يعرض 1 - 10 نتائج من 10 نتيجة بحث عن '"Xu-jie Zhou"', وقت الاستعلام: 1.39s تنقيح النتائج
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    المصدر: Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), vol 73, iss 12
    Arthritis Rheumatol

    الوصف: ObjectiveIn a recent genome-wide association study, a significant genetic association between rs34330 of CDKN1B and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Han Chinese was identified. This study was undertaken to validate the reported association and elucidate the biochemical mechanisms underlying the effect of the variant.MethodsWe performed an allelic association analysis in patients with SLE, followed by a meta-analysis assessing genome-wide association data across 11 independent cohorts (n = 28,872). In silico bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation in SLE-relevant cell lines were applied to determine the functional consequences of rs34330.ResultsWe replicated a genetic association between SLE and rs34330 (meta-analysis P = 5.29 × 10-22 , odds ratio 0.84 [95% confidence interval 0.81-0.87]). Follow-up bioinformatics and expression quantitative trait locus analysis suggested that rs34330 is located in active chromatin and potentially regulates several target genes. Using luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation-real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated substantial allele-specific promoter and enhancer activity, and allele-specific binding of 3 histone marks (H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K4me1), RNA polymerase II (Pol II), CCCTC-binding factor, and a critical immune transcription factor (interferon regulatory factor 1 [IRF-1]). Chromosome conformation capture revealed long-range chromatin interactions between rs34330 and the promoters of neighboring genes APOLD1 and DDX47, and effects on CDKN1B and the other target genes were directly validated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based genome editing. Finally, CRISPR/dead CRISPR-associated protein 9-based epigenetic activation/silencing confirmed these results. Gene-edited cell lines also showed higher levels of proliferation and apoptosis.ConclusionCollectively, these findings suggest a mechanism whereby the rs34330 risk allele (C) influences the presence of histone marks, RNA Pol II, and IRF-1 transcription factor to regulate expression of several target genes linked to proliferation and apoptosis. This process could potentially underlie the association of rs34330 with SLE.

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    المصدر: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 77:1799-1809

    الوصف: ObjectiveMore recent studies suggested that defects in autophagy contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE, especially in adaptive immunity. Occurrence and progression of lupus nephritis (LN) is the end result of complex interactions between regulation of immune responses and pathological process by renal resident cells, but there is still a lot of missing information for an establishment on the role of autophagy in pathogenesis of LN and as a therapy target.MethodsSystemic and organ-specific aetiologies of autophagy were first evaluated by autophagy protein quantification in tissue homogenates in MRLlpr/lprlupus prone and female C57BL mice. Analysis of gene expression was also adopted in human blood and urine sediments. Then, some key mediators of the disease, including complement inactivated serum, IgG from patients with LN (IgG-LN) and interferon (IFN)-α were chosen to induce podocyte autophagy. Podocyte injuries including apoptosis, podocin derangement, albumin filtration and wound healing were monitored simultaneously with autophagy steady-state and flux.ResultsElevated LC3B in kidney homogenates and increased autophagosomes in podocyte from MRLlpr/lprwere observed. In humans, mRNA levels of some key autophagy genes were increased in blood and urinary sediments, and podocyte autophagosomes were observed in renal biopsies from patients with LN. Complement inactivated serum, IgG-LN and IFN-α could induce podocyte autophagy in a time-dependent and dosage-dependent manner, and by reactive oxygen species production and mTORC1 inhibition, respectively. Autophagy inhibition aggravated podocyte damage whereas its inducer relieved the injury.ConclusionPodocyte autophagy is activated in lupus-prone mice and patients with lupus nephritis. Increased autophagy is cytoprotective against antibody and interferon-α induced podocyte injury.

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    المصدر: Arthritis & Rheumatology. 66:2842-2848

    الوصف: Objective Several novel susceptibility genes for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and IgA nephropathy have been identified in recent genome-wide association studies. Since both lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy are autoimmune diseases of the kidney, they may share common disease mechanisms that overlap with genetic susceptibility. To test this hypothesis, we sought to identify genetic variants associated with IgA nephropathy in lupus nephritis. Methods In the first stage, 500 patients with lupus nephritis, 240 SLE patients without nephritis, and 500 healthy controls were enrolled. Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that had the topmost association signals with IgA nephropathy were selected for further testing in patients with lupus nephritis. Three independent cohorts from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong were included as replicates. We also analyzed the functional significance of identified noncoding variants on regulatory motifs and gene expression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Results In addition to associations with HLA gene polymorphisms, genetic variants of MTMR3 in 22q12 showed associations with lupus nephritis (for rs9983A, OR 1.61 [95% CI 1.19–2.19], P = 2.07 × 10−3) compared to healthy controls in the first stage. Associations were replicated and reinforced among northern Han Chinese (for lupus nephritis patients versus SLE patients without nephritis, P = 0.01) but not southern Han Chinese, although significant genetic heterogeneity was observed. Conservative and regulatory features of rs9983 were predicted in in silico analyses. In expression analysis, we observed lower MTMR3 transcription levels in samples of blood with rs9983A and in renal biopsy samples from lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy patients. Conclusion Our results suggest that the MTMR3 gene is shared between IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis in the northern Chinese population, further highlighting the role of autophagy in SLE. However, widespread replication of these experiments, fine mapping, and functional assays are required to establish this connection.

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    الوصف: Objectives: Polymorphisms of IKAROS family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1) have been found to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between IKZF1 functional variants and lupus nephritis (LN) in a northern Han Chinese population and analyse their relationship with clinical and pathological phenotypes in LN. Method: The association between IKZF1 functional variants and LN was analysed for the lead variant rs1456896 with both GWAS and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) top hits in 500 LN patients and 500 healthy controls. Replication was conducted in an independent cohort comprising 798 LN patients and 704 healthy controls. Using the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) databases, functional annotations and differential gene expression data were evaluated. Results: A significant association between the single nuclear polymorphism (SNP) rs1456896 and susceptibility to LN was observed in the two different cohorts (p = 9.32 × 10−3 and p = 3.00 × 10−2) and reinforced in combination (p = 1.36 × 10−3). In silico analysis indicates that rs1456896 is a regulatory variant and lower mRNA expressions of IKZF1 were observed in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and renal biopsies from SLE patients compared to normal controls. Although patients with the protective genotype AA of rs1456896 seemed to have more pronounced clinical manifestations and a lower ratio of histological classes III and IV, no significant associations between rs1456896 genotypes and sub-phenotypes of LN were detected. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the rs1456896 A allele is associated with protective susceptibility to LN. However, this association did not seem to be implicated in the disease and histopathological severity of LN in the current population.

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    المصدر: Arthritis & Rheumatism. 64:222-231

    الوصف: Although the number of convincingly established genetic associations with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has increased sharply over the last few years, refinement of these associations is required, and their potential roles in gene-gene interactions need to be further investigated. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in SLE have produced renewed interest in B cell/T cell responses and the NF-κB signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to search for possible gene-gene interactions based on identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in using an approach based on the role of signaling pathways.The SNPs in BLK, TNFSF4, TRAF1, TNFAIP3, and REL were replicated in order to evaluate genetic associations with SLE. TaqMan genotyping was conducted in 804 Chinese patients with SLE and 722 matched control subjects. A multiple logistic regression model was used to estimate the multiplicative interaction effect of the SNPs, and additive interactions were analyzed by 2×2 factorial designs. Data from a previously published GWAS conducted by the International Consortium on the Genetics of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus were derived for comparison and validation.Single-marker analysis validated the association of BLK rs2736340 (P=4.25×10(-6)) as well as TNFSF4 rs2205960 (P=2.82×10(-5)) and TNFAIP3 rs5029939 (P=1.92×10(-3)) with SLE susceptibility in Chinese. Multiplicative interaction analysis indicated that BLK had an interactive effect with TNFSF4 in Chinese patients with SLE (P=6.57×10(-4)). Additive interaction analysis revealed interactions between TRAF1 and TNFAIP3 in both Chinese (P=2.18×10(-3)) and Caucasians (P=2.86×10(-4)). In addition, multiple tendencies toward interactions were observed, and an additive effect was observed as the number of risk genotypes increased.The results of this study provide evidence of the possible gene-gene interactions of BLK, TNFSF4, TRAF1, TNFAIP3, and REL in SLE, which may represent a synergic effect of T cells and B cells through the NF-κB pathway in determining immunologic aberration.

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    المصدر: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 70:1648-1651

    الوصف: Objectives The deletion of LCE3C_LCE3B confers susceptibility to psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to investigate the variant involvement in RA in the Chinese Han population and to further explore its potential role in the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods LCE3C_LCE3B - del was genotyped in 898 patients with RA and 681 healthy controls. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs4112788 and rs4085613) in strong linkage disequilibrium with LCE3C_LCE3B - del were then genotyped in patients with RA (n=1222), SLE (n=870) and healthy controls (n=1031). Results The deletion of LCE3C_LCE3B and SNPs rs4112788 and rs4085613 showed an association with RA (allele analysis: p=7.72×10 −4 , OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.47; p=6.39×10 −4 , OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.38; and p=5.38×10 −4 , OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.39, respectively). The two SNPs were also significantly associated with SLE (allele analysis: p=7.68×10 −3 , OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.36 and p=5.30×10 −3 , OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.37). Conclusions This study provides evidence for an association between LCE3C_LCE3B - del and RA in non-Caucasian populations, and SNPs rs4112788 and rs4085613 tagging LCE3C_LCE3B - del were novel susceptibility factors for SLE.

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    المصدر: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 70:1330-1337

    الوصف: Objective Recent genome-wide association studies suggested the PRDM1-ATG5 gene region as a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-associated locus both in Caucasian and Chinese populations; however, the candidate gene was still obscure and the possible functional significance needed to be determined. Methods In this study, by a multistage integrative strategy, the authors first performed a case–control association study involving 1745 individuals in the Chinese population by genotyping nine single nucleotide polymorphisms within this region, and a meta-analysis was conducted. Correlation between associated genotypes and expression levels of messenger RNA in B-cell lines from 210 unrelated HapMap data was examined, and was validated in vitro. To determine the biological significance, a genetic association study was also checked in a pathway-based manner and the significant associations were validated in a second 844 Chinese cohort. Results A peak of association was found in the intergenic region (p=0.036–3.26×10 −4 ). Meta-analysis consolidated the association between rs548234 and SLE (OR 1.254, p=1.28×10 −16 ). Significant positive correlations with ATG5 expression were identified, suggesting ATG5 as a candidate gene in the region. Epstein–Barr virus B-cell-based downstream gene expression analysis supported a functional effect of rs548234 and rs6937876, and in-vitro experiments confirmed the regulatory effect of rs6937876 in B-cell populations. Finally, an autophagy pathway-based genetic association study identified ATG7 (p=1.12×10 −4 ) and IRGM (p=0.015) as novel candidate genes, and gene–gene interactions were observed between ATG5 , ATG7 and IRGM . Conclusion These data may demonstrate that autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of SLE and imply a common biological pathway in autoimmunity.

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    المصدر: The Journal of rheumatology. 40(10)

    الوصف: To the Editor: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with strong genetic components, with over 40 susceptibility loci identified at present. These SLE susceptibility loci are predominantly common variants that have been confirmed among multiple ancestries, suggesting shared mechanisms in disease etiology1. However, genetic heterogeneity was also suggested, as some genetic polymorphisms are restricted to specific ethnic populations. Recent descriptions of gene–gene interactions, or epistasis, may explain some of the genetic heterogeneity and missing heritability in SLE. We previously reported potential epistasis between BLK and TNFSF4 in both Chinese and white populations, suggesting that unbalanced functions of B cell and T cell signaling may be involved synergistically in the pathogenesis of SLE2. Another large-scale association study confirmed the genetic interactions between BANK1 and BLK in Europeans, indicating B cell activity and a B cell-specific pathway were crucial in lupus pathogenesis3. No further replications were conducted in Chinese subjects or other populations with independent sets of cases … Address correspondence to Prof. H. Zhang, Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University Institute of Nephrology, No. 8 Xi Shi Ku Street, Xi Cheng District, Beijing 100034, China. E-mail: hongzh{at}bjmu.edu.cn

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    المصدر: The Journal of Rheumatology. 37:1359-1360

    الوصف: To the Editor: Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is an important predictor of poor outcome1. Susceptibility to LN is the end result of complex interactions between polymorphic genetic factors involved in the regulation of immune responses. However, to date, a clear etiology is still obscure. Recently, it was reported that kallikrein genes, especially KLK1 gene, were associated with LN in mice and in Caucasians. However, such an association was not shown in all the investigated populations2,3. This implies that different genetic influences exist in different ethnic groups2–5, and it was decided to further validate the association of KLK1 gene polymorphisms with LN in a Chinese Han population. A case-control association study was performed on 306 LN patients (age 32.2 ± 11.1 yrs, 84.2% female) and 338 matched healthy controls (age 31.7 ± 9.1 yrs, 55.8% female). …