scholarly journals Neutrophil-mediated oxidative stress and albumin structural damage predict COVID-19-associated mortality

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A Badawy ◽  
Basma A Yasseen ◽  
Riem M El-Messiery ◽  
Engy A Abdel-Rahman ◽  
Aya A Elkhodiry ◽  
...  

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the frontline antioxidant protein in blood with established anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation functions. Here we report that COVID-19-induced oxidative stress inflicts structural damages to HSA and is linked with mortality outcome in critically ill patients. We recruited 39 patients who were followed up for a median of 12.5 days (1-35 days), among them 23 had died. Analyzing blood samples from patients and healthy individuals (n=11), we provide evidence that neutrophils are major sources of oxidative stress in blood and that hydrogen peroxide is highly accumulated in plasmas of non-survivors. We then analyzed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of spin labelled fatty acids (SLFA) bound with HSA in whole blood of control, survivor, and non-survivor subjects (n=10-11). Non-survivor' HSA showed dramatically reduced protein packing order parameter, faster SLFA correlational rotational time, and smaller S/W ratio (strong-binding/weak-binding sites within HSA), all reflecting remarkably fluid protein microenvironments. Following loading/unloading of 16-DSA we show that transport function of HSA maybe impaired in severe patients. Stratified at the means, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that lower values of S/W ratio and accumulated H2O2 in plasma significantly predicted in-hospital mortality (S/W≤0.15, 81.8% (18/22) vs. S/W>0.15, 18.2% (4/22), p=0.023; plasma [H2O2]>8.6 mM, 65.2% (15/23) vs. 34.8% (8/23), p=0.043). When we combined these two parameters as the ratio ((S/W)/[H2O2]) to derive a risk score, the resultant risk score lower than the mean (< 0.019) predicted mortality with high fidelity (95.5% (21/22) vs. 4.5% (1/22), logrank c2 = 12.1, p=4.9x10-4). The derived parameters may provide a surrogate marker to assess new candidates for COVID-19 treatments targeting HSA replacements and/or oxidative stress.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A Badawi ◽  
Basma A Yasseen ◽  
Riem M El-Messiery ◽  
Engy A Abdel-Rahman ◽  
Aya A Elkhodiry ◽  
...  

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the frontline antioxidant protein in blood with established anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation functions. Here we report that COVID-19-induced oxidative stress inflicts structural damages to HSA and is linked with mortality outcome in critically ill patients. We recruited 25 patients who were followed up for a median of 12.5 days (1-35 days), among them 14 had died. Analyzing blood samples from patients and healthy individuals (n=10), we provide evidence that neutrophils are major sources of oxidative stress in blood and that hydrogen peroxide is highly accumulated in plasmas of non-survivors. We then analyzed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of spin labelled fatty acids (SLFA) bound with HSA in whole blood of control, survivor, and non-survivor subjects (n=10-11). Non-survivors HSA showed dramatically reduced protein packing order parameter, faster SLFA correlational rotational time, and greater S/W ratio (strong-binding/weak-binding sites within HSA), all reflecting remarkably fluid protein microenvironments. Stratified at the means, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that lower values of S/W ratio and accumulated H2O2 in plasma significantly predicted in-hospital mortality (S/W<0.16, 80% (9/12) vs. S/W>0.16, 20% (2/10), p=0.008; plasma [H2O2]>7.1 μM, 83.3% (5/6) vs. 16.7% (1/6), p=0.049). When we combined these two parameters as the ratio ((S/W)/[H2O2]) to derive a risk score, the resultant risk score lower than the mean (< 0.0253) predicted mortality with 100% accuracy (100% (6/6) vs. 0% (0/6), logrank χ2 = 12.01, p = 5x10-4). The derived parameters may provide a surrogate marker to assess new candidates for COVID-19 treatments targeting HSA replacements.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (2) ◽  
pp. F861-F867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melvin R. Hayden ◽  
Nazif A. Chowdhury ◽  
Shawna A. Cooper ◽  
Adam Whaley-Connell ◽  
Javad Habibi ◽  
...  

TG(mRen2)27 (Ren2) transgenic rats overexpress the mouse renin gene, with subsequent elevated tissue ANG II, hypertension, and nephropathy. The proximal tubule cell (PTC) is responsible for the reabsorption of 5–8 g of glomerular filtered albumin each day. Excess filtered albumin may contribute to PTC damage and tubulointerstitial disease. This investigation examined the role of ANG II-induced oxidative stress in PTC structural remodeling: whether such changes could be modified with in vivo treatment with ANG type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockade (valsartan) or SOD/catalase mimetic (tempol). Male Ren2 (6–7 wk old) and age-matched Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with valsartan (30 mg/kg), tempol (1 mmol/l), or placebo for 3 wk. Systolic blood pressure, albuminuria, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase, and kidney tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured, and ×60,000 transmission electron microscopy images were used to assess PTC microvilli structure. There were significant differences in systolic blood pressure, albuminuria, lipid peroxidation (MDA and nitrotyrosine staining), and PTC structure in Ren2 vs. Sprague-Dawley rats (each P < 0.05). Increased mean diameter of PTC microvilli in the placebo-treated Ren2 rats ( P < 0.05) correlated strongly with albuminuria ( r2 = 0.83) and moderately with MDA ( r2 = 0.49), and there was an increase in the ratio of abnormal forms of microvilli in placebo-treated Ren2 rats compared with Sprague-Dawley control rats ( P < 0.05). AT1R blockade, but not tempol treatment, abrogated albuminuria and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase; both therapies corrected abnormalities in oxidative stress and PTC microvilli remodeling. These data indicate that PTC structural damage in the Ren2 rat is related to the oxidative stress response to ANG II and/or albuminuria.


Author(s):  
Minling Liu ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Shan Huang ◽  
Xiaofen Pan ◽  
Huiru Dai ◽  
...  

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new prognostic or therapeutic biomarkers for TNBC. Objective: To explore the prognostic and therapeutic values of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in TNBC. Methods: Overall, 157 TNBC patients’ data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and the ARGs were acquired from the Human Autophagy Database. Differentially expressed ARGs (DEGs) between tumor and normal tissues were identified and the prognostic ARGs were developed using R software. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were both used to evaluate the accuracy of the signature. Patents about prognostic ARGs were reviewed through Worldwide Espacenet® and Patentscope®. Results: We obtained 28 DEGs and two prognostic ARGs (EIF4EBP1 and PARP1). The Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that the survival rate of patients with low 2-ARG signature risk score was significantly higher than that of patients with high risk score (P=0.003). ROC at 5 years indicated that the signature had good prognostic accuracy (AUC=0.929). The signature was independent of T, N, M, and TNM stage (P<0.05). Patent review suggested that many mTOR inhibitors alone or in combination with another anticancer agent have been provided for treatment of many cancers and shown promising results. No drug patents about PARP1 overexpression were disclosed. Conclusion: We developed a 2-ARG signature (EIF4EBP1 and PARP1) which was an independent prognostic biomarker for TNBC. As EIF4EBP1 was upregulated in TNBC, mTOR inhibitors which blocked the mTOR/4EBP1/eIF4E pathway may be a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8572-8572
Author(s):  
Cristian Barrera ◽  
Mohammadhadi Khorrami ◽  
Prantesh Jain ◽  
Pingfu Fu ◽  
Kate Butler ◽  
...  

8572 Background: Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy with a rapid growth, and Chemotherapy remains mainstay of treatment. Identifying therapeutic targets in SCLC presents a challenge, partially due to a lack of accurate and consistently predictive biomarkers. In this study we sought to evaluate the utility of a combination of computer-extracted radiographic and pathology features from pretreatment baseline CT and H&E biopsy images to predict sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy and overall survival (OS) in SCLC. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with extensive and limited-stage SCLC who received platinum-doublet chemotherapy were selected. Objective response to chemotherapy (RECIST criteria) and overall survival (OS) as clinical endpoints were available for 51 and 78 patients respectively. The patients were divided randomly into two sets (Training (Sd), Validation (Sv)) with a constraint (equal number of responders and nonresponders in Sd)—Sd comprised twenty-one patients with SCLC. Sv included thirty patients. CT scans and digitized Hematoxylin Eosin-stained (H&E) biopsy images were acquired for each patient. A set of CT derived (46%) and tissue derived (53%) image features were captured. These included shape and textural patterns of the tumoral and peritumoral regions from CT scans and of tumor regions on H&E images. A random forest feature selection and linear regression model were used to identify the most predictive CT and H&E derived image features associated with chemotherapy response from Sd. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used with these features to compute a risk score for each patients in Sd. Patients in Sv were stratified into high and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the prognostic ability of the risk score on Sv. Results: The risk score comprised nine CT (intra and peri-tumoral texture) and six H&E derived (cancer cell texture and shape) features. A linear regression model in conjunction with these 15 features was significantly associated with chemo-sensitivity in Sv (AUC = 0.76, PRC = 0.81). A multivariable model with these 15 features was significantly associated with OS in Sv (HR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3-4.9, P = 0.0043). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly reduced OS in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group. Conclusions: A combined CT and H&E tissue derived image signature model predicted response to chemotherapy and improved OS in SCLC patients. Image features from baseline CT scans and H&E tissue slide images may help in better risk stratification of SCLC patients. Additional independent validation of these quantitative image-based biomarkers is warranted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 243 (17-18) ◽  
pp. 1331-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Yang Liu ◽  
Li-Fu Li

Mechanical ventilation is an essential intervention for intensive care unit patients with acute lung injury. However, the use of controlled mechanical ventilation in both animal and human models causes ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction, wherein a substantial reduction in diaphragmatic force-generating capacity occurs, along with structural injury and atrophy of diaphragm muscle fibers. Although diaphragm dysfunction, noted in most mechanically ventilated patients, is correlated with poor clinical outcome, the specific pathophysiology underlying ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction requires further elucidation. Numerous factors may underlie this condition in humans as well as animals, such as increased oxidative stress, calcium-activated calpain and caspase-3, the ubiquitin–proteasome system, autophagy–lysosomal pathway, and proapoptotic proteins. All these alter protein synthesis and degradation, thus resulting in muscle atrophy and impaired contractility and compromising oxidative phosphorylation and upregulating glycolysis associated with impaired mitochondrial function. Furthermore, infection combined with mechanical stretch may induce multisystem organ failure and render the diaphragm more sensitive to ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Herein, several major cellular mechanisms associated with autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial biogenesis—including toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor-κB, Src, class O of forkhead box, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and Janus kinase—are reviewed. In addition, we discuss the potential therapeutic strategies used to ameliorate ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction and thus prevent delay in the management of patients under prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation. Impact statement Mechanical ventilation (MV) is life-saving for patients with acute respiratory failure but also causes difficult liberation of patients from ventilator due to rapid decrease of diaphragm muscle endurance and strength, which is termed ventilator-induced diaphragmatic damage (VIDD). Numerous studies have revealed that VIDD could increase extubation failure, ICU stay, ICU mortality, and healthcare expenditures. However, the mechanisms of VIDD, potentially involving a multistep process including muscle atrophy, oxidative loads, structural damage, and muscle fiber remodeling, are not fully elucidated. Further research is necessary to unravel mechanistic framework for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying VIDD, especially mitochondrial dysfunction and increased mitochondrial oxidative stress, and develop better MV strategies, rehabilitative programs, and pharmacologic agents to translate this knowledge into clinical benefits.


Author(s):  
Rosária Aires ◽  
Ildernandes Vieira-Alves ◽  
Leda Maria Coimbra-Campos ◽  
Marina Ladeira ◽  
Teresa Socarras ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Acute lung injury (ALI) is a critical disorder that has high mortality rates, and pharmacological therapies are so far ineffective. The pathophysiology of ALI involves pulmonary oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Fullerol is a carbon nanocomposite that possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of fullerol and its mechanisms in a model of paraquat-induced ALI. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rats were divided into ALI (paraquat alone), fullerol (paraquat plus fullerol), and control groups. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The myeloperoxidase assay, ELISA, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to determine neutrophils infiltration, cytokines production, and histopathological parameters in lung samples, respectively. The antioxidant effect of fullerol was evaluated in vitro and ex vivo. KEY RESULTS Fullerol (0.01 to 0.3 mg/kg) markedly reduced the severe lung injury and high mortality rates observed in ALI rats. Moreover, fullerol (0.03 mg/kg) inhibited the reactive oxygen species formation and lipid peroxidation seen in lungs from ALI rats, and exhibited a potent concentration-dependent (10 to 10 mg/ml) in vitro antioxidant activity. Importantly, fullerol (0.03 mg/kg) inhibited neutrophils accumulation in bronchoalveolar lavage and lungs, and the increase in pulmonary levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and CINC-1 in ALI rats. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Fullerol treatment was effective in reducing pulmonary damage and ALI-induced mortality, highlighting its therapeutic potential in an ALI condition. Searching for new pharmacological therapies to treat ALI may be desirable especially in view of the new coronavirus disease 2019 that currently plagues the world.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyu Huo ◽  
Yunjin Zang ◽  
Hongjing Dong ◽  
Xiaoqiang Liu ◽  
Fu He ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In recent years, the relationship between tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) and solid tumors has become a research hotspot. The study aims at exploring the close relationship of TAMs with metabolic reprogramming genes in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), in order to provide a new way of treatment for HCC.Materials and methods: The study selected 343 HCC patients with complete survival information(survival time >= 1month) in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as the study objects. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis assisted in figuring out the relationship between macrophage infiltration level and overall survival (OS), and Pearson correlation test to identify metabolic reprogramming genes(MRGs) related to tumor macrophage abundance. Lasso regression algorithm were conducted on prognosis related MRGs screened by Univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to construct the riskscore, another independent cohort (including 228 HCC patients) from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) were used for external validation regarding the prognostic signature.Results: A risk score composed of 8 metabolic genes can accurately predict the OS of training cohort(TCGA) and testing cohort(ICGC). It is important that the risk score could widely used for people with different clinical characteristics, and is an independent predictor independent of other clinical factors affecting prognosis. As expected, high-risk group exhibited an obviously higher macrophage abundance relative to low-risk group, and the risk score presented a positive relation to the expression level of three commonly used immune checkpoints(PD1,PDL1,CTLA4).Conclusion: Our study constructed and validated a novel eight‑gene signature for predicting HCC patients’ OS, which possibly contributed to making clinical treatment decisions.


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