Derangement of cell cycle markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asthmatic patients as a reliable biomarker for asthma control

Abstract

In asthma, most of the identified biomarkers pertain to the Th2 phenotype and no known biomarkers have been verified for severe asthmatics. Therefore, identifying biomarkers using the integrative phenotype-genotype approach in severe asthma is needed. The study aims to identify novel biomarkers as genes or pathways representing the core drivers in asthma development, progression to the severe form, resistance to therapy, and tissue remodeling regardless of the sample cells or tissues examined. Comprehensive reanalysis of publicly available transcriptomic data that later was validated in vitro, and locally recruited patients were used to decipher the molecular basis of asthma. Our in-silicoanalysis revealed a total of 10 genes (GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, KRT8, TOP2A, SERPINE1, ANLN, MKI67, NEK2, and RRM2) related to cell cycle and proliferation to be deranged in the severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium and fibroblasts compared to their healthy counterparts. In vitro, RT qPCR results showed that (SERPINE1 and RRM2) were upregulated in severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium and fibroblasts, (SFN, ABCA1, TOP2A, SERPINE1, MKI67, and NEK2) were upregulated in asthmatic bronchial epithelium while (GPRC5A and KRT8) were upregulated only in asthmatic bronchial fibroblasts. Furthermore, MKI76, RRM2, and TOP2A were upregulated in Th2 high epithelium while GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1 were upregulated in the blood of asthmatic patients. SFN, ABCA1 were higher, while MKI67 was lower in severe asthmatic with wheeze compared to nonasthmatics with wheezes. SERPINE1 and GPRC5A were downregulated in the blood of eosinophilic asthmatics, while RRM2 was upregulated in an acute attack of asthma. Validation of the gene expression in PBMC of locally recruited asthma patients showed that SERPINE1, GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, MKI67, and RRM2 were downregulated in severe uncontrolled asthma. We have identified a set of biologically crucial genes to the homeostasis of the lung and in asthma development and progression. This study can help us further understand the complex interplay between the transcriptomic data and the external factors which may deviate our understanding of asthma heterogeneity.

Identification of key genes and pathways between mild-moderate and severe asthmatics via bioinformatics analysis

“…Identification of novel biomarkers can contribute to the patient classification, therapy response, and clinical outcome prediction 21 . In asthma, most identified biomarkers are limited to the Th2 phenotype, and no effective biomarkers have been verified for severe asthma 22 . Blood samples serve as an alternative to the challenging and costly approach of obtaining airways samples in severe asthma 23 .…”

Identification of Hub Genes and Potential Biomarkers for Childhood Asthma by Utilizing an Established Bioinformatic Analysis Approach

“…The discovery of new biomarkers aid in the categorization of patients, therapeutic response, and clinical outcome prediction [ 36 ]. Most biomarkers for asthma are confined to the Th2 phenotype, and no useful biomarkers for severe asthma have been confirmed in both children and adults [ 37 ]. Our work identified ten potential biomarkers in childhood asthma, including IL6 , IL4 , IL2 , IL13 , PTPRC , IL5 , IL33 , TBX21 , IL2RA , and STAT6 .…”

Multi-Omics Profiling Approach to Asthma: An Evolving Paradigm

“…Upregulation of chemotaxis, migration, and myeloid cell trafficking and downregulation of B-lymphocyte development, hematopoietic progenitor cells, and lymphoid organ hypoplasia were observed in patients with severe asthma [63]. Hachin et al studied the blood transcriptome and found that genes GPRC5A, SFN, and ABCA1 were upregulated while genes SERPINE1, GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, MKI67, and RRM2 were downregulated in PBMCs from patients with severe uncontrolled asthma [64].…”

“…Hachim et al identified total of 10 genes (GPRC5A, SFN, ABCA1, KRT8, TOP2A, SER-PINE1, ANLN, MKI67, NEK2, and RRM2) related to cell cycle and proliferation to be disturbed in the severe asthmatic bronchial epithelium and fibroblasts [64]. However, their study revealed that gene regulation varied across different tissues and asthma subtypes.…”