Strong Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotype Association of Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration in Indonesian Patients

@#Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype of three most associated SNP with nAMD of 80 patients in Indonesia. Methods: All patients underwent standard ophthalmic tests including fundoscopy and optical coherence tomography. Genomic DNA was extracted using commercially available DNA isolation kits. Genotyping of rs11200638, rs1061170 and del443ins54 used polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. The acquired genotype data were analyzed using Haploview and R package software. Results: Linkage Disequilibrium analyses showed high LD value in the 10q26 region of 80 patients with AMD and 85 controls. The PCR-RFLP showed TTA was the most frequent haplotype while GTG was the most associated haplotype in the study sample. Conclusion: There was a high LD in the 10q26 region and strong association in GTG haplotype of Indonesian patients with AMD.

Rare Variants of Monogenic Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases -Related Genes: A Study in a Cohort of Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / 罕见病研究

  Objective  This study aimed at describing the frequency of rare variants of monogenic cerebral small vessel diseases (CSVD) in a cohort of patients with CSVD, and to explore its clinical relevance.  Methods  This study included CSVD patients visiting the Neurology Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH) from March 2017 to January 2022, collecting their demographic and clinical information and DNA samples for whole-exome sequencing. Descriptive analysis and statistical analysis were conducted exploring the differences between monogenic CSVD-related gene mutation carriers and noncarriers.  Results  A total of 292 patients were included, 51.03% of whom carried one or more rare variants of monogenic CSVD-related genes. The most common rare low-frequency variants were located in the NOTCH3 gene (70 patients, 23.97%), followed by HTRA1 and COL4A1/COL4A2 (22 patients, 7.53%) respectively. Among the subgroup of patients without a family history of stroke (n=176), the frequency of rare variants was as high as 47.16%. Compared with non-carriers, the carriers were diagnosed at a younger age (58.76±13.71 vs. 63.46±13.21, P=0.003). No difference was found in phenotypes among single-SNP carriers, multiple-SNPs carriers, and noncarriers.  Conclusions  The frequency of rare mutation of monogenic CSVD-related genes were relatively high in Chinese CSVD cohort. The most common rare variant was within the NOTCH3, followed by HTRA1 and COL4A1/COL4A2 genes. For CSVD patients of unknown causes, genetic screening should not be neglected even if there is not a family history of the disease.

Association of htra1 and hapln1 gene polymorphism with intervertebral disc degeneration / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Studies have found that single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes in the HTRA1 gene promoter region are associated with intervertebral disc degeneration, while HAPLN1 is associated with osteoarthritis caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of human secretory serine protease HTRA1 and the key group of extracellular matrix HAPLN1 in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: This study included 498 postmenopausal female subjects who underwent a physical examination at Dingzhou People’s Hospital from April 2015 to December 2018. TaqMan PCR was used to detect HTRA1 gene promoter rs11200638 single nucleotide polymorphism and HAPLN1 gene 5' flanking rs975563, intron 1 rs10942332, intron 2 rs179851 and intron 4 rs4703570 single nucleotide polymorphism in 498 postmenopausal Chinese women. The correlation between the HTRA1orHAPLN1 gene polymorphisms and the radiographic features of spinal disc degeneration was analyzed. The trial has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Dingzhou People’s Hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Among the 498 subjects with the HTRA1 gene rs11200638 single nucleotide polymorphism, 178 were GG homozygotes, 222 were GA heterozygotes, and 98 were AA homozygotes. We compared the parameters of intervertebral disc degeneration in subjects with at least one G allele (GG+GA, n=400) and without G allele (AA, n=98). In HTRA1 gene rs11200638 single nucleotide polymorphism, the score on intervertebral space stenosis in the subjects with GG+GA allele genome was lower than that in the subjects with AA allele (P < 0.001). With the increase of the score on intervertebral space stenosis, the proportion of the subjects with AA alleles increased (P ≤ 0.001). Among the 498 subjects with single nucleotide polymorphisms of the HAPLN1 gene, 137 were homozygous for TT, 230 were heterozygous for CT, and 131 were homozygous for CC. Intervertebral disc degeneration parameters of CC+TT allele (n=361) and TT allele (n=137) were compared. In the HAPLN1 gene, there was a significant difference between the CC+TT and TT alleles of the rs179851 single nucleotide polymorphism in osteophyte formation and intervertebral space stenosis (P < 0.01). Among the HAPLN1 gene rs179851 single nucleotide polymorphisms, the proportion of subjects with TT alleles and intervertebral space stenosis ≥ 6 points increased (P < 0.05). With an increase in osteophyte formation score, the proportion of subjects with TT allele increased (P < 0.001). These results reveal that HTRA1 and HAPLN1 genetic variations at specific genetic loci are associated with intervertebral disc degeneration.

HtrA1 suppresses the growth of pancreatic cancer cells by modulating Notch-1 expression

Pancreatic cancer is well known to be the most deadly malignancy with the worst survival rate of all cancers. High temperature requirement factor A1 (HtrA1) plays an important role in cancer cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. This study aimed to explore the function of HtrA1 in pancreatic cancer cell growth and its underlying mechanism. We found that the expression of HtrA1 was lower in pancreatic cancer tissue compared to the adjacent normal tissue. Consistently, HtrA1 levels were also decreased in two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 and BXPC-3. Moreover, enforced expression of HtrA1 inhibited cell viability and colony formation of PANC-1 and BXPC-3 cells. Overexpression of HtrA1 promoted apoptosis and suppressed migratory ability of tumor cells. On the contrary, siRNA-mediated knockdown of HtrA1 promoted the growth potential of pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, we found that up-regulation of HtrA1 reduced the expression of Notch-1 in pancreatic cancer cells. On the contrary, knockdown of HtrA1 increased the expression levels of Notch-1. Furthermore, overexpression of Notch-1 abolished the anti-proliferative effect of HtrA1 on pancreatic cancer cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that HtrA1 could inhibit pancreatic cancer cell growth via regulating Notch-1 expression, which implied that HtrA1 might be developed as a novel molecular target for pancreatic cancer therapy.

A family of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical features, imaging features, pathological features and gene diagnosis of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL).@*Methods@#Clinical manifestations, signs and imaging characteristics of a female patient hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University for more than 10 days due to headache were analyzed, and skin biopsy and HTRA1 and Notch3 gene detection were performed. The pedigree of the proband was investigated in detail, and HTRA1 gene test and related imaging examination were conducted in parallel. Due to the deceased parents of the patient, relevant genetic testing could not be conducted. A control group of 100 healthy people were analyzed.@*Results@#The clinical manifestations of proband were headache after insomnia, hearing loss in the right ear, easy to wake up and sweat at night. Brain MRI showed diffuse patchy long T1 and long T2 signals in bilateral fronto-parietal temporal occipital insula, internal and external capsule areas, bilateral basal ganglia areas, and bilateral thalamus. Fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence showed high signals. Magnetic sensitive weighted imaging showed scattered patchy low signals in bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres, bilateral basal ganglia area, left thalamus and brain stem. The proband had consanguineous parents. A homozygous mutation C to T transition at position 589 (c.589C>T) was found in exon 3 of HTRA1 gene with the proband and both siblings. The heterozygous c.589C>T mutation appeared in another sister of the proband. Under the light microscope of skin biopsy, pigmentation in the basal layer of the skin could be seen, collagen fiber hyperplasia in the dermis was accompanied by a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, and no definite amyloidosis was found. No mutations were found in Notch3 gene. Because the patient′s parents were deceased, genetic testing was not possible. One hundred healthy controls had no such mutation.@*Conclusions@#The CARASIL family with HTRA1 gene c.589C>T homozygous mutation was reported, and the pathogenicity of the mutation was confirmed. HTRA1 genetic testing is recommended for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CARASIL with family history or clinical suspicion.

A family of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features, imaging features, pathological features and gene diagnosis of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL). Methods Clinical manifestations, signs and imaging characteristics of a female patient hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University for more than 10 days due to headache were analyzed, and skin biopsy and HTRA1 and Notch3 gene detection were performed. The pedigree of the proband was investigated in detail, and HTRA1 gene test and related imaging examination were conducted in parallel. Due to the deceased parents of the patient, relevant genetic testing could not be conducted. A control group of 100 healthy people were analyzed. Results The clinical manifestations of proband were headache after insomnia, hearing loss in the right ear, easy to wake up and sweat at night. Brain MRI showed diffuse patchy long T1 and long T2 signals in bilateral fronto?parietal temporal occipital insula, internal and external capsule areas, bilateral basal ganglia areas, and bilateral thalamus. Fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence showed high signals. Magnetic sensitive weighted imaging showed scattered patchy low signals in bilateral cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres, bilateral basal ganglia area, left thalamus and brain stem. The proband had consanguineous parents. A homozygous mutation C to T transition at position 589 (c.589C>T) was found in exon 3 of HTRA1 gene with the proband and both siblings. The heterozygous c.589C>T mutation appeared in another sister of the proband. Under the light microscope of skin biopsy, pigmentation in the basal layer of the skin could be seen, collagen fiber hyperplasia in the dermis was accompanied by a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, and no definite amyloidosis was found. No mutations were found in Notch3 gene. Because the patient′s parents were deceased, genetic testing was not possible. One hundred healthy controls had no such mutation. Conclusions The CARASIL family with HTRA1 gene c.589C>T homozygous mutation was reported, and the pathogenicity of the mutation was confirmed. HTRA1 genetic testing is recommended for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CARASIL with family history or clinical suspicion.

Heterozygous HTRA1 missense mutation in CADASIL-like family disease

The aim of this study was to find related pathogenic genes in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy in (CADASIL)-like patients. The direct sequencing and high-throughput multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to screen for related genes. The clinical and imaging data of a CADASIL-like patient (the pro-band) and his family members were collected. At first, the known hereditary cerebral vascular genes of the pro-band were screened with direct sequencing to find candidate gene mutations. High-throughput multiplex PCR was then used to analyze the single nucleotide polymorphism of the candidate gene in the family members. The results showed that there was missense mutation of the high temperature requirement protease A1 (HTRA1) gene in the pro-band, which may be a pathogenic factor according to the biological software analysis. The following SNP results revealed that the other family members also had the HTRA1 gene mutation. Thus, the CADASIL-like family disease may be caused by heterozygous HTRA1 gene mutation, which leads to autosomal dominant hereditary cerebral small vessel disease.

Construction of trophoblastic cell line HPT-8/pSilencer4.1-HtrA1 with silenced expression of HtrA1 / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective To construct the plasmid pSilencer4.1/HtrA1 and stably transfect human trophoblastic cell line HPT-8.Methods We detected the expression of HtrA1 in cell line HPT-8 with immunohistochemical SABC,constructed the plasmid pSilencer4.1/HtrA1,transfected human trophoblastic cell line HPT-8 with plasmid pSilencer4.1/HtrA1 and negative plasmid pSilencer4.1, and observed the cell expression after transfection. Results About 90% of cellular cytoplasm of HPT-8 was dyed brown while the nucleus was negatively stained. Selective concentration of G418 was 200 μg/mL for HPT-8 to be transfected pSilencer4.1/HtrA1.With RT-PCR and Western blot methods,the expression of HPT-8 transfected plasmid Psilence4.1/HtrA1 was significantly downregulated compared with that of cells with negative plasmid and normal cells (P 0.05).Conclusion We successfully constructed stable trophoblastic cell line HPT-8/ pSilencer4.1-HtrA1 with silenced expression of HtrA1,which lays foundation for further research.

HTRA1 gene expression in gastric epithelial cells

OBJECTIVES@#To explore HtrA1 gene expression and its regulation in human gastric cancers.@*METHODS@#The HtrA1 mRNA levels were examined by QPCR analysis and confirmed its expression with Northern blot analysis. The HtrA1 protein levels in all six gastric epithelial cell lines were investigated by Western blot analysis. Gene copy number was accessed and then sequenced the coding region from each mRNA in all six cell lines. The HtrA1 promoter region DNA methylation status was detected by using bisulfite sequencing analysis. Effect of decitabine and TSA on HTRA1 expression in gastric cancer cell line was determined by RTPCR.@*RESULTS@#HIC analysis indicated that HtrA1 was highly expressed in normal epithelium, but dramatically down-regulated in gastric carcinoma tissues and variably expressed in tumor-adjacent tissues. HtrA1 gene expression was dramatically decreased in gastric carcinoma cells compared to non-tumorigenic counterparts. The HtrA1 gene loss in any of the 4 breast cancer cell lines was not detected. Total 14 CpGs in this region were all methylated in gastric cancer cells, whereas two normal cells, GES-1 and HFI-145, were having several unmethylated cytosines in this region. HtrA1 showed as ~Mr 44,000, Expression of HtrA1 protein was not observed in any of the four gastric cancer cell lines, BGC-823, MKN-45, SGC-7901and MKN-28. HtrA1 expression was observed in the HFI-145and GES-1 cell lines.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The epigenetic silencing for HtrA1 gene expression could provide a possible strategy for re-activating HtrA1 gene expression in gastric cancer cells, thus facilitating further investigation of HtrA1's role in chemotherapy.

Pharmacogenetic Influence of LOC387715/HTRA1 on the Efficacy of Bevacizumab Treatment for Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Korean Population

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacogenetic effects of complement factor H (CFH) Y402H, LOC387715 and high-temperature requirement factor A1 (HTRA1) genotypes on the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by intravitreal bevacizumab injection in a Korean population. METHODS: Seventy-five patients diagnosed with exudative AMD were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (2.5 mg) monotherapy. All patients received three initial intravitreal bevacizumab injections every four weeks and were then treated "as needed" based on clinical findings, optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography during the 12 month follow-up period after the third injection. RESULTS: The difference in visual acuity improvement among the three genotypes of LOC387715 were statistically significant at six months post-treatment (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution; TT, 0.346; GT, 0.264; GG, 0.188; p = 0.037). Among the LOC387715 genotypes, the number of additional injections was lower in patients who had the risk T allele (GG, 2.143; GT, 2.000; TT, 1.575; p = 0.064). There was no significant difference between visual acuity and central macular thickness change in the CFH Y402H polymorphism group during the 12 month follow-up period. However, the TC group of CFH Y402H required more additional bevacizumab injections than the TT group (TT, 1.517; TC, 3.363; p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that different LOC387715/HTRA1 genotypes resulted in different bevacizumab treatment responses on exudative AMD. Patients with the risk allele had an improved treatment response and less need for additional injections. However, patients with the CFH Y402H risk allele needed more additional injections of bevacizumab in order to improve visual acuity. This study illustrates how pharmacogenetic factors may help determine treatment modality and dosing. This could ultimately provide basic data for 'personalized medicine' in AMD.

Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarets and leukoencephalopathy / 国际脑血管病杂志

Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is an autosomal recessive hereditary cerebral artery disease in the adolescence,and its main clinical manifestations are dementia,stroke,low back pain and alopecia.At present,most cases are from Japan.3-6 exon point mutations in the HTRA1 gene are associated with the onset of CARASIL.Brain histopathological examination showed a small arterial intimal thickening medial smooth muscle cell loss and hyalinization.Brain MRI showed a diffuse white matter abnormal signal and multiple subcortical infarcts.The diagnosis mainly depends on the characteristic clinical symptoms,imaging characteristics and genetic testing.It should be differentiated from cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with sulcortical infarcts and leucoencephalopathy.