Evaluating the Role of Cell-free Fetal DNA in Inflammation and Spontaneous Preterm Birth

AbstractPreterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality. While spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is the cause of over 70% of PTB, the pathogenesis behind sPTB remains unclear. Cell-free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) originates from the placenta and is increased in women who develop PTB. It has been demonstrated that fetal DNA is hypomethylated and is pro-inflammatory. The pro-inflammatory properties of placental-derived DNA, the effects of placental inflammation on the production of cff-DNA, and its significance in the pathogenesis of PTB are unknown.Using a human placental explant model, we analysed the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation on cff-DNA production, and used the cff-DNA generated by these explants to examine the methylation profile and in-vitro pro-inflammatory properties of cff-DNA. LPS caused significant production of TNF-α from placental explants, but did not significantly increase the cff-DNA production. Placental-derived cff-DNA, was found to have a small proportion of unmethylated CpG motifs, but was more similar to adult DNA than to more highly unmethylated E-coli DNA. However, cff-DNA did not elicit production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and CXCL10) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pregnant women. Furthermore, in contrast to LPS, intra-uterine injections of mouse placental DNA did not decrease time to delivery in an in-vivo mouse PTB model compared to control animals.This study demonstrates that placental inflammation does not increase the production of cff-DNA in placental explants, and cff-DNA alone is not sufficient to elicit an inflammatory response in human PBMC cultures ex-vivo. It also shows that mouse placental DNA does not cause PTB in-vivo. This suggests that cff-DNA might be predominantly an effect of parturition and not a principal causative agent.

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Cell-free fetal DNA and spontaneous preterm birth

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/rep-17-0619 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 155 (3) ◽

pp. R137-R145 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Sara R van Boeckel ◽

Donald J Davidson ◽

Jane E Norman ◽

Sarah J Stock

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽

Maternal Circulation ◽

Fetal Dna ◽

Cell Free Fetal Dna ◽

Adult Cell ◽

Adverse Pregnancy ◽

Sting Pathway ◽

Preclinical And Clinical Studies

Inflammation is known to play a key role in preterm and term parturition. Cell-free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) is present in the maternal circulation and increases with gestational age and some pregnancy complications (e.g. preterm birth, preeclampsia). Microbial DNA and adult cell-free DNA can be pro-inflammatory through DNA-sensing mechanisms such as Toll-like receptor 9 and the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway. However, the pro-inflammatory properties of cff-DNA, and the possible effects of this on pregnancy and parturition are unknown. Clinical studies have quantified cff-DNA levels in the maternal circulation in women who deliver preterm and women who deliver at term and show an association between preterm labor and higher cff-DNA levels in the 2nd, 3rd trimester and at onset of preterm birth symptoms. Together with potential pro-inflammatory properties of cff-DNA, this rise suggests a potential mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of spontaneous preterm birth. In this review, we discuss the evidence linking cff-DNA to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, obtained from preclinical and clinical studies.

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588: Can high maternal level of cell-free fetal DNA be used as a predictor for spontaneous preterm birth?

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ◽

10.1016/j.ajog.2015.10.633 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 214 (1) ◽

pp. S315

Author(s):

Zainab Al-Ibraheemi ◽

Dawnette Lewis ◽

Lorien King ◽

Brianne Bimson ◽

Natalie Porat

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽

Fetal Dna ◽

Cell Free Fetal Dna

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Repurposing N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMA), a Pharmaceutical Excipient, as a Prototype Novel Anti-inflammatory Agent for the Prevention and/or Treatment of Preterm Birth

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612824666180130121706 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 989-992 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Samir Gorasiya ◽

Juliet Mushi ◽

Ryan Pekson ◽

Sabesan Yoganathan ◽

Sandra E. Reznik

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

The United States ◽

Occurrence Rate ◽

Pharmaceutical Excipient ◽

Ongoing Work ◽

Exciting Line ◽

Pregnant Mice

Background: Preterm birth (PTB), or birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, accounts for the majority of perinatal morbidity and mortality. As of 2016, PTB has an occurrence rate of 9.6% in the United States and accounts for up to 18 percent of births worldwide. Inflammation has been identified as the most common cause of PTB, but effective pharmacotherapy has yet to be developed to prevent inflammation driven PTB. Our group has discovered that N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), a readily available solvent commonly used as a pharmaceutical excipient, rescues lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced timed pregnant mice from PTB. Methods: We have used in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro approaches to investigate this compound further. Results: Interestingly, we found that DMA suppresses cytokine secretion by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). In ongoing work in this exciting line of investigation, we are currently investigating structural analogs of DMA, some of them novel, to optimize this approach focused on the inflammation associated with PTB. Conclusion: Successful development of pharmacotherapy for the prevention of PTB rests upon the pursuit of multiple strategies to solve this important clinical challenge.

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Interleukin-7-Dependent Production of RANTES That Correlates with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease Progression

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.77.7.4389-4395.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 77 (7) ◽

pp. 4389-4395 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Anuska Llano ◽

Jordi Barretina ◽

Arantxa Gutiérrez ◽

Bonaventura Clotet ◽

José A. Esté

Keyword(s):

Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Disease Progression ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Chemokine Production ◽

Interleukin 7 ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus

ABSTRACT There is a relationship between CD4-T-cell number and circulating interleukin 7 (IL-7) levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals. Here, we show that IL-7 induced a dose-dependent production of CCL3 (MIP-1α), CCL4 (MIP-1β), and CCL5 (RANTES) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), ex vivo tonsil lymphoid tissue of HIV− individuals, and PBMC from HIV+ individuals, suggesting that IL-7 may regulate β-chemokine production in vivo. In a cross-sectional study of HIV+ individuals (n = 130), a weak but significant correlation between IL-7 and RANTES was noted (r = 0.379; P < 0.001). Remarkably, the correlation between IL-7 and RANTES increased to an r value of 0.798 (P < 0.001) if individuals with low CD4 cell counts (<200 cells/μl) were excluded from the analysis. Our results suggest that there is a relationship between IL-7 and the production of RANTES both in vitro and in vivo that is lost in immune-compromised patients (CD4 count of <200 cells/μl) but that could be restored by antiretroviral therapy. Unlike the case for IL-7, high levels of RANTES suggest an intermediate stage of HIV disease progression.

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Combining Immunocytokine and Ex Vivo Activated NK Cells as a Platform for Enhancing Graft-Versus-Tumor Effects Against GD2+ Murine Neuroblastoma

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.668307 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Paul D. Bates ◽

Alexander L. Rakhmilevich ◽

Monica M. Cho ◽

Myriam N. Bouchlaka ◽

Seema L. Rao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Growth ◽

Nk Cells ◽

Nk Cell ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Cell Transplant ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Allogeneic Hsct ◽

Tnf Α

Management for high-risk neuroblastoma (NBL) has included autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and anti-GD2 immunotherapy, but survival remains around 50%. The aim of this study was to determine if allogeneic HSCT could serve as a platform for inducing a graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect against NBL with combination immunocytokine and NK cells in a murine model. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6 (B6) x A/J recipients were transplanted with B6 bone marrow on Day +0. On day +10, allogeneic HSCT recipients were challenged with NXS2, a GD2+ NBL. On days +14-16, mice were treated with the anti-GD2 immunocytokine hu14.18-IL2. In select groups, hu14.18-IL2 was combined with infusions of B6 NK cells activated with IL-15/IL-15Rα and CD137L ex vivo. Allogeneic HSCT alone was insufficient to control NXS2 tumor growth, but the addition of hu14.18-IL2 controlled tumor growth and improved survival. Adoptive transfer of ex vivo CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells with or without hu14.18-IL2 exacerbated lethality. CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells showed enhanced cytotoxicity and produced high levels of TNF-α in vitro, but induced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in vivo. Infusing Perforin-/- CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells had no impact on GVT, whereas TNF-α-/- CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells improved GVT by decreasing peripheral effector cell subsets while preserving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Depletion of Ly49H+ NK cells also improved GVT. Using allogeneic HSCT for NBL is a viable platform for immunocytokines and ex vivo activated NK cell infusions, but must be balanced with induction of CRS. Regulation of TNFα or activating NK subsets may be needed to improve GVT effects.

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Effect of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α on intestinal riboflavin uptake: inhibition mediated via transcriptional mechanism(s)

AJP Cell Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpcell.00295.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 315 (5) ◽

pp. C653-C663 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kasin Yadunandam Anandam ◽

Omar A. Alwan ◽

Veedamali S. Subramanian ◽

Padmanabhan Srinivasan ◽

Rubina Kapadia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Significant Inhibition ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

In Vivo Models ◽

Uptake Inhibition ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Vitro Model ◽

Factor Α

Riboflavin (RF), is essential for normal cellular metabolism/function. Intestinal RF absorption occurs via a specific carrier-mediated process that involves the apical transporter RFVT-3 ( SLC52A3) and the basolateral RFVT-1 (SLC52A1). Previously, we characterized different cellular/molecular aspects of the intestinal RF uptake process, but nothing is known about the effect of proinflammatory cytokines on the uptake event. We addressed this issue using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. First, we determined the level of mRNA expression of the human (h)RFVT-3 and hRFVT-1 in intestinal tissue of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and observed a markedly lower level compared with controls. In the in vitro model, exposing Caco-2 cells to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) led to a significant inhibition in RF uptake, an effect that was abrogated upon knocking down TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1). The inhibition in RF uptake was associated with a significant reduction in the expression of hRFVT-3 and -1 protein and mRNA levels, as well as in the activity of the SLC52A3 and SLC52A1 promoters. The latter effects appear to involve Sp1 and NF-κB sites in these promoters. Similarly, exposure of mouse small intestinal enteroids and wild-type mice to TNF-α led to a significant inhibition in physiological and molecular parameters of intestinal RF uptake. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that exposure of intestinal epithelial cells to TNF-α leads to inhibition in RF uptake and that this effect is mediated, at least in part, via transcriptional mechanism(s). These findings may explain the significantly low RF levels observed in patients with IBD.

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Characterization of the Cellular Reaction to a Collagen-Based Matrix: An In Vivo Histological and Histomorphometrical Analysis

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13122730 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 2730 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Samuel Ebele Udeabor ◽

Carlos Herrera-Vizcaíno ◽

Robert Sader ◽

C. James Kirkpatrick ◽

Sarah Al-Maawi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Test Group ◽

Tissue Reaction ◽

Implantation Site ◽

Control Group ◽

The Matrix ◽

Tissue Reactions ◽

Post Implantation

The permeability and inflammatory tissue reaction to Mucomaix® matrix (MM), a non- cross-linked collagen-based matrix was evaluated in both ex vivo and in vivo settings. Liquid platelet rich fibrin (PRF), a blood concentrate system, was used to assess its capacity to absorb human proteins and interact with blood cells ex vivo. In the in vivo aspect, 12 Wister rats had MM implanted subcutaneously, whereas another 12 rats (control) were sham-operated without biomaterial implantation. On days 3, 15 and 30, explantation was completed (four rats per time-point) to evaluate the tissue reactions to the matrix. Data collected were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey multiple comparisons tests (GraphPad Prism 8). The matrix absorbed the liquid PRF in the ex vivo study. Day 3 post-implantation revealed mild tissue inflammatory reaction with presence of mononuclear cells in the implantation site and on the biomaterial surface (mostly CD68-positive macrophages). The control group at this stage had more mononuclear cells than the test group. From day 15, multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) were seen in the implantation site and the outer third of the matrix with marked increase on day 30 and spread to the matrix core. The presence of these CD68-positive MNGCs was associated with significant matrix vascularization. The matrix degraded significantly over the study period, but its core was still visible as of day 30 post-implantation. The high permeability and fast degradation properties of MM were highlighted.

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Rupintrivir reduces RV-induced TH-2 cytokine IL-4 in precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) of HDM-sensitized mice ex vivo

Respiratory Research ◽

10.1186/s12931-019-1175-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Olga Danov ◽

Lisa Lasswitz ◽

Helena Obernolte ◽

Christina Hesse ◽

Armin Braun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Antiviral Drug ◽

Cytokine Response ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Dust Mite ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Inflammatory Immune Response ◽

Precision Cut Lung Slices

Abstract Background Antiviral drugs such as rupintrivir may have an immune-modulatory effect in experimentally induced allergic asthma with subsequent RV infection. We infected lung slices of house-dust mite (HDM)-sensitized asthmatic mice ex vivo with human rhinovirus (RV) and investigated the effect of the antiviral drug rupintrivir on RV-induced cytokine response in lung tissue of HDM-sensitized mice ex vivo. Methods Mice were sensitized with HDM. Precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) were prepared from HDM-sensitized or non-sensitized mice. Lung slices were infected ex vivo with RV or RV together with rupintrivir. Modulation of immune responses was evaluated by cytokine secretion 48 h post infection. Results In vivo HDM sensitization resulted in a TH-2/TH-17-dominated cytokine response that persisted in PCLS ex vivo. RV infection of PCLS from non-sensitized mice resulted in the induction of an antiviral and pro-inflammatory immune response, as indicated by the secretion of IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1, IP-10, IL-10, and IL-17A. In contrast, PCLS from HDM-sensitized mice showed an attenuated antiviral response, but exaggerated IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 secretion upon infection. Rupintrivir inhibited exaggerated pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and TH-2 cytokine IL-4 in HDM-sensitized mice. Conclusions In summary, this study demonstrates that treatment with rupintrivir influences virus-induced IL-4 and IL-6 cytokine release under experimental conditions ex vivo.

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Characterization of calves exhibiting a novel inheritable TNF-α hyperresponsiveness to endotoxin: associations with increased pathophysiological complications

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.01050.2004 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 98 (6) ◽

pp. 2045-2055 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

T. H. Elsasser ◽

J. W. Blum ◽

S. Kahl

Keyword(s):

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Acute Phase Protein ◽

Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽

Lps Challenge ◽

Genetic Potential ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Related Stress

A subpopulation of calves, herein termed “hyperresponders” (HPR), was identified and defined by the patterns of plasma TNF-α concentrations that developed following two challenges with endotoxin (LPS, 0.8 μg Escherichia coli 055:B5 LPS/kg0.75live body wt) separated by 5 days. The principle characteristic of HPR calves was a failure to develop tolerance to repeated LPS challenge that was evident in the magnitude of the TNF-α concentrations and prolonged severity of pathological sequellae. Whereas calves failing to develop LPS tolerance were identified on the basis of their excessive in vivo plasma TNF-α concentration responses, in vitro TNF-α responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from each calf and challenged with LPS or PMA did not correlate or predict the magnitude of in vivo plasma TNF response of the calf. Intentional breeding to obtain calves from bulls and/or cows documented as HPR resulted in offspring displaying the HPR character when similar progeny calves were tested with LPS in vivo, with extensive controls in place to account for sources of variability in the general TNF-α response to LPS that might compromise interpretation of the data. Feed intake, clinical serology and hematology profiles, and acute-phase protein responses of HPR calves following LPS were significantly different from those of calves displaying tolerance. These results suggest that the pattern of plasma TNF-α changes that evolve from a low-level double LPS challenge effectively reveal the presence of a genetic potential for animals to display excessive or prolonged pathological response to LPS-related stress and compromised prognosis for recovery.

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