Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disorder that results in progressive joint damage when insufficiently treated. In order to prevent joint destruction and functional disability in RA, early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment with Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) is needed. However, in daily clinical practice, patients may initially display symptoms of arthritis that do not fulfil the classification criteria for a definite diagnosis of RA, or any other joint disease, a situation called Undifferentiated Arthritis (UA). Out of the patients with UA, 30 to 50% usually develop RA, and early identification of these remains a challenge.
Identification of distinct gene expression profiles in the synovium of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Treatment
View SamplesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that is characterized by the presence of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6). Here, we investigated the global molecular effects of Tocilizumab, an approved humanized anti-IL6 Receptor antibody, versus Methotrexate therapy, in synovial biopsy samples collected prospectively in early RA before and 12 weeks after administration of the drug. The results were compared with our previous data, generated in prospective cohorts of Adalimumab- and Rituximab-treated (Methotrexate- and anti-TNF-resistant, respectively) RA patients.
Global molecular effects of tocilizumab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis synovium.
Sex, Age
View SamplesGene expression profiles in synovial biopsies from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) display a high level of plasticity related to disease activity and response to therapy.
Higher expression of TNFα-induced genes in the synovium of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis correlates with disease activity, and predicts absence of response to first line therapy.
Sex, Age, Disease
View SamplesTNF antagonists are routinely used in severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who failed conventional DMARD therapy. According to large clinical trials, the three available drugs (adalimumab, infliximab and etanercept) display similar effects in terms of efficacy, tolerability and side effects. These studies also indicate that about 25% of RA patients treated with TNF-antagonists do not display any significant clinical improvement.
Gene expression profiling in the synovium identifies a predictive signature of absence of response to adalimumab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesTNFalpha and IL1beta play a pathogenic role in rheumatoid arthritis. Both cytokines are known to activate cytokine and metalloproteinase secretion by synovial fibroblasts. In the present study, we wanted to investigate whether TNFalpha and IL1beta displayed differential effects on cultured Fibroblast-like Synovial Cells derived from RA patients. Global gene expression analyses indicated that both cytokines induced similar genes in these cells.
Gene expression profiling in the synovium identifies a predictive signature of absence of response to adalimumab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.
Specimen part, Disease, Treatment
View SamplesObjective: Rituximab displays therapeutic benefits in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients resistant to TNF blockade. However, the precise role of B cells in the pathogenesis of RA is still unknown. In this study we investigated the global molecular effects of rituximab in synovial biopsies obtained from anti-TNF resistant RA patients before and after administration of the drug.
Rituximab treatment induces the expression of genes involved in healing processes in the rheumatoid arthritis synovium.
Sex, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Treatment
View SamplesRegulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the transcription factor Foxp3 have a pivotal role in maintaining immunological self-tolerance1-5; yet, excessive Treg activities suppress anti-tumor immune responses6-8. Compared to resting phenotype Tregs (rTregs) in the secondary lymphoid organs, Tregs in non-lymphoid tissues including solid tumors exhibit an activated Treg (aTreg) phenotype9-11. However, aTreg function and whether its generation can be manipulated to promote tumor immunity without evoking autoimmunity are largely unexplored. Here we show that the transcription factor Foxo1, previously demonstrated to promote Treg suppression of lymphoproliferative diseases12,13, has an unexpected function in inhibiting aTreg-mediated immune tolerance. We found that aTregs turned over at a slower rate than rTregs, but were not locally maintained in tissues. Transcriptome analysis revealed that aTreg differentiation was associated with repression of Foxo1-dependent gene transcription, concomitant with reduced Foxo1 expression, cytoplasmic Foxo1 localization, and enhanced Foxo1 phosphorylation at sites of the Akt kinase. Treg-specific expression of an Akt-insensitive Foxo1 mutant prevented downregulation of lymphoid organ homing molecules, and impeded Treg homing to non-lymphoid organs, causing CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Compared to Tregs from healthy tissues, tumor-infiltrating Tregs downregulated Foxo1 target genes more substantially. Expression of the Foxo1 mutant at a lower dose was sufficient to deplete tumor-associated Tregs, activate effector CD8+ T cells, and inhibit tumor growth without inflicting autoimmunity. Thus, Foxo1 inactivation is essential for the migration of aTregs that have a crucial function in suppressing CD8+ T cell responses; and the Foxo signaling pathway in Tregs can be titrated to preferentially break tumor immune tolerance. Overall design: Transcriptome of splenic rTreg (CD4+Foxp3+CD62LhiCD44lo) and aTreg (CD4+Foxp3+CD62LhiCD44lo) were compared. Duplicates from biologically independent animials were used.
Graded Foxo1 activity in Treg cells differentiates tumour immunity from spontaneous autoimmunity.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesThe Early Growth Response (Egr) family of transcription factors consists of 4 members (Egr1-4) that are expressed in a wide variety of cell types. A large body of evidence point to a role for Egr transcription factors in growth, survival, and differentiation. A major unanswered question is whether Egr transcription factors serve similar functions in diverse cell types by activating a common set of target genes. Signal transduction cascades in neurons and lymphocytes show striking parallels. Activation of either cell type activates the Ras-MAPK pathway and, in parallel, leads to increases in intracellular calcium stimulating the calcineurin-NFAT pathway. In both cell types, the strength of the activation signal affects the cellular outcomes and very strong stimuli lead to cell death. Notably both these pathways converge on the induction of Egr genes. We believe that downstream targets of Egr transcription factors in lymphocytes may also be activated by Egr factors in activated neurons. There is precedence for common target gene activation in these two cell types: apoptosis in both activated T cells and methamphetamine stimulated neurons occurs via FasL induction by NFAT transcription factors. We propose to use developing T lymphocytes (thymocytes) as a model system for discovery of Egr-dependent target genes for several reasons. First, we have observed a prominent survival defect in thymocytes from mice deficient in both Egr1 and Egr3 (1/3 DKO) and a partial differention block in the immature double negative (DN) stage. In addition, thymocytes are an easily manipulatable cell type, and the DN subpopulation affected in 1/3 DKO mice can be isolated to very high purity. We anticipate that 1/3 DKO thymocytes will provide an excellent experimental system that will provide insight into Egr-dependent transcription in neuronal development, activation, and death.
Redundant role for early growth response transcriptional regulators in thymocyte differentiation and survival.
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Comparative Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Coding and Noncoding RNA Differences in NSCLC from African Americans and European Americans.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Race, Subject
View SamplesTranslational Relevance
Comparative Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Coding and Noncoding RNA Differences in NSCLC from African Americans and European Americans.
Sex, Age, Race, Subject
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