Blood Cells Molecules and Diseases最新文献

Genome-wide analysis of transcription factors and epigenomic features is instrumental to shed light on DNA-templated regulatory processes such as transcription, cellular differentiation or to monitor cellular responses to environmental cues. Two decades of technological developments have led to a rich set of approaches progressively pushing the limits of epigenetic profiling towards single cells. More recently, disruptive technologies using innovative biochemistry came into play. Assays such as CUT&RUN, CUT&Tag and variations thereof show considerable potential to survey multiple TFs or histone modifications in parallel from a single experiment and in native conditions. These are in the path to become the dominant assays for genome-wide analysis of TFs and chromatin modifications in bulk, single-cell, and spatial genomic applications. The principles together with pros and cons are discussed.

Nineteen reports of 41 cases of acquired red cell elliptocytosis associated with a chronic myeloid neoplasm are described. Although the majority of cases have an abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 20, del(q20), several cases do not. Moreover, in one case a specific qualitative abnormality of red cell protein band 4.1(4.1R) was reported; however, several subsequent cases could find no abnormality of a red cell membrane protein or found a different abnormality, usually quantitative. Thus, this striking red cell phenotypic feature, acquired elliptocytosis, seen in myelodysplastic syndrome and other chronic myeloproliferative diseases, closely simulating the red cell phenotype of hereditary elliptocytosis, has an unexplained genetic basis, presumably as the result of an acquired mutation(s) in some chronic myeloid neoplasms.

Iron is an essential nutrient for microbes, plants and animals. Multicellular organisms have evolved multiple strategies to control invading microbes by restricting microbial access to iron. Hypoferremia of inflammation is a rapidly-acting organismal response that prevents the formation of iron species that would be readily accessible to microbes. This review takes an evolutionary perspective to explore the mechanisms and host defense function of hypoferremia of inflammation and its clinical implications.

The root cause of sickle cell disease (SCD) has been known for nearly a century, however, few therapies to treat the disease are available. Over several decades of work, with advances in gene editing technology and after several iterations of mice with differing genotype/phenotype relationships, researchers have developed humanized SCD mouse models. However, while a large body of preclinical studies has led to huge gains in basic science knowledge about SCD in mice, this knowledge has not led to the development of effective therapies to treat SCD-related complications in humans, thus leading to frustration with the paucity of translational progress in the SCD field. The use of mouse models to study human diseases is based on the genetic and phenotypic similarities between mouse and humans (face validity). The Berkeley and Townes SCD mice express only human globin chains and no mouse hemoglobin. With this genetic composition, these models present many phenotypic similarities, but also significant discrepancies that should be considered when interpreting preclinical studies results. Reviewing genetic and phenotypic similarities and discrepancies and examining studies that have translated to humans and those that have not, offer a better perspective of construct, face, and predictive validities of humanized SCD mouse models.

The study aimed to identify essential phenotype-modulating factors among the pre-existence of several important ones and clarify their measurable impact on the clinical severity of hemoglobin (Hb) E/β-thalassemia in a community-recruited population analysis. This prospective study was designed to compare modifiers between community- (less or no symptoms) and hospital-recruited individuals with Hb E/β-thalassemia. The formerly included couples previously assessed for prenatal thalassemia at-risk status at 42 community and 7 referral hospitals in Thailand through on-site investigations between June 2020 and December 2021. The control included Hb E/β-thalassemia patients undergoing transfusions. The Mahidol score classified disease severity. Beta-globin, α⁰-thalassemia (-^SEA, -^THAI), α⁺-thalassemia (-α^3.7, -α^4.2), Hb Constant Spring (α^CS) alleles, rs766432 in BCL11A, rs9399137 in HBS1L-MYB, and rs7482144-XmnI were evaluated. Modifiers were compared between 102 community- and 104 hospital-recruited cases. Alleles of β⁺, -^SEA, -α^3.7, α^CS, and a minor allele of rs9399137 were prevalent in the community and mild severity groups (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis associated modulating alleles with −4.299 (-^SEA), −3.654 (β⁺), −3.065 (rs9399137, C/C), −2.888 (α^CS), −2.623 (‐α^3.7), −2.361 (rs7482144, A/A), −1.258 (rs9399137, C/T), and −1.174 (rs7482144, A/G) severity score reductions (p < 0.05). Certain modifiers must be considered in routine prenatal genetic counseling for Hb E/β-thalassemia.

Inherited deletions of upstream regulatory elements of α-globin genes give rise to α-thalassemia, which is an autosomal recessive monogenic disease. However, conventional thalassemia target diagnosis often fails to identify these rare deletions. Here we reported a family with two previous pregnancies of Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis and was seeking for prenatal diagnosis during the third pregnancy. Both parents had low level of Hemoglobin A2 indicating α-thalassemia. Conventional Gap-PCR and PCR-reverse dot blot showed the father carried –^SEA deletion but did not identify any variants in the mother. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification identified a deletion containing two HS-40 probes but could not determine the exact region. Finally, a long-read sequencing (LRS)-based approach directly identified that the exact deletion region was chr16: 48,642-132,584, which was located in the α-globin upstream regulatory elements and named (αα)^JM after the Jiangmen city. Gap-PCR and Sanger sequencing confirmed the breakpoint. Both the mother and fetus from the third pregnancy carried heterozygous (αα)^JM, and the fetus was normally delivered at gestational age of 39 weeks. This study demonstrated that LRS technology had great advantages over conventional target diagnosis methods for identifying rare thalassemia variants and assisted better carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia.

β-Thalassemia is a genetic form of anemia due to mutations in the β-globin gene, that leads to ineffective and extramedullary erythropoiesis, abnormal red blood cells and secondary iron-overload. The severity of the disease ranges from mild to lethal anemia based on the residual levels of globins production. Despite being a monogenic disorder, the pathophysiology of β-thalassemia is multifactorial, with different players contributing to the severity of anemia and secondary complications. As a result, the identification of effective therapeutic strategies is complex, and the treatment of patients is still suboptimal. For these reasons, several models have been developed in the last decades to provide experimental tools for the study of the disease, including erythroid cell lines, cultures of primary erythroid cells and transgenic animals. Years of research enabled the optimization of these models and led to decipher the mechanisms responsible for globins deregulation and ineffective erythropoiesis in thalassemia, to unravel the role of iron homeostasis in the disease and to identify and validate novel therapeutic targets and agents. Examples of successful outcomes of these analyses include iron restricting agents, currently tested in the clinics, several gene therapy vectors, one of which was recently approved for the treatment of most severe patients, and a promising gene editing strategy, that has been shown to be effective in a clinical trial. This review provides an overview of the available models, discusses pros and cons, and the key findings obtained from their study.

The genetic regulation of hemoglobin is complex and there are a number of genetic abnormalities that result in clinically important hemoglobin disorders. Here, we review the molecular pathophysiology of hemoglobin disorders and review both old and new methods of diagnosing these disorders. Timely diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies in infants is essential to coordinate optimal life-saving interventions, and accurate identification of carriers of deleterious mutations allows for genetic counseling and informed family planning. The initial laboratory workup of inherited disorders of hemoglobin should include a complete blood count (CBC) and peripheral blood smear, followed by carefully selected tests based on clinical suspicion and available methodology. We discuss the utility and limitations of the various methodologies to fractionate hemoglobin, including cellulose acetate and citrate agar hemoglobin electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatography, and capillary zone electrophoresis. Recognizing that most of the global burden of hemoglobin disorders exists in low- and middle-income countries, we review the increasingly available array of point-of-care-tests (POCT), which have an increasingly important role in expanding early diagnosis programs to address the global burden of sickle cell disease, including Sickle SCAN, HemoTypeSC, Gazelle Hb Variant, and Smart LifeLC. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of hemoglobin and the globin genes, as well as a clear understanding of the utility and limitations of currently available diagnostic tests, is essential in reducing global disease burden.

Background

Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common autosomal recessive lipid storage disease. In this study, the changes in TFH cells and IL-4 and IL-21 cytokines in blood samples of GD patients, carriers and healthy volunteers were investigated.

Methods

Two pretreatment type 1 GD patients, 20 currently treated type 1 GD patients, 6 carriers, and 27 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. TFH cell (CD45RA⁻CD4⁺CXCR5⁺) number, phenotype (PD1, ICOS expression), and cytokine production (IL-21, IL-4) were assessed via flow cytometric assays.

Results

No significant differences were found between the groups with respect to the number, frequency and PD1 or ICOS expression of TFH cells between healthy controls, patients and carriers. However, IL-4⁺ TFH cells were significantly reduced both in percent and number in the treated GD patients compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the IL-21⁺ TFH cell number was increased in treated GD patients. When TFH cells were examined based on CXCR3 expression, the frequency of the PD1⁺Th17-Th2-like fraction (CXCR3⁻) was found to be significantly increased in treated GD patients.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess TFH cells in GD patients, and to show that the production of IL-4 and IL-21 by TFH cells and their subsets may be altered in type 1 GD patients.