important role in tumor progression in human gliomas. miR-9 might be a useful marker for predicting the clinical outcome of glioma patients, especially for advanced subtypes.     

Aberrant expression of the autoantigen heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-A2 (RA33) and spontaneous formation of rheumatoid arthritis-associated anti-RA33 autoantibodies in TNF-alpha transgenic mice

Human TNF-alpha transgenic (hTNFtg) mice develop erosive arthritis closely resembling rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To investigate mechanisms leading to pathological autoimmune reactions in RA, we examined hTNFtg animals for the presence of RA-associated autoantibodies including Abs to citrullinated epitopes (anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP)-A2 (anti-RA33), and heat shock proteins (hsp) (anti-hsp). Although IgM anti-hsp Abs were detected in 40% of hTNFtg and control mice, IgG anti-hsp Abs were rarely seen, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide Abs were not seen at all. In contrast, >50% of hTNFtg mice showed IgG anti-RA33 autoantibodies, which became detectable shortly after the onset of arthritis. These Abs were predominantly directed to a short epitope, which was identical with an epitope previously described in MRL/lpr mice. Incidence of anti-RA33 was significantly decreased in mice treated with the osteoclast inhibitor osteoprotegerin and also in c-fos-deficient mice lacking osteoclasts. Pronounced expression of hnRNP-A2 and a smaller splice variant was seen in joints of hTNFtg mice, whereas expression was low in control animals. Although the closely related hnRNP-A1 was also overexpressed, autoantibodies to this protein were infrequently detected. Because expression of hnRNP-A2 in thymus, spleen, brain, and lung was similar in hTNFtg and control mice, aberrant expression appeared to be restricted to the inflamed joint. Finally, immunization of hTNFtg mice with recombinant hnRNP-A2 or a peptide harboring the major B cell epitope aggravated arthritis. These findings suggest that overproduction of TNF-alpha leads to aberrant expression of hnRNP-A2 in the rheumatoid joint and subsequently to autoimmune reactions, which may enhance the inflammatory and destructive process.     

Aberrant expression of histo-blood group A type 3 antigens in vascular endothelial cells in inflammatory sites.

Histo-blood group ABH antigens are widely distributed in human tissues. The epitopes of ABH antigens are carried by at least four different peripheral core isotypes of internal carbohydrate backbones (type 1-4). Each type of ABH antigen is expressed tissue specifically, and aberrant expression of ABH antigens is often observed during oncogenesis. We immunohistochemically examined the expression of A type 3 antigens in wounded and diseased skin tissues (A and AB blood groups). In uninjured skin, the expression of A type 3 antigens was restricted to the eccrine sweat gland. In addition to the sweat glands, A type 3 antigens were found in vascular endothelial cells of the wound sites. The extent of A type 3 antigens expression related to postinfliction intervals. A significantly higher expression rate of A type 3 antigens in endothelial cells was also observed in diseased skin, suggesting that inflammation might induce A type 3 antigen expression in endothelial cells. Double-color immunofluorescence staining of the specimens showed that von Willebrand factor (vWF) was a core-protein of A type 3 determinants aberrantly expressed in endothelial cells in inflamed tissues, suggesting that aberrant expression of A type 3 antigens is involved in stabilization of vWF in inflammation.     

Aberrant caveolin-1 expression in psoriasis: a signalling hypothesis

A preliminary retrospective immunocytochemical study was conducted examining the expression of caveolin-1 in skin biopsies resected from clinically defined psoriatic subjects. These pilot investigations revealed a dramatic down-regulation of caveolin-1 (a protein product of the caveolin supergene family known to regulate signal transduction events and cell cycle dynamics) in the hyperproliferative basal regions of the epidermis in all psoriatic biopsies examined when compared to normal control samples. These results lead us to hypothesise that caveolin-1 negatively regulates key signal transduction pathways in epidermal keratinocytes and through it's reduced expression in psoriasis, pertubations in keratinocyte cell signalling and abnormal cell differentiation ensue, events fundamental to the development of the psoriatic phenotype. Novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of psoriasis based upon caveolin-1 protein can be envisaged.     

Aberrant gene expression in cultured mammalian bone cells demonstrates an osteoblast defect in osteopetrosis

Osteopetrosis is a skeletal condition in which a generalized radioopacity of bone is caused by reduced resorption of bone by osteoclasts. However, it has recently been shown that during skeletal development in several osteopetrotic rat mutations specific aberrations occur in gene expression reflecting the activity of the bone forming cells, osteoblasts, and the development of tissue organization. To evaluate their pathogenetic significance, progressive osteoblast differentiation was studied in vitro. Primary cultures of normal osteoblasts undergo a sequential expression a cell growth and tissue-related genes associated with development of skeletal tissue. We report that osteoblast cultures can be established from one of these mutants, toothless; that these cells in vitro exhibit similar aberrations in gene expression during cell proliferation and extracellular matrix formation and mineralization observed in vivo; and that an accelerated maturation sequence by mutant osteoblasts mimics the characteristic skeletal sclerosis of this disease. These data are the first direct evidence for an intrinsic osteoblast defect in osteopetrosis and establish an in vitro model for the study of heritable skeletal disorders. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Aberrant expression of caspase-14 in epithelial tumors

Cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific proteases (caspases) are the cellular executors of apoptosis. Caspase-14 is the most divergent member of the family of mammalian caspases and displays a variety of unique characteristics. It is expressed in a limited number of tissues and has the shortest amino acid sequence within the caspase protein family. During induction of apoptosis, it is not processed, whereas terminal differentiation in skin leads to cleavage of caspase-14. Here we show that 40% of lung squamous cell carcinomas, 22% of breast cancers, and about 80% of cervical carcinomas express caspase-14. Immunohistochemistry reveals that caspase-14 is localized in areas of ongoing differentiation close to necrotic sites but is not strictly associated with the differentiation markers keratin-1/-10. Caspase-14 is neither mutated nor alternatively spliced in the tumors analyzed. Furthermore, caspase-14 is not processed into a small and large subunit, a process critical for the proteolytic activation of known effector caspases. We conclude that conditions exist in tumors leading to re-expression of this normally silent gene.     

Aberrant profiles of native and oxidized glycoproteins in Alzheimer plasma

A proteomic approach was employed to elucidate possible differential expression of native and oxidized glycoproteins using pooled plasma samples derived from ten patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and pooled plasma samples from nine normal elderly control (NEC) subjects. The plasma samples were fractionated by sequential affinity chromatography on heparin-agarose (HepA) and concanavalin A-agarose (ConA) columns followed by separation on one-dimensional and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. Carbonylation (oxidation) of proteins was monitored by in-strip derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNP) and anti-DNP immunoblotting. Nine spots representing glycoproteins which showed enrichment or high specific oxidation indices in AD HepA-ConA 2-D gels relative to NEC samples were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight-mass spectrometry and identified with high probability (p < 0.001) as isoforms of human transferrin (Tf), hemopexin (Hpx) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (alpha-1-AT). These glycoproteins were concentrated, respectively, 5-, 6.5- and 107-fold in HepA-ConA eluates derived from AD plasma relative to the NEC samples. Specific oxidation indices of the identified Tf and Hpx isoforms in AD plasma were respectively, 7.4 and 2.8 relative to NEC. Our findings provide further evidence for systemic derangements in heme/iron/redox homeostasis and activation of the acute phase response in sporadic AD. Moreover, the data implicate isoforms of Tf, Hpx and alpha-1-AT as potential biological markers of this condition.     

microRNA-214-mediated UBC9 expression in glioma

It has been reported that ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (Ubc9), the unique enzyme2 in the sumoylation pathway, is up-regulated in many cancers. However, the expression and regulation of UBC9 in glioma remains unknown. In this study, we found that Ubc9 was up-regulated in glioma tissues and cell lines compared to a normal control. UBC9 knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) affected cell proliferation and apoptosis in T98G cells. Further experiments revealed that microRNA (miR)-214 directly targeted the 3'' untranslated region (UTR) of UBC9 and that there was an inverse relationship between the expression levels of miR-214 and UBC9 protein in glioma tissues and cells. miR-214 overexpression suppressed the endogenous UBC9 protein and affected T98G cell proliferation. These findings suggest that miR-214 reduction facilitates UBC9 expression and is involved in the regulation of glioma cell proliferation. [BMB Reports 2012; 45(11): 641-646]     

Aberrant gene expression in deceased transgenic cloned calves

Several transgenic cloned species have been obtained; however, the efficiency of transgenic cloning remains very low, even lower than cloning. Many experiments have demonstrated abnormal growth and development, and inappropriate gene expression in cloned animals. In this study, we examined the expression of 19 development-related genes in lungs of three normal controls and three aberrant transgenic cloned calves. Results showed in transgenic cloned calves, 84.2% genes had decreased expression levels, however, 5.3% genes had increased levels. This study suggests transgenic cloning and the aberrant expression would cause abnormal growth and development in transgenic cloned calves. To our knowledge, this is the first time that gene expression was examined in transgenic cloned cattle. These findings may have some implications in understanding the low efficiency of the transgenic cloning.     

血清microRNA-152和microRNA-602检测在肝癌诊断及手术疗效评估中的应用

为探讨microRNA-152和microRNA-602检测在肝癌诊断及手术疗效评估中的应用价值。采用实时荧光定量PCR检测佳木斯市中心医院2012年3月~2015年3月的19例肝癌血清标本中microRNA-152和microRNA-602的表达水平,分析microRNA-152和microRNA-602在乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)阳性组、HBV阴性组和健康对照组血清样本中的表达差异。结果发现HBV阳性血清样本中microRNA-152的表达水平(0.65±0.29)明显低于健康组(1.21±0.32),microRNA-602在HBV阳性血清样本中的表达(0.63±0.31)明显高于健康组(0.44±0.15),且水平表达的差异具有统计学意义(p0.05)。可见血清样本中的microRNA-152和microRNA-602可以用于HBV阳性肝癌诊断的血清标记物,microRNA-152可以用于HBV阳性肝癌术后效果评价的血清标记物。     

Aberrant expression of imprinted genes in post-implantation rat embryos

AimImprinted genes are known regulators of embryo growth. Studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that treatment of adult male rats with tamoxifen increased post-implantation loss at around midgestation. Expression of insulin like growth factor 2 (Igf2), a paternally expressed imprinted gene was down-regulated in the resorbing embryos obtained at embryonic day 13. Hypomethylation of Igf2-H19 imprint control region was observed in the resorbing embryo sires and spermatozoa obtained from tamoxifen-treated rats thereby suggesting that errors in imprint acquisition during spermatogenesis can result in embryo loss. The present study aims at studying the expression of other imprinted genes, besides Igf2 in the embryos sired by tamoxifen-treated males.Main methodsGene expression profiles of resorbing versus normal embryos were assessed by microarrays. Real time quantitative RT-PCR for six imprinted genes and four genes involved in cell cycle was done to validate gene expression data. The affected pathways and functions were identified in the resorbing embryos and effect on cell cycle was confirmed by flow cytometry.Key findingsAberrant expression of a number of imprinted genes was observed in the resorbing embryos when compared to the normal embryos at embryonic days 11 and 13. Down-regulation of Notch signaling, Wnt signaling and cell cycle pathway was observed in the resorbing embryos.SignificanceThe study suggests that exposure of male germ cells to tamoxifen during adulthood results in aberrant expression of imprinted genes and down-regulation of development associated pathways in the F₁ progeny thereby causing embryo loss.     

Circulatory microRNA-145 expression is increased in cerebral ischemia

Cerebral ischemia or ischemic stroke is mainly attributed to vascular and circulation disorders. Among protein biomarkers, RNA profiles have also been identified as markers of ischemic stroke. MicroRNA-145 expression is ostensibly recognized as marker and modulator of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype; however, expression levels in ischemic stroke had not been investigated. Employing real-time quantitative PCR, we examined the expression profile of circulatory microRNA-145 in healthy control subjects (N = 14) and ischemic stroke patients (N = 32). Circulatory microRNA-145 expression was significantly higher in ischemic stroke patients than in control subjects. This demonstrates that hemostatic mechanisms are affected by ischemic stroke. We conclude that circulating microRNA-145 has potential as a biomarker for ischemic stroke.     

Decreased expression of microRNA-200b is an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for glioma patients

Background and aimAs a member of the microRNA (miR)-200 family, miR-200b has been recognized as one of the fundamental regulators of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, chemosensitivity, cell proliferation, and cell cycle. Especially in glioma, miR-200b targets the CREB1 gene and suppresses the tumor cell growth in vitro. However, its involvement in human glioma has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of miR-200b expression in this disease.MethodsmiR-200b expression in 266 pairs of human gliomas and matched nonneoplastic brain tissues was measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay.ResultsCompared with nonneoplastic brain tissues, the expression level of miR-200b was significantly decreased in glioma tissues (tumor vs. normal: 2.87 ± 2.05 vs. 8.78 ± 2.50, P < 0.001). Of 266 patients with gliomas, 166 (62.41%) were in low miR-200b expression group. In addition, we found that the glioma tissues from high-grade tumors (grade III and IV) had much lower miR-200b expression than glioma tissues from low grade tumors (grade I and II). Moreover, the expression level of miR-200b was positively correlated with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores of glioma tissues. The results of a 60-month follow-up in 266 glioma patients further demonstrated that lower miR-200b expression was correlated with worse progression-free survival and overall survival in the patients with grade III and IV gliomas. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that miR-200b was an independent prognostic indicator for glioma.ConclusionThese findings prove that the decreased expression of miR-200b may be associated with malignant tumor progression and poor prognosis in patients with gliomas, suggesting the potential role of miR-200b in glioma management. miR-200b may be a novel and valuable signature for predicting the clinical outcome of patients with gliomas.     

HCV Core Protein-Induced Down-Regulation of microRNA-152 Promoted Aberrant Proliferation by Regulating Wnt1 in HepG2 Cells

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported to regulate cellular microRNAs (miRNAs). The HCV core protein is considered to be a potential oncoprotein in HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV-HCC), but HCV core-regulated miRNAs are largely unknown. Our preliminary experiments revealed significant down-regulation of microRNA-152 (miR-152) by HCV core protein in HepG2 cells. Through target gene prediction softwares, Wnt1 was predicted to be a potential target of miR-152. The present study was initiated to investigate whether miR-152 is aberrantly regulated by the HCV core protein, and involved in the regulation of the aberrant proliferation of HCV-HCC cells.

Methods

MiR-152 levels were examined by stem-loop real-time RT-PCR (SLqRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT and colony formation assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm miRNA-target association. Wnt1 expression was determined by real-time qPCR and Western blotting.

Results

HCV core protein significantly suppressed miR-152 expression, and led to significant Wnt1 up-regulation with a concomitant aberrantly promoted proliferation. Moreover, we validated that miR-152 inhibition promoted, while miR-152 mimics inhibited cell proliferation. Using, qRT–PCR and western blot, Wnt1 was demonstrated to be regulated by miR-152. Luciferase activity assay showed that while miR-152 mimics significantly reduced the luciferase activity by 83.76% (P<0.0001), miR-152 inhibitor showed no effect on luciferase reporter. Most notably, salvage expression of miR-152 after Ad-HCV core infection for 24 h almost totally reversed the proliferation-promoting effect of the HCV core protein, and meanwhile, reduced the expression of both Wnt1 mRNA and protein to basal levels.

Conclusion

These findings provide important evidence that the reduced miR-152 expression by HCV core protein can indirectly lose an inhibitory effect on Wnt1, which might, at least partially lead to cell proliferation of liver cancer cells. MiR-152 may have a therapeutic potential to suppress liver cancer proliferation.