Plasma proteome profiling discovers novel proteins associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
Authors: Niu, Lili; Geyer, Philipp E.; Albrechtsen, Nicolai J. Wewer; Gluud, Lise L.; Santos, Alberto; Doll, Sophia; Treit, Peter, V; Holst, Jens J.; Knop, Filip K.; Vilsbol, Tina; Junker, Anders; Sachs, Stephan; Stemmer, Kerstin; Mueller, Timo D.; Tschoep, Matthias H.; Hofmann, Susanna M.; Mann, Matthias
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 25% of the population and can progress to cirrhosis with limited treatment options. As the liver secretes most of the blood plasma proteins, liver disease may affect the plasma proteome. Plasma proteome profiling of 48 patients with and without cirrhosis or NAFLD revealed six statistically significantly changing proteins (ALDOB, APOM, LGALS3BP, PIGR, VTN, and AFM), two of which are already linked to liver disease. Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PICR) was significantly elevated in both cohorts by 170% in NAFLD and 298% in cirrhosis and was further validated in mouse models. Furthermore, a global correlation map of clinical and proteomic data strongly associated DPP4, ANPEP, TGFBI, PIGR, and APOE with NAFLD and cirrhosis. The prominent diabetic drug target DPP4 is an aminopeptidase like ANPEP, ENPEP, and LAP3, all of which are up-regulated in the human or mouse data. Furthermore, ANPEP and TGFBI have potential roles in extracellular matrix remodeling in fibrosis. Thus, plasma proteome profiling can identify potential biomarkers and drug targets in liver disease.
Gene Expression Profiling of Histiocytic Sarcomas in a Canine Model: The Predisposed Flatcoated Retriever Dog
PLOS ONE
Authors: Boerkamp, Kim M.; van der Kooij, Marieke; van Steenbeek, Frank G.; van Wolferen, Monique E.; Koerkamp, Marian J. A. Groot; van Leenen, Dik; Grinwis, Guy C. M.; Penning, Louis C.; Wiemer, Erik A. C.; Rutteman, Gerard R.
Abstract
Background: The determination of altered expression of genes in specific tumor types and their effect upon cellular processes may create insight in tumorigenesis and help to design better treatments. The Flatcoated retriever is a dog breed with an exceptionally high incidence of histiocytic sarcomas. The breed develops two distinct entities of histiocytic neoplasia, a soft tissue form and a visceral form. Gene expression studies of these tumors have value for comparable human diseases such as histiocytic/dendritic cell sarcoma for which knowledge is difficult to accrue due to their rare occurrence. In addition, such studies may help in the search for genetic aberrations underlying the genetic predisposition in this dog breed. Methods: Microarray analysis and pathway analyses were performed on fresh-frozen tissues obtained from Flatcoated retrievers with localized, soft tissue histiocytic sarcomas (STHS) and disseminated, visceral histiocytic sarcomas (VHS) and on normal canine spleens from various breeds. Expression differences of nine genes were validated with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses. Results: QPCR analyses identified the significantly altered expression of nine genes; PPBP, SpiC, VCAM1, ENPEP, ITGAD (down-regulated), and GTSF1, Col3a1, CD90 and LUM (up-regulated) in the comparison of both the soft tissue and the visceral form with healthy spleen. DAVID pathway analyses revealed 24 pathways that were significantly involved in the development of HS in general, most of which were involved in the DNA repair and replication process. Conclusions: This study identified altered expression of nine genes not yet implicated in histiocytic sarcoma manifestations in the dog nor in comparable human histiocytic/dendritic sarcomas. Exploration of the downside effect of canine inbreeding strategies for the study of similar sarcomas in humans might also lead to the identification of genes related to these rare malignancies in the human.