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Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious disease that causes high mortality in suckling piglets. Although several licensed inactivated and live attenuated vaccines were widely used, the infection rate remains high due to unsatisfactory protective efficacy. In this study, mRNA vaccine candidates against PED were prepared, and their immunogenicity was evaluated in mice and pregnant sows. The mRNA PED vaccine based on heterodimer of viral receptor binding region (RBD) showed good immunogenicity. It elicited robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice, and the neutralizing antibody titer reached 1:300 after a single vaccination. Furthermore, it induced neutralizing antibody level similar to that of the inactivated vaccine in pregnant sows. This study developed a new design of PED vaccine based on the mRNA-RBD strategy and demonstrated the potential for clinical application.
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Pregnancy , Animals , Female , Mice , Swine , Antibodies, Viral , Swine Diseases/epidemiology , Viral Vaccines/genetics , Antibodies, Neutralizing , Vaccines, Attenuated , Diarrhea/veterinaryABSTRACT
Duchenne muscular dystrophy(DMD)is an X-linked recessive muscular disorder that affects mainly males.With its low incidence, insidious onset, and rapid progression, DMD is characterized by proximal muscle weakness, gastrocnemius hypertrophy, and markedly elevated serum creatine kinase.In addition to severe motor dysfunction, it also causes cardiac involvement in children, mainly manifested as dilated cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias.The mutations of DMD gene lead to the absence of dystrophin, which results in cytoskeletal defects and the impairment of the integrity of myocardial cell membrane.Meanwhile, calcium overload makes the myocytes more susceptible to damage.Exon deletion is the most common type of gene mutations in children with DMD, followed by point mutations, duplications and small insertion or deletion.The relationship among the clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, evaluation of cardiac damage in DMD and its genotype has not been clarified, which still needs further research and exploration, although some advances have been made recently.
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In recent years, exosomes have been gradually concerned, and exosome-derived microRNA (exo-microRNA) have been widely used in the early diagnosis as non-invasive biomarkers with a great potential.There are abundant exosomes in the blood released by platelets, arterial endothelial cells and other cell types, and the external membrane of exosomes also has the unique advantages of protecting exo-microRNA and other contents from biological enzyme hydrolysis and stabilizing them in human body fluids.Therefore, exosomes and exo-microRNA are of great significance in the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, cell regeneration, and cardiac protection.This review focuses on the structure and biogenesis of exosomes, the mechanism of exo-microRNA, and the relevant research progress of exo-microRNA in treatment of pediatric cardiovascular diseases in recent years.
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Kawasaki disease(KD) is a febrile vasculitis in childhood.It has become the most prominent cause of pediatric secondary cardiovascular disease as it is associated with coronary artery lesion(CAL). Even though intravenous immunoglobulin treatment has greatly lowered the incidence of coronary artery aneurysm, the existence of IVIG-resistant KD indicates a part of patients are still at a high risk of CAL, which brings them a huge psychiatric and financial burden.Therefore, studying the pathogenesis of CAL associated with KD is of great significance.This article reviews the related mechanism of KD and the associated CAL.Meanwhile, it illustrates the connection between microRNA-208 and CAL, on which basis the perspective of microRNA-208 possibly involving in the KD-associated CAL is given.
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Background@#There is an urgent need to find reliable and rapid bovine tuberculosis (bTB) diagnostics in response to the rising prevalence of bTB worldwide. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) recognizes components of bTB and initiates antigen-presenting cells to mediate humoral immunity. Evaluating the affinity of antigens with TLR2 can form the basis of a new method for the diagnosis of bTB based on humoral immunity. @*Objectives@#To develop a reliable and rapid strategy to improve diagnostic tools for bTB. @*Methods@#In this study, we expressed and purified the sixteen bTB-specific recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. The two antigenic proteins, MPT70 and MPT83, which were most valuable for serological diagnosis of bTB were screened. Molecular docking technology was used to analyze the affinity of MPT70, MPT83, dominant epitope peptide of MPT70 (M1), and dominant epitope peptide MPT83 (M2) with TLR2, combined with the detection results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate the molecular docking effect. @*Results@#The results showed that interaction surface Cα-atom root mean square deviation of proteins (M1, M2, MPT70, MPT83)-TLR2 protein are less than 2.5 A, showing a high affinity.It is verified by clinical serum samples that MPT70, MPT83, MPT70-MPT83 showed good diagnostic potential for the detection of anti-bTB IgG and M1, M2 can replace the whole protein as the detection antigen. @*Conclusions@#Molecular docking to evaluate the affinity of bTB protein and TLR2 combined with ELISA provides new insights for the diagnosis of bTB.
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Objective:To explore the effect of Notch1 signaling on regulatory T cells and its roles in vascular damage in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods:A total of 42 children with KD were enrolled in the present study from March 2019 to June 2020, as 32 age-matched healthy children were recruited as control. The proportions of CD4 +CD25 hiFoxp 3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and expressions of transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3), cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA4), glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR), and Notch1 protein were evaluated by flow cytometry. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was conducted to detect acetylation level of histone H4 (H4Ac) associated with the promoter of Foxp3 gene and its binding abilities of Notch1 intracellular domain 1 (NICD1), recombination signal binding protein for immunoglobulin kappa J region (RBP-J) and p300 in CD4 + T cells. Transcription levels of Foxp3, presenilin 1 (PSEN1), mastermind like transcriptional coactivator 1 (MAML1), and RBP-J in CD4 + T cells were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in plasma and culture supernatant stimulated with Jagged1 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Independent-sample t-test, Pearson correlation analysis was used as the statistical method in this study. Results:① The frequencies of Treg in acute KD patients decreased significantly [(4.3±1.5)% vs (7.9±2.9)%; t=6.41, P<0.001], as protein levels of Foxp3, CTLA4 and GITR and concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-β in plasma reduced remarkably in acute KD patients ( t=6.87, P<0.001; t=4.26, P<0.001; t=7.88, P<0.001; t=8.42, P<0.001; t=13.01, P<0.001). All parameters afore-mentioned in patients combined with coronary artery lesions (CAL) were lower than those of patients without coronary artery lesions (NCAL) ( t=5.83, P<0.001; t=3.83, P<0.001; t=3.28, P=0.002; t=5.05, P<0.001; t=5.96, P<0.001; t=5.17, P<0.001), and increased after therapy ( t=7.13, P<0.001; t=6.10, P<0.001; t=4.31, P<0.001; t=6.55, P<0.001; t=7.40, P<0.001; t=7.84, P<0.001). ② H4Ac associated with promoter of Foxp3 gene and the binding abilities of NICD1 and p300 in acute KD patients were lower than those of the controls ( t=10.25, P<0.001; t=6.93, P<0.001; t=6.75, P<0.001), and increased remarkably after therapy ( t=7.72, P<0.001; t=4.16, P<0.001; t=5.76, P<0.001). Meanwhile, the three items in CAL group were found to be less than those of NCAL group ( t=6.08, P<0.001; t=2.66, P=0.011; t=6.02, P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between H4Ac associated with Foxp3 promoter and its mRNA level in acute KD patients ( r=0.47, P<0.001). No statistical significant difference about the binding ability of RBP-J with Foxp3 promoter were found among the groups ( t=0.57, P>0.05; t=0.61, P>0.05; t=1.20, P>0.05). ③ Protein level of Notch1 and the expressions of PSEN1, MAML1 and RBP-J mRNA in CD4 + T cells from acute KD patients were down-regulated remarkably ( t=5.28, P<0.001; t=6.31, P<0.001; t=11.78, P<0.001; t=8.06, P<0.001), and restored after therapy ( t=4.77, P<0.001; t=6.43, P<0.001; t=11.95, P<0.001; t=7.79, P<0.001). In parallel, the four indexes aforementioned of CAL group were lower than those of NCAL group ( t=3.16, P=0.003; t=4.13, P<0.001; t=5.42, P<0.001; t=4.05, P<0.001). Upon rhJagged1 stimulation for 48 hours, H4Ac level of Foxp3 promoter and its binding abilities with NICD1 and p300 in CD4 + T cells in KD patients and control group was significantly higher than those of untreated group [(KD: t=15.36, P<0.001; t=7.25, P<0.001; t=14.29, P<0.001), (Ctrl: t=7.87, P<0.001; t=5.71, P<0.001; t=8.74, P<0.001)], as the binding ability of RBP-J with Foxp3 promoter increased slightly without statistically significant difference (KD: t=1.11, P>0.05; Ctrl: t=1.37, P>0.05). Simultaneously, H4Ac level of Foxp3 promoter and its binding abilities with NICD1 and p300 in KD group were still lower than those of the control group after stimulation ( t=3.86, P<0.001; t=3.42, P=0.001; t=2.85, P=0.006). ④ After incubation of PBMC from heathy children with KD serum, the proportion of Treg cells, protein level of Foxp3 and expressions of Notch1 and RBP-J in CD4 + T cells in the group treated with IVIG increased significantly compared with the untreated group ( t=7.10, P<0.001; t=10.16, P<0.001; t=8.06, P<0.001; t=9.77, P<0.001), as well as H4Ac level of Foxp3 promoter and its binding abilities with NICD1 in the group treat with IVIG were also higher than the latter ( t=7.24, P<0.001; t=8.24, P<0.001). Conclusion:Insufficiency and impaired function of Treg caused by aberrant Notch1 signaling may be the important factor contributing to immune dysfunction and vascular damage in KD.
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Objective:To investigate the changes of CD8 + CD28 - regulatory T cells (Treg) and its role in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods:A total of 48 children with KD were enrolled in the present study from June 2019 to December 2021. Blood samples were collected from them during acute phage of KD and after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. Another 32 age-matched healthy children were recruited as control group. The proportions of CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells and the expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), factor associated suicide ligand (FasL), inducible T-cell co-stimulator ligand (ICOSL), CD80 and CD86 protein were evaluated by flow cytometry. The expression of Helios, perforin, granzyme B, immunoglobulin-like transcript 3 (ILT3) and ILT4 at the transcription level was measured by real-time PCR. Concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-β in the culture supernatants of CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells stimulated with activated CD4 + T cells were measured by ELISA. Results:⑴ The proportions of CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells and the expression of Helios in patients with acute KD were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05), and reduced remarkably after IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). The two afore-mentioned indexes were lower in patients combined with coronary artery lesion (CAL) than in those without coronary artery lesion (NCAL) ( P<0.05). ⑵ Compared with the control group, the patients with acute KD showed increased expression of FasL, PD-1, ICOSL and perforin in CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells ( P<0.05). The concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in the culture supernatants of CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells from patients with acute KD were lower than those in the control group after stimulation with activated CD4 + T cells ( P<0.05), which restored to some extent after IVIG treatment ( P<0.05). All of the six above-mentioned indexes in the CAL group were found to be lower than those in the NCAL group ( P<0.05). There were slight differences in granzyme B expression between different groups ( P>0.05). (3) In comparison with the healthy controls, the patients with acute KD showed overexpressed co-stimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86 on CD14 + cells ( P<0.05) and up-regulated expression of inhibitory molecules ILT3 and ILT4 ( P<0.05), which were restored remarkably after IVIG treatment ( P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of CD80 and CD86 at protein level increased in the CAL group than in the NCAL group ( P<0.05), while the expression of ILT3 and ILT4 at transcriptional level decreased in the CAL group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Relative insufficiency and impaired function of CD8 + CD28 -Treg cells might be one of the important factors resulting in immune dysfunction and vascular damage in KD patients.
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Objective:To investigate the changes and significance of granulocyte-like myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) in the acute phage of Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods:Forty-two children with acute KD were enrolled in the present study and 32 age-matched healthy children were selected as control group. The proportion of HLA-DR -CD11b + CD33 + CD14 -CD15 + G-MDSC, the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of arginase-1 (Arg-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA4), glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) at protein level were detected by flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF-8), IL-6 receptor α subunit (IL-6Rα), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (G-CSFR), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ), suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) and SOCS3 at mRNA level in G-MDSC. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed to detect the acetylation of histone H3 at the promoters of SOCS1 and SOCS3 genes. Plasma concentrations of IL-6 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and protein levels of IL-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and nitric oxide (NO) in the culture supernatant of G-MDSC stimulated with LPS were measured by ELISA. Results:(1) Compared with the control group, the proportion of HLA-DR -CD11b + CD33 + CD14 -CD15 + G-MDSC as well as the concentration of ROS and the expression of inhibitory molecules (Arg-1, PD-L1 and CTLA4) in G-MDSC increased significantly in patients with acute KD ( P<0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-β in culture supernatant of G-MDSC were also higher than those of the control group after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide for 48 h ( P<0.05). All of the seven afore-mentioned indexes in KD patients with coronary artery lesion (CAL group ) were lower than those in patients without coronary artery lesion (NCAL group) ( P<0.05), and restored to some extent after IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in iNOS expression or NO concentration in culture supernatant of G-MDSC among different groups ( P<0.05). (2) Plasma concentrations of IL-6 and G-CSF, and the expression of IL-6Rα, gp130, G-CSFR, pSTAT3 and C/EBPβ increased remarkably during acute phase of KD ( P<0.05). The expression of IRF-8 at transcription level in patients with acute KD was found to be lower than that of healthy controls ( P<0.05), and restored significantly after IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). Moreover, the plasma concentrations of IL-6 and G-CSF and the expression of IL-6Rα, gp130, G-CSFR and IRF-8 in the CAL group were higher than those in the NCAL group ( P<0.05), while the expression of pSTAT3 and C/EBPβ was lower in the CAL group ( P<0.05), which were restored by IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). (3) In patients with acute KD, the expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 at mRNA level and histone acetylation at the promoters of SOCS1 and SOCS3 genes were reduced significantly in comparison with those in healthy controls ( P<0.05) , but were increased remarkably after IVIG treatment( P<0.05). The four indexes were higher in the CAL group than in the NCAL group ( P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed the expression of SOCS1 and SOCS3 was negatively correlated with the protein level of pSTAT3 in G-MDSC of patients with acute KD ( r=-0.46 and -0.32, P<0.05). Conclusions:Changes in the number and function of G-MDSC caused by aberrant histone acetylation at SOCS1 and SOCS3 genes might contribute to the immune dysfunction and vascular damage in patients with KD.
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Objective:To investigate the changes of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSC) in children with acute Kawasaki disease (KD) and its roles in the immunological pathogenesis of KD.Methods:A total of 38 children with acute KD were enrolled in the present study and 32 age-matched healthy children were selected as control group. The proportions of HLA-DR -CD11b + CD33 + CD15 -CD14 + M-MDSC and CD4 + CD25 + CD127 - regulatory T cells (Treg) in peripheral blood, concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of arginase-1 (Arg-1), CD39, CD73, CD40, CD40L and CCR5 at protein levels were detected by flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate the transcription levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in M-MDSC and the transcription levels of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3) in Treg. Concentrations of NO, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, IL-10 and TGF-β in the supernatants of cell culture were measured by ELISA. Results:(1) The proportion of HLA-DR -CD11b + CD33 + CD15 -CD14 + M-MDSC, the concentration of intracellular ROS and the expression of iNOS, CD39 and CD73 in M-MDSC decreased significantly in patients with acute KD as compared with those in the control group ( P<0.05), and the concentrations of NO, IL-10 and TGF-β in culture supernatant of M-MDSC were lower than those in the control group upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation for 48 h ( P<0.05). All of the aforementioned indexes restored to some extent after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy ( P<0.05). No statistical differences were found in Arg-1 expression between healthy controls and patients with KD before or after IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). (2) CD40 expression on M-MDSC was significantly lower in the acute KD group than in the control group ( P<0.05). The concentrations of CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 in the culture supernatants of M-MDSC were lower in the acute KD group than in the control group after LPS stimulation ( P<0.05). With IVIG treatment, all of the indexes were up-regulated significantly ( P<0.05), although CD40 expression was still lower in the acute KD group than in the control group ( P<0.05). (3) The proportion of CD4 + CD25 + CD127 -Treg and the expression of CTLA4, LAG3, CD40L and CCR5 reduced significantly in patients with acute KD as compared those in healthy controls ( P<0.05), and all increased remarkably after IVIG therapy ( P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the proportions of M-MDSC and Treg in patients with acute KD ( r=0.58, P<0.05). Conclusions:Insufficiency and impaired function of M-MDSC might be a major cause of immune dysfunction in patients with acute KD.
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Kawasaki disease is a systemic inflammatory disease of small and medium vessels in children under 5 years of age, which is also one of the most common causes of acquired heart disease in children.Stem cells are a kind of multipotential cells with the ability of self-renewal, self-replication and multi-differentiation.They are important biomaterials in modern regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.So far, substantial studies have found that stem cells such as endothelial progenitor cells, induced multifunctional stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells and so on are involved in the regulation of the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease and play an important role in anti-inflammation and protection of the vascular endothelial cell damage.The potential of stem cells is gradually being developed and applied to the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease.However, the pathogenesis and treatment of stem cells in Kawasaki disease are not fully understood, and more basic and clinical trials are still needed.
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Peripheral blood cell parameters such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and the mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio are markers of systemic inflammation, which can predict the occurrence, efficacy and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases, tumors, systemic inflammatory reactions and other di-seases.Current studies show that neutrophil percentage, serum albumin, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte hematocrit, platelet count, serum sodium, total bilirubin, and N-terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are co-mmon independent risk factors of coronary artery lesions or immunoglobulin resistance in children with Kawasaki disease.New research suggests that peripheral blood cell parameters have predictive value for coronary artery lesions and immunoglobulin in children with Kawasaki disease.Peripheral blood cell parameters have wide applications due to the cheap and simple routine blood test.In this paper, the research progress in predicting coronary artery disease and immunoglo-bulin resistance in children with Kawasaki disease by peripheral blood cell parameters was reviewed.
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Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the acute vasculitis diseases, and its most common complications are coronary artery lesions and myocarditis.Different degrees of myocardial injury can be observed in the acute phase of KD, and different abnormal waveforms can be detected in the electrocardiogram (ECG). As a noninvasive electrophysiological examination, ECG is of great significance for both early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of KD.The advance in research enables ECG manifestations and electrophysiological significance in the early phase of KD to be gradually re-cognized.In this article, the foreign and domestic research on the changes and clinical significance of ECG in acute stage of Kawasaki disease in recent years was reviewed and summarized, and recent advance in the application of ECG in the acute phase of KD was also summarized.
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Objective:To investigate the histone acetylation of interleukin-4(IL-4) gene and its roles in immunological pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods:Thirty-six children with KD and 28 age-matched healthy children in Shenzhen Children′s Hospital from October 2016 to December 2018 were recruited in this study.Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from healthy controls (28 cases) and patients with KD during acute phase and 4 to 5 days after effective intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment.Co-immunoprecipitation followed by real-time PCR was used to assess histone H4 acetylation levels of IL-4 promoter and Va enhancer, and binding abilities of p300 and CREB-binding protein (CBP) with promoter and Va enhancer of IL-4 gene in peripheral blood CD4 + T cells.Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the proportion of CD4 + IL-4 + T cells (Th2) and protein le-vels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (pSTAT6), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), nuclear factor 1 of activated T cells(NFAT1), transforming growth factor-β receptor Ⅱ (TGF-βRⅡ), and phosphorylated L-type amino acid transporter 1(pLAT1). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate the transcription levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα), transforming growth factor-β receptor Ⅰ (TGF-βRⅠ) and sex-determining region Y(SRY)-box 4 (SOX4) in CD4 + T cells.Plasma concentrations of IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:(1)Compared with control group, the proportion of Th2 cells, expression levels of Th2-associated cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) and histone H4 acetylation levels associating with IL-4 promoter and Va enhancer, increased remarkably during acute KD(all P<0.05), and restored after IVIG therapy(all P<0.05). Meanwhile, all the former items in KD patients with coronary artery lesions (CAL) were higher than those in patients with non-coronary artery lesions (NCAL) (all P<0.05). (2) Compared with control group, binding abilities of p300 and CBP with IL-4 promoter and Va enhancer in CD4 + T cells were up-regulated significantly during acute KD (all P<0.05), and decreased in varying degrees after IVIG treatment (all P<0.05). Positive correlations between binding abilities of p300 with IL-4 (promoter and Va enhancer) and the expression of IL-4 promoter and Va enhancer were detected in patients with acute KD ( r=0.72, 0.43, all P<0.05). Furthermore, binding abilities of p300 and CBP with IL-4 promoter and Va enhancer in CAL group were higher than those in NCAL group (all P<0.05). (3) Compared with control group, patients with acute KD had remarkably increased plasma concentration of IL-4, and expression levels of IL-4Rα/STAT6/GATA-3 and pLAT1/NFAT1 in CD4 + T cells (all P<0.05), and significantly down-regulated plasma concentration of TGF-β and expression level of TGF-βRⅡ/TGF-βRⅠ/SOX4 (all P<0.05). All the items mentioned above restored in varying degrees after IVIG treatment (all P<0.05). Simultaneously, the 6 items aforementioned in CAL group were found to be higher than those in NCAL group (all P<0.05), while the latter four items were lower than those in NCAL group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Histone hyperacetylation of IL-4 gene may be related to immune dysfunction in patients with KD.
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Objective@#To retrospectively analyze the laboratory findings and ultrasonographic features in acute phase of children suffering from Kawasaki disease (KD) with stable hemodynamics and Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS), so as to provide the evidence for early diagnosis, timely treatment and improvement of prognosis of KDSS.@*Methods@#Four hundred and eighteen patients with KD diagnosed at Shenzhen Children′s Hospital from November 2016 to May 2018 were selected, including 23 KDSS patients(KDSS group) and 395 cases with stable hemodynamic(KD without shock group). The clinical characteristics, laboratory index and ultrasonic examination data of the 2 groups were collected and compared for statistical conclusion.@*Results@#(1)The level of C-reaction protein(CRP)[166.20 mg/L (74.40 mg/L)], γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(γ-GT)[88.00 IU/L (126.00 IU/L)], creatine kinase isoenzyme(CKI)[1.78 μg/L (5.17 μg/L)], troponin(TP)[0.01 μg/L (0.39 μg/L)] in the KDSS group in acute phase were all higher than those in the KD without shock group[70.50 mg/L (54.30 mg/L), 40.00 IU/L (89.00 IU/L), 1.20 μg/L (0.85 μg/L), 0.01 μg/L (0.01 μg/L)], hemoglobin(Hb)[90.00 g/L (15.00 g/L)], ablumin [24.20 g/L (4.30 g/L)], serum sodium[130.90 mmol/L (5.60 mmol/L)] levels in the KDSS group were lower than those in the KD without shock group[107.00 g/L (14.00 g/L), 33.40 g/L (4.08 g/L), 136.10 mmol/L (3.25 mmol/L)], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2)The incidence rates of impaired left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)[<55%: 3 cases (13.03%) vs.8 cases (2.00%)], coronary artery abnormalities[left anterior descending branch(LAD) Z-score>2.5: 6 cases (26.09%) vs.35 cases (8.86%)]and valvular regurgitation[tricuspid regurgitation(TR)≥moderate: 3 cases (13.03%) vs.5 cases (1.26%)]in the KDSS group were higher than those in the KD without shock group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3)Among acute phase in KDSS group, 9 cases (39.13%) had liver enlargement, 9 cases (39.13%) had peritoneal effusion, 3 cases (13.04%) had diffuse renal lesions, 3 cases (13.04%) had joint effusion (2 cases of knee joint effusion, 1 case of hip joint effusion), and 2 cases (8.70%) had enteritis.In the KD without shock group, only 3 cases (0.76%) had hepatomegaly and 2 cases (0.51%) had a small amount of knee effusion.@*Conclusions@#Laboratory findings of KDSS group showed higher level of CRP, CKI, TP as well as γ-GT than those in KD without shock group, who are more prone to suffer from hypohemoglobin, hyponatremia and hypoalbuminemia.Ultrasound examination showed that KDSS children were more prone to have heart or multiple-organ damage.Clinicians should raise their awareness to provide comprehensive assessment as well as timely and effective treatment.
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Objective To investigate the histone acetylation status of forkhead box P3(Foxp3)gene and its roles in immunological pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease(KD). Methods Forty - two children with KD and 32 age -matched healthy children consented to participate in this study as a control group. Co - immunoprecipitation and real -time PCR were performed to determine acetylation levels of histone H4 associated with Foxp3 gene and binding abilities of Kruppel like factor 10(KLF10)and p300 / CBP - associated factor (PCAF)with Foxp3 gene in CD4 + T cells. The proportion of CD4 + CD25 high Foxp3 + cells (Treg)and protein levels of Foxp3,KLF10,PCAF,phosphated SMAD family member 2 / 3(pSmad2 / 3)and itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase(Itch)were analyzed by flow cytometry. Quantitative real - time PCR was used to evaluate the levels of Foxp3,transforming growth factor - β1 receptor Ⅱ (TGF - βRⅡ), transforming growth factor - β1 receptor Ⅰ(TGF - βR Ⅰ),tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2),SH2 domain - containing protein - tyrosine phosphatase - 2(SHP2)and cytotoxic T - lymphocyte - associated protein 4 (CTLA4)mRNA in Treg. Plasma concentrations of TGF - β and interleukin - 6(IL - 6)were measured by enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay. Results (1)Compared with the control group,the proportion of Treg,expression levels of Foxp3 and TGF - β, and histone acetylation levels of Foxp3 promoter decreased remarkably during acute KD,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P < 0. 05),and restored after IVIG therapy(all P < 0. 05). Meanwhile,the 5 indexes afore-mentioned in KD patients with coronary artery lesions (KD - CAL +)were lower than those without coronary artery le-sions(KD - CAL -),and the differences were all statistically significant (all P < 0. 05). (2)Compared with the control group,protein levels of KLF10 and PCAF in Treg cells,and their binding abilities with Foxp3 gene were significantly down - regulated during acute KD,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P < 0. 05),and restored to some extent after IVIG treatment(all P < 0. 05). Positive correlations between protein levels of KLF10 and PCAF,and mRNA level of Foxp3 were detected in acute KD patients (r = 0. 47,0. 59,all P < 0. 05). Furthermore,protein levels of KLF10 and PCAF and their binding abilities with Foxp3 gene in KD - CAL + group were lower than those in KD -CAL - group,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P < 0. 05). (3)Compared with the control group, the plasma concentration of TGF - β and expressions of TGF - βRⅡ/ Ⅰ,pSmad2 / 3,Itch,CTLA4 and SHP2 in Treg were down - regulated during the acute phase of KD,and the differences were all statistically significant(all P < 0. 05), as well as plasma concentration of IL - 6 and expression its downstream molecule Tyk2 increased remarkably in patients with acute KD(all P < 0. 05). All the indexes mentioned before restored significantly after IVIG treatment (all P <0. 05). Simultaneously,the 7 former indexes in KD - CAL + group were found to be lower than those in KD - CAL -group,while 2 indexes of the latter in KD - CAL + group were higher than those in KD - CAL - group,and the differ-ences were all statistically significant(all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Histone hypoacetylation of Foxp3 promoter might be one of the important factors contributing to insufficiency and dysfunction of regulatory T cells during acute Kawasaki dis-ease.
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Objective To investigate the effects of SMYD3 and MLL5 on histone methylation of Transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) gene and its roles in the immunological pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods Forty-two children with KD and 26 age-matched healthy children were consented to participate in this study. Co-Immunoprec-ipitation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to determine Foxp3-associated histone methylation levels of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, and binding levels of SMYD3 and MLL5 with Foxp3 gene in CD4+T cells. The proportion of CD4+CD25high Foxp3+cells (Treg) and protein levels of Foxp3, cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA4), TGF-βRⅡand pSmad3 were analyzed by flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate levels of Foxp3, interleukin (IL)-10, GITR, TGF-βRⅠand RARαmRNA in CD4+T cells. Plasma concentrations of TGF-βand retinol acid (RA) were measured by enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay. Independent-samples t-test was used as the statistical method in this study. Results ① The proportion of Treg, expression levels of Foxp3 and molecules associated with suppressive function of Treg cells(IL-10, GITR and CTLA4), and histone methylation levels of H3K4me3 associating with promoter, conserved non-coding DNA sequence (CNS) 1 and CNS2 of Foxp3 gene decreased remarkably during acute KD [Promoter:(5.4±1.8)%vs (9.1±2.2)%;CNS1:(2.6±0.9)% vs (3.8±1.1)%; CNS2: (2.4±0.8)% vs (4.2±1.0)%; t=5.50, 6.02, 9.56, 7.92, 7.97, 4.76, 7.73, 5.01, 8.66; P0.05). ② Binding levels of SMYD3 and MLL5 with Foxp3 gene in CD4+T cells were down-regulated significantly during acute KD (t=6.63, 6.15; P<0.05), and restored to some extent after IVIG treatment (t=5.36, 4.56; P<0.05). Positive correlations between binding levels of SMYD3 and MLL5 and expression level of Foxp3 mRNA were detected in patients with acute KD (r=0.62、0.45, P<0.05). Furthermore, Binding levels of SMYD3 and MLL5 with Foxp3 gene in KD-CAL+group were lower than those in KD-CAL- group (t=4.11, 4.31; P<0.05). ③ Compared with healthy controls, plasma concentration of TGF-β and RA, and expressions of TGF-βRⅡ, TGF-βRⅠ, pSmad3 and RARα were down-regulated during acute KD (t=11.54, 12.81, 7.43, 16.10, 8.25, 12.06; P<0.05), and elevated remarkably after IVIG treatment (t=8.40, 6.24, 5.94, 11.78, 6.27, 8.30; P<0.05). Simultaneously, all the items aforementioned in KD-CAL+ group were found to be lower than those in KD-CAL-group (t=3.58, 3.30, 3.82, 5.27, 4.71, 3.78; P<0.05). Conclusion Hypomethylation of H3K4me3 associated with Foxp3 gene caused by insufficient binding levels of SMYD3/MLL5 may be involved with immune dysfunction in Kawasaki disease.
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Objective To investigate the effects of p300/CBP on histone acetylation of Foxp3 gene and its roles in the immunological pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods Forty-six children with KD and twenty-eight age-matched health children were consented to participate in this study.Co-immunoprecipitation and real-time PCR were performed to detect Foxp3-associated acetylation levels of histone H4 and binding abilities of p300, CBP, pSmad3 (phosphorylated mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3) and NF-AT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) with Foxp3 gene in CD4+ T cells.The percentages of CD4+CD25high Foxp3+ cells (Treg) and the expression of Foxp3, CTLA4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4), p300, CBP, TGF-βRⅡ (transforming growth factor β receptor Ⅱ) and pLAT1 at protein level were analyzed by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of Foxp3, IL-10, TGF-β, TGF-βRⅠ, Egr-1 (early growth response protein 1), RARα (retinoic acid receptor α) and PLCγ1 (phospholipase C-γ1) in Treg cells at mRNA level.Plasma concentrations of TGF-β and retinol acid (RA) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results (1) The percentages of Treg cells, levels of Foxp3 and molecules associated with suppressive function of Treg cells (TGF-β, IL-10 and CTLA4), acetylation levels of histone H4 associated with promoter, conserved non-coding DNA sequence 1 (CNS1) and CNS2 of Foxp3 gene decreased remarkably during acute KD (P0.05).(2) The levels of p300 and CBP in Treg cells and their binding abilities with Foxp3 gene were down-regulated significantly during acute KD (P0.05).Conclusion Hypoacetylation of histone H4 associated with Foxp3 gene caused by insufficient expression of p300/CBP and their impaired binding abilities might be involved with immune dysfunction in KD.IVIG therapy regulates the expression of p300/CBP and their binding abilities with Foxp3 gene through up-regulating TGF-β signal.
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Objective@#To investigate the impacts of ash2 (absent, small, or homeotic)-like (Ash2L) and Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (Jmjd3) on histone methylation of interferon-gamma(IFN-γ) gene and association with vascular damage of Kawasaki disease (KD) in acute phase.@*Methods@#This study was performed among 36 children with KD in acute phase (KD group) and 28 age-matched health children (control group), who were treated or underwent physical examination in our hospital between February 2015 and June 2016. Patients were further divided into KD groups with or without coronary artery lesions (KD-CAL+ , 16 cases; KD-CAL-, 20 cases). All KD patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. The proportion of type 1 helper T(Th1) cells and protein levels of IFN-γ, T-box expressed in T cells(T-bet), phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1(pSTAT1) and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 4(pSTAT4) were analyzed by flow cytometry.Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed to determine histone methylation (histone H3 tri-methyl K4(H3K4me3), histone H3 tri-methyl K27(H3K27me3)) and binding levels of Ash2L, Jmjd3 and Ezh2 associated with IFN-γ in CD4+ T cells. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine mRNA levels of IFN-γ, interferon γ receptor 1(IFN-γR1), interferon γ receptor 2(IFN-γR2), interleukin 12 receptor subunit beta 1(IL-12Rβ1), interleukin 12 receptor subunit beta 2(IL-12Rβ2), interleukin 18 receptor subunit beta α(IL-18Rα), interleukin 18 receptor subunit beta β(IL-18Rβ), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1(TNFR1), toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 1(RIP-1) and myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88(MyD88) in CD4+ T cells. Plasma concentrations of IFN-γ, interleukin 12(IL-12), interleukin 18(IL-18) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay.@*Results@#(1)The proportion of Th1 and its protein level of IFN-γ were significantly higher in KD group than those in control group and higher in KD-CAL+ group than in KD-CAL- group (all P<0.05), and lower after treatment than before treatment (all P<0.05). (2)Compared with control group, mRNA level of IFN-γ and IFN-γ-associating H3K4me3 was increased, while level of IFN-γ associating H3K27me3 in CD4+ T cells was reduced in KD group (all P<0.05), which resulted in a higher rate of H3K4me3/H3K27me3 (P<0.05) in KD group, which was positively correlated with IFN-γ mRNA in KD group(r=0.55, P<0.05). Similar results were found between KD-CAL+ group and KD-CAL- group (all P<0.05). Level of IFN-γ associating H3K27me3 was increased, and mRNA level of IFN-γ and IFN-γ associating H3K4me3 was decreased after treatment than before treatment (all P<0.05). (3)Expression of T-bet protein and binding levels of Ash2L and Jmjd3 with IFN-γ gene were significantly higher in KD group than those in control group(all P<0.05), higher in KD-CAL+ group than those in KD-CAL- group (all P<0.05). These parameters were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment (all P<0.05). Binding level of Ezh2 with IFN-γ gene was similar among various groups (all P>0.05). (4)In comparison with control or after treatment, surface receptors(IFN-γR1/2, IL-12Rβ1/2, IL-18Rα/β, TNFR1 and TLR4) and its downstream molecules(pSTAT1, pSTAT4, RIP1 and MyD88) in CD4+ T cells, and plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines(IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-18 and TNF-α) were found to be higher in KD group(all P<0.05). These parameters were also higher in KD-CAL+ group than in KD-CAL- group (all P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#Aberrant histone methylation of IFN-γ associating H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 caused by over-binding of Ash2L and Jmjd3 might be involved in immune dysfunction and vascular damage in KD in the acute phase.
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Objective To investigate the changes and significances of inducible IL-35-producing regulatory T cells(iTR35) in immunological pathogcnesis of Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods Forty-eight children with KD and 32 age-matched healthy children (healthy control group) consented to participate in this study.Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the proportions of CD4+ FOXP3-IL-12p35+IL-27EBI3+iTR35 and CD4+CD25high FOXP3+regulatory T cells (Treg),and expression levels of associated molecules such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1),CD169,programmed death 1 (PD-1),CD43,IL-12p35,Epstein-Barr virus induced 3 (IL-27EBI3),glycoprotein 130(gp130),IL-12 receptor beta 2 (IL-12Rβ2),phosphated signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) and phosphated signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (pSTAT4).Transcription levels of the Sre homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP-2),phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN),Vavl guanine nucleotide exchange factor(Vav) in CD4+T cells were determined by quantitative real-time PCR.Plasma concentrations of IL-35,IL-10,TNF-α and IL-12 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results (1) The proportions of iTR35 and its expressions of IL-12p35 and IL-27EBI3 in patients with acute KD dccreased remarkably[iTR35:(0.72±0.26) ‰ vs (1.65±0.43) ‰,P＜0.05],and restored after treatment [iTR35:(1.58±0.63) ‰ vs (0.72±0.26) ‰,P＜0.05].(2) The proportions of Treg and transcriptional levels of IL-12p35 and IL-27EBI3 were down-regulated during acute phase of KD [Treg:(3.26±1.21) ％ vs (7.26±2.86) ％,P＜0.05],and increased to some extent after therapy [Treg:(5.89±2.60)％ vs (3.26±1.21)％,P＜0.05].Meanwhile,plasma concentrations of IL-35 and IL-10,and expressions of gp130,IL-12Rβ2,pSTAT1 and pSTAT4 in iTR35 of patients with acute KD were found lower than those of the healthy control group (all P＜0.05),and increased after treatment (P＜0.05).Additionally,positive correlations were found between plasma concentrations of IL-35 and the proportion of iTR35 or its expressions of IL-12p35 and IL-27EBI3,respectively.(3) Expressions of PD-L1 and CD169 on CD14 + cells and plasma concentrations of TNF-α and IL-12 were elevated significantly during acute KD(all P＜0.05),as well as expression levels of the ligands (PD-1 and CD43) and its downstream molecules (SHP-2,PTEN,Vav) in CD4 + T cells were found to be lower in patients with acute KD (P＜0.05),and restored remarkably after therapy.Conclusion Insufficiency of iTR35 and its expression of IL-35 might be one of the important factors contributing to immunological dysfunction in KD.
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Objective To investigate the changes and significances of IL-17-associated histone methylation in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods Forty-two children with KD and 28 age-matched healthy children were recruited in this study. Co-immunoprecipitation and real-time PCR were performed to detect the IL-17-associated histone methylation in CD4+ T cells. The percentages of CD4+IL-17+ T cells (Th17) and the expression of IL-17 and pSTAT3 at protein level were analyzed by flow cytome-try. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of IL-17, IL-6Rα, gp130, IL-23R, IL-23Rβ1, ETV5, SOCS1, SOCS3, TLR4, MyD88/TRIF, TNFR1 and RIP1 at mRNA level and the expres-sion of miR155 in CD4+ T cells. The levels of IL-6, IL-23 and TNF-αin plasma samples were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results (1) The children with acute KD showed increased percenta-ges of Th17 cells and enhanced expression of IL-17 and H3K4me3, but inhibited expression of H3K27me3 [H3K4me3:(3.79±1. 45)% vs (1. 93±0. 31)%, H3K27me3: (54. 51±13. 60)% vs (73. 96± 22. 32)%;P<0. 05]. Moreover, the three former indexes in KD patients complicated with coronary artery lesions ( KD-CAL+) were higher than those in KD patients without coronary artery lesions ( KD-CAL-) , while the levels of H3K27me3 in KD-CAL+ group were lower than those in KD-CAL- group [ H3K4me3:(5. 11±1. 68)% vs (2. 98±0. 99)%, H3K27me3:(45. 02±14. 83)% vs (60. 35±12. 51)%;P<0. 05]. A positive correlation was observed between the ratio of H3K4me3/H3K27me3 and IL-17 at transcriptional level in patients with acute KD (r=0. 69, P<0. 05). Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) restored Th17 cells, expression of IL-17 and methylation levels of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 to normal levels [H3K4me3:(2. 44 ± 0. 77)% vs (3. 79 ± 1. 45)%, H3K27me3: (66. 52 ± 15. 73)% vs (54. 51 ± 13. 60)%;P<0. 05]. (2) The expressions of pSTAT3, ETV5 and miR155 increased significantly in pa-tients with acute KD, while the expressions of negative regulators of pSTAT3 ( SOCS1 and SOCS3 ) were down-regulated. The expressions of pSTAT3, ETV5 and miR155 in KD-CAL+ group were higher than those in KD-CAL- group (P<0. 05), while the levels of SOCS1 and SOCS3 in KD-CAL+ group were lower than those in KD-CAL- group (P<0. 05). IVIG therapy restored the indexes mentioned above to some extent (P<0. 05). (3) Compared with the healthy subjects, the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-23 and TNF-α) in plasma and the expressions of surface receptors (TLR4, IL-6Rα/gp130, IL-23R/IL-23Rβ1 and TNFR1) and its downstream adaptors (MyD88, TRIF, RIP1) in CD4+T cells were up-regulated in patients with acute KD (P<0. 05), but were down-regulated significantly after IVIG treatment (P<0. 05). Moreo-ver, all of the indexes mentioned above in KD-CAL+ group were found to be higher than those in KD-CAL-group (P<0. 05). Conclusion Aberrant patterns of IL-17-associated histone methylation might be related to the immune dysfunction in patients with KD.