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Background: The pathogenesis of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in adults is complex, and the relevant molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we constructed a panoramic map of bronchiectasis mRNA, explored the potential molecular mechanisms, and identified potential therapeutic targets, thus providing a new clinical perspective for the preventive management of bronchiectasis and its acute exacerbation. Methods: The mRNA profiles of peripheral blood and bronchiectasis tissues were obtained through transcriptome sequencing and public databases, and bioinformatics methods were used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs were then subjected to biological function and pathway analyses. Some DEGs were validated using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in peripheral blood. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to analyse the correlation between DEGs and clinical indicators. Results: Based on transcriptome sequencing and public databases, the mRNA profile of bronchiectasis was determined. DEGs were obtained from the peripheral blood sequencing dataset (985 DEGs), tissue sequencing dataset (2919 DEGs), and GSE97258 dataset (1083 DEGs). Bioinformatics analysis showed that upregulated DEGs had enriched neutrophil-related pathways, and downregulated DEGs had enriched ribosome-related pathways. RT-qPCR testing confirmed the upregulated expression of VCAN, SESTD1, SLC12A1, CD177, IFI44L, SIGLEC1, and RSAD2 in bronchiectasis. These genes were related to many clinical parameters, such as neutrophils, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Transcriptomic methods were used to construct a panoramic map of bronchiectasis mRNA expression. The findings showed that neutrophil activation, chronic inflammation, immune regulation, impaired ribosomal function, oxidative phosphorylation, and energy metabolism disorders are important factors in the development of bronchiectasis. VCAN, SESTD1, SLC12A1, CD177, IFI44L, SIGLEC1, and RSAD2 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis and are potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogenesis of adult non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis is complex, and the relevant molecular mechanism remains ambiguous. Versican (VCAN) is a key factor in inflammation through interactions with adhesion molecules. This study constructs a stable panoramic map of mRNA, reveals the possible pathogenesis of bronchiectasis, and provides new ideas and methods for bronchiectasis. Methods: Peripheral blood and tissue gene expression data from patients with bronchiectasis and normal control were selected by bioinformatics analysis. The expression of VCAN in peripheral blood and bronchial tissues of bronchiectasis were obtained by transcriptome sequencing. The protein expression levels of VCAN in serums were verified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression levels of VCAN in co-culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and bronchial epithelial cells were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). In addition, the biological function of VCAN was detected by the transwell assay. Results: The expression of VCAN was upregulated in the bronchiectasis group by sequencing analysis (P < 0.001). The expression of VCAN in the bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B was increased in P. aeruginosa (P.a), which was co-cultured with BEAS-2B cells (P < 0.05). The concentration of VCAN protein in the serum of patients with bronchiectasis was higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). Transwell experiments showed that exogenous VCAN protein induced the migration of neutrophils (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that VCAN may be involved in the development of bronchiectasis by increasing the migration of neutrophils and play an important role in bronchial pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: At present, studies on MircoRNA-22-3p (miR-22-3p) in lung adenocarcinoma use a single method, lack multi-center validation and multi-method validation, and there is no big data concept to predict and validate target genes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression, potential targets and clinicopathological significance of miR-22-3p in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues. METHODS: LUAD formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumors and adjacent normal lung tissues were collected for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Collect miR-22-3p in LUAD and non-cancer lung tissue from high-throughput datasets, standardized mean difference (SMD) and area under the curve (AUC) of the comprehensive receiver operating curve (summary receiver operating characteristic cure, sROC curve) were calculated. Cell function experiments on A549 cells transfected with LV-hsa-miR-22-3p. Target genes were predicted by the miRwalk2.0 website and the resulting target genes were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) pathway enrichment analysis and constructed to protein-protein interaction network. Finally, the protein expression level of the key gene TP53 was validated by searching The Human Protein Atlas (THPA) database to incorporate TP53 immunohistochemical results in LUAD. RESULTS: RT-qPCR result from 41 pairs of LUAD and adjacent lung tissues showed that miR-22-3p was downregulated in LUAD (AUC = 0.6597, p = 0.0128). Globally, a total of 838 LUADs and 494 non-cancerous lung tissues were included, and were finally combined into 14 platforms. Compared with noncancerous tissue, miR-22-3p expression level was significantly reduced in LUAD tissue (SMD = - 0.32, AUC = 0.72l); cell function experiments showed that miR-22-3p has inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and has promotion effect on apoptosis. Moreover, target genes prediction, GO pathway enrichment analysis and PPI network exhibited TP53 as a key gene of target gene of miR-22-3p; at last, a total of 114 high-throughput datasets were included, including 3897 LUADs and 2993 non-cancerous lung tissues, and were finally combined into 37 platforms. Compared with noncancerous tissue, TP53 expression level was significantly increased in LUAD (SMD = 0.39, p < 0.01) and it was verified by the protein expression data from THPA. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of miR-22-3p may inhibit LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion through TP53, and promote cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human amnion is an intrauterine tissue which is involved in the initiation of parturition. In-depth understanding of gene expression signatures of individual cell types in the amnion with respect to membrane rupture at parturition may help identify crucial initiators of parturition for the development of specific strategies to prevent preterm birth, a leading cause of perinatal mortality. Results: Six major cell types were revealed in human amnion including epithelial cells, fibroblasts and immunocytes as well as three other cell types expressing dual cell markers including epithelial/fibroblast, immune/epithelial and immune/fibroblast markers. The existence of cell types expressing these dual cell markers indicates the presence of epithelial-mesenchymal (EMT), epithelial-immune (EIT) and mesenchymal-immune (MIT) transitions in amnion at parturition. We found that the rupture zone of amnion exhibited some specific increases in subcluster proportions of immune and EMT cells related to extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation in labor. The non-rupture zone exhibited some common changes in subcluster compositions of epithelial and fibroblast cells with the rupture zone in labor, particularly those related to oxidative stress and apoptosis in epithelial cells and zinc ion transport in fibroblasts. Moreover, we identified that C–C motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was among the top up-regulated genes in amnion epithelial cells, fibroblasts and immunocytes in the rupture zone at parturition. Studies in pregnant mice showed that administration of CCL20 induced immunocytes infiltration to tissues at the maternal–fetal interface and led to preterm birth. Conclusions: Apart from the conventional epithelial, fibroblast and immunocytes, human amnion cells may undergo EMT, EIT and FIT in preparation for parturition. Intense inflammation and ECM remodeling are present in the rupture zone, while enhanced apoptosis and oxidative stress in epithelial cells and zinc ion transport in fibroblasts are present in amnion regardless of the rupture zones at parturition. CCL20 derived from the major cell types of the amnion participates in labor onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: Rupture of fetal membranes is a crucial event at parturition, which is preceded by extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Our recent studies have demonstrated that the human fetal membranes are capable of de novo synthesis of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), an acute phase protein, and the abundance of SAA1 in the amnion was increased at parturition. However, the exact role of SAA1 in human parturition remains to be established. Method of study: The effects of SAA1 on the abundance of collagenases and lysyl oxidase, the enzyme that cross‐links collagens, were investigated in culture primary human amnion fibroblasts and tissue explants with an aim to examine the involvement of SAA1 in the ECM remodeling in the amnion. Results: Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) time‐ and dose‐dependently increased the abundance of collagenases MMP‐1, MMP‐8, and MMP‐13, while decreased the abundance of lysyl oxidase‐like 1 (LOXL1). These effects of SAA1 were attenuated by siRNA‐mediated knockdown of the Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 4 and its antagonist CLI‐095, but not by siRNA‐mediated knockdown of TLR2. Furthermore, the inhibitors for NF‐κB (JSH‐23) and mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38 (SB203580) and JNK (SP600125) could also attenuate the effects of SAA1, while the inhibitor for MAPK ERK1/2 (PD 98059) could block the effects of SAA1 only on MMP‐1, MMP‐8, and LOXL1 but not on MMP‐13. Conclusion: These data highlight a possible role for SAA1 in ECM remodeling preceding membrane rupture by regulating the expression of collagenases MMP‐1, MMP‐8, MMP‐13, and LOXL1 through TLR4‐mediated activation of the NF‐κB and MAPK pathways in amnion fibroblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]