In cervical cancer, an important mechanism by which tumour cells escape immune surveillance is loss of HLA class I, enabling tumours to evade recognition and lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Some tumours, however, escape from immune surveillance without accumulating defects in antigen presentation. We hypothesized that tumours with no or partial loss of HLA class I develop alternative mechanisms to prevent immune surveillance. To investigate this hypothesis, genome-wide expression profiling using Illumina arrays was performed on cervical squamous cell carcinomas showing overall loss of HLA class I, partial and normal HLA class I protein expression. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in gene expression between tumours with partial (n = 11) and normal HLA class I expression (n = 10). Comparison of tumours with normal/partial HLA class I expression (n = 21) with those with overall loss of HLA class I expression (n = 11) identified 150 differentially expressed genes. Most of these genes were involved in the defense response (n = 27), and, in particular, inflammatory and acute phase responses. Especially SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 were found to be upregulated in HLA positive tumours (3.6 and 8.2 fold, respectively), and this was confirmed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. In a group of 117 tumours, high SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 expression in association with normal/partial HLA expression correlated significantly with poor overall survival (p = 0.035 and p = 0.05, respectively). This study shows that HLA positive tumours are characterized by a higher expression of genes associated with an inflammatory profile and that expression of the acute phase proteins SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 in HLA positive tumours is associated with worse prognosis.
Elevated expression of SerpinA1 and SerpinA3 in HLA-positive cervical carcinoma.
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View SamplesHigh VEGFC mRNA expression of AML blasts is related to increased in vitro and in vivo drug resistance. The prognostic significance of VEGFC on long-term outcome and its associated gene expression profiles remain to be defined. We studied the effect of VEGFC on treatment outcome and investigated gene expression profiles associated with VEGFC using microarray data of 525 adult and 100 pediatric AML patients. High VEGFC expression appeared strongly associated with reduced complete remission rate, reduced overall and event-free survival (OS and EFS) in adult AML. Multivariable analysis established high VEGFC as prognostic indicator independent of cytogenetic risk, FLT3-ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, age and WBC. Also in pediatric AML high VEGFC was related to reduced OS. A unique series of differentially expressed genes was identified that distinguished AML with high VEGFC from AML with low VEGFC, i.e., 331 upregulated genes (representative of proliferation, VEGF-receptor activity, signal transduction) and 44 downregulated genes (e.g. related to apoptosis) consistent with a role in enhanced chemoresistance. In conclusion, high VEGFC predicts adverse long-term prognosis and provides prognostic information in addition to well-known prognostic factors.
High VEGFC expression is associated with unique gene expression profiles and predicts adverse prognosis in pediatric and adult acute myeloid leukemia.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesHypoxia is known to regulate tumor-initiating cells and to have an effect on miRNA expression. We were interested in studying the role of hypoxia-induced miR-210 in colorectal cancer patient-derived sphere cultures.
Hypoxia-responsive miR-210 promotes self-renewal capacity of colon tumor-initiating cells by repressing ISCU and by inducing lactate production.
Specimen part
View SamplesOur hypothesis was that at any given point in time, islets will contain differing populations of beta cells at different stages of their lifecycle, with further changes occurring with metabolic stress and aging. We examined subpopulations of beta cells isolated from MIP-GFP mice on the basis of their insulin transcriptional activity and in their expression of p16Ink4a. In addition, using aging C57Bl/6 mice as a model, markers of beta cell aging were identified and validated: Igf1r and Cd99 expression increased with age, whereas Kcnq5 was decreased with age. These markers were correlated with an age-related decline in function. The functional aging of beta cells was accelerated by S961, an antagonist to the insulin receptor, which induced insulin resistance. Particularly surprising was the finding of marked islet heterogeneity as demonstrated with the marked staining differences of the markers: Igf1r, Cd99 and Kcnq5. These novel findings about beta cell and islet heterogeneity, and how they change with age, open up an entirely new set of questions that must be addressed about the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The present study has identified new markers of aging in beta cells and found that the expression of these and other markers can be increased by insulin resistance. This provides insight into how insulin resistance might accelerate the death of beta cells. In addition, striking heterogeneity among islets was found, which opens up new ways to think about islet biology and the pathogenesis of T2D.
β Cell Aging Markers Have Heterogeneous Distribution and Are Induced by Insulin Resistance.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesTranscript dynamics in mitotic exit mutants in the S. cerevisiae BF264-15D strain background. We examined the extent to which periodic cell-cycle transcription persisted in cells arrested in anaphase with intermediate level of B-cyclins.
Reconciling conflicting models for global control of cell-cycle transcription.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesDuring HIV-1 infection, there is a massive perturbation of host gene expression, but as yet, genome-wide studies have not identified host genes affecting HIV-1 replication in lymphatic tissue, the primary site of virus-host interactions. In this study, we isolated RNA from the inguinal lymph nodes of 22 HIV-1-infected individuals and utilized a microarray approach to identify host genes critically important for viral replication in lymphatic tissue by examining gene expression associated with viral load. Strikingly, ~95% of the transcripts (558) in this data set (592 transcripts total) were negatively associated with HIV-1 replication. Genes in this subset (1) inhibit cellular activation/proliferation (ex.: TCFL5, SOCS5 and SCOS7, KLF10), (2) promote heterochromatin formation (ex.: HIC2, CREBZF, ZNF148/ZBP-89), (3) increase collagen synthesis (ex.: PLOD2, POSTN, CRTAP), and (4) reduce cellular transcription and translation. Potential anti-HIV-1 restriction factors were also identified (ex.: NR3C1, HNRNPU, PACT). Only ~5% of the transcripts (34) were positively associated with HIV-1 replication. Paradoxically, nearly all these genes function in innate and adaptive immunity, particularly highlighting a heightened interferon system. The predominance of negative correlations as well as the disconnect between host defenses and viral load point to the importance of genes that regulate target cell activation and genes that code for potentially new restriction factors as determinants of viral load rather than conventional host defenses.
Host genes associated with HIV-1 replication in lymphatic tissue.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Race
View SamplesBackground: ETV6/RUNX1 (E/R) (also known as TEL/AML1) is the most frequent gene fusion in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and also most likely the crucial factor for disease initiation, whereas its role in leukemia propagation and maintenance remains largely elusive. To address this issue we performed a shRNA-mediated knock-down (KD) of the E/R fusion gene and investigated the ensuing consequences on genome-wide gene expression patterns and deducible regulatory functions in two E/R-positive leukemic cell lines. Findings: Microarray analyses identified 777 genes whose expression was substantially altered. Although approximately equal proportions were either up- (KD-UP) or down-regulated (KD-DOWN), the effects on biological processes and pathways differed considerably. The E/R KD-DOWN set was significantly enriched for genes included in the cell activation, immune response, apoptosis, signal transduction and development and differentiation categories, whereas in the E/R KD-UP set only the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and hematopoietic stem cells categories became evident. Comparable expression signatures obtained from primary E/R-positive ALL samples underline the relevance of these pathways and molecular functions. We also validated six differentially expressed genes representing the categories stem cell properties, B-cell differentiation, immune response, cell adhesion and DNA damage with RT-qPCR. Conclusion: The results of our analyses provide the first preliminary evidence that the continuous expression of the E/R fusion gene interferes with regular B-cell development by repressing key functions that are necessary under physiological circumstances. E/R may thus constitute also the essential driving force for the propagation and maintenance of the leukemic process irrespective of potential consequences of associated secondary changes. Finally, these findings may also provide a valuable source of potentially attractive therapeutic targets.
The leukemia-specific fusion gene ETV6/RUNX1 perturbs distinct key biological functions primarily by gene repression.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesDU145 prostate cancer cells were treated with 50 ng/ml FGF19 and 50 ug/ml heparin, or 10 ng/ml TNFalpha, or both
The receptor tyrosine kinase FGFR4 negatively regulates NF-kappaB signaling.
Cell line
View SamplesPrimitive erythropoiesis in the mouse yolk sac is followed by definitive erythropoiesis resulting in adult erythrocytes. In comparison to definitive erythropoiesis little is known about the genes that control the embryonic erythroid program. The purpose of this study was to generate a profile of mouse embryonic yolk sac erythroid cells and identify novel regulatory genes differentially expressed in erythroid compared to non-erythroid (epithelial cells).
Identification of erythroid-enriched gene expression in the mouse embryonic yolk sac using microdissected cells.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesUntreated HIV-1 infection progresses through acute and asymptomatic stages to AIDS. While each of the three stages has well-known clinical, virologic and immunological characteristics, much less is known of the molecular mechanisms underlying each stage. Here we report lymphatic tissue microarray analyses revealing for the first time stage-specific patterns of gene expression during HIV-1 infection. We show that while there is a common set of key genes with altered expression throughout all stages, each stage has a unique gene-expression signature. The acute stage is most notably characterized by increased expression of hundreds of genes involved in immune activation, innate immune defenses (e.g.MDA-5, TLR-7 and -8, PKR, APOBEC3B, 3F, 3G), adaptive immunity, and in the pro-apoptotic Fas-Fas-L pathway. Yet, quite strikingly, the expression of nearly all acute-stage genes return to baseline levels in the asymptomatic stage, accompanying partial control of infection. In the AIDS stage, decreased expression of numerous genes involved in T cell signaling identifies genes contributing to T cell dysfunction. These common and stage-specific, gene-expression signatures provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the host response and the slow, natural course of HIV-1 infection.
Microarray analysis of lymphatic tissue reveals stage-specific, gene expression signatures in HIV-1 infection.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage, Race, Subject
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