4.Viral myocarditis serum exosome-derived miR-320 promotes the apoptosis of mouse cardiomyocytes by inhibiting AKT/mTOR pathway and targeting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 (Pik3r1).
Xin ZHANG ; Xueqin LI ; Liangyu ZHU ; Guoquan YIN ; Yuan ZHANG ; Kun LYU
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2023;39(6):516-525
Objective To investigate the effect of viral myocarditis serum exosomal miR-320 on apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and its mechanism. Methods The model of viral myocarditis mice was established by intraperitoneal injection of Coxsackie virus B3. Serum exosomes were extracted by serum exosome extraction kit and co-cultured with cardiomyocytes. The uptake of exosomes by cardiomyocytes was detected by laser confocal microscopy. Cardiomyocytes were transfected with miR-320 inhibitor or mimic, and the expression level of miR-320 was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used to detect cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate, and the expression levels of B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) and Bcl2-related X protein (BAX) were tested by Western blot analysis. The prediction of miR-320 target genes and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were tested by online database. The relationship between miR-320 and its target gene phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1(Pik3r1) was examined by luciferase reporter gene. The effect of miR-320 on AKT/mTOR pathway protein was detected by Western blot analysis. Results Viral myocarditis serum exosomes promoted cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and increased the level of BAX while the level of Bcl2 was decreased. miR-320 was significantly up-regulated in myocardial tissue of viral myocarditis mice, and both pri-miR-320 and mature of miR-320 were up-regulated greatly in cardiomyocytes. The level of miR-320 in cardiomyocytes treated with viral myocarditis serum exosomes was significantly up-regulated, while transfection of miR-320 inhibitor counteracted miR-320 overexpression and reduced apoptosis rate caused by exosomes. Pik3r1 is the target gene of miR-320, and its overexpression reversed cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by miR-320 up-regulation. The overexpression of miR-320 inhibited AKT/mTOR pathway activation. Conclusion Viral myocarditis serum exosome-derived miR-320 promotes apoptosis of mouse cardiomyocytes by inhibiting AKT/mTOR pathway by targeting Pik3r1.
Mice
;
Animals
;
Myocytes, Cardiac
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Myocarditis/pathology*
;
Exosomes/metabolism*
;
bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*
;
MicroRNAs/metabolism*
;
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
;
Apoptosis/genetics*
6.Current insights into Covid-19 vaccination
Journal of Medicine University of Santo Tomas 2023;7(2):1252-1258
Almost a year after the worldwide appearance of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), several novel vaccines of diverse platforms have been successfully developed and administered. Two mRNA vaccines represented a new type of vaccine that comprised of synthetic mRNA molecules containing the code sequence necessary to build the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. These mRNA vaccines almost single handedly carried the brunt of the US COVID-19 immunization strategy during the past three years. The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks and adverse complications. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated unprecedented research on aspects of the vaccines’ ability to reduce the risk of severe infection and death. Likewise, basic immunological studies are pivotal to unraveling the potential and long-term effects of the vaccines as well as to be able to make adjustments to new vaccine development. As the circulating virus strain continues to evolve, updated vaccines will be critical to protecting the population, particularly the elderly and immune compromised.
COVID-19
;
Vaccination
;
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
;
Myocarditis
7.Analysis of clinical phenotype and variant of RAG1 gene in a child with B-cell-negative Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.
Juan HUANG ; Xiaofeng GUO ; Wei JI
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2023;40(2):238-241
OBJECTIVE:
To report on a child with B-cell-negative severe combined immunodeficiency (B-SCID) manifesting as fulminant myocarditis and carry out genetic testing for her.
METHODS:
A child with B-SCID who presented at Fujian Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital on January 31, 2021 was selected as the subject. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for her. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing.
RESULTS:
The female infant had developed recurrent skin and lung infections soon after birth, and was admitted due to fulminant myocarditis. Serological examination has disclosed a remarkable reduction in immunoglobulins. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that her peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes and NK cells were significantly reduced. Whole exome sequencing revealed that she has harbored a homozygous c.C3007T (p.Q1003X) nonsense variant of the RAG1 gene, for which both of her parents were heterozygous carriers. The variant has not been recorded in normal population databases. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variant was predicted to be pathogenic.
CONCLUSION
A case of RAG1 gene associated B-SCID has been diagnosed. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of RAG1 gene variants and enabled early diagnosis and intervention of the disease.
Female
;
Humans
;
Pregnancy
;
Genetic Testing
;
Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*
;
Mutation
;
Myocarditis/genetics*
;
Phenotype
;
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/diagnosis*
;
Infant
8.A review of COVID-19 vaccination and the reported cardiac manifestations.
Jamie Sin Ying HO ; Ching-Hui SIA ; Jinghao Nicholas NGIAM ; Poay Huan LOH ; Nicholas Wen Sheng CHEW ; William Kok-Fai KONG ; Kian-Keong POH
Singapore medical journal 2023;64(9):543-549
In Singapore, 9.03 million doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been administered, and 4.46 million people are fully vaccinated. An additional 87,000 people have been vaccinated with vaccines in World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing. The aim of this review is to explore the reported cardiac adverse events associated with different types of COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 42 studies that reported cardiac side effects after COVID-19 vaccination were included in this study. Reported COVID-19 vaccine-associated cardiac adverse events were mainly myocarditis and pericarditis, most commonly seen in adolescent and young adult male individuals after mRNA vaccination. Reports of other events such as acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and stress cardiomyopathy were rare. Outcomes of post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis were good. Given the good vaccine efficacy and the high number of cases of infection, hospitalisation and death that could potentially be prevented, COVID-19 vaccine remains of overall benefit, based on the current available data.
Adolescent
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Young Adult
;
COVID-19/prevention & control*
;
COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects*
;
Myocarditis/etiology*
;
Pericarditis
;
RNA, Messenger
;
Vaccination/adverse effects*
10.Clinical features of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myositis in patients with urological cancer.
Yi Cen YING ; Qi TANG ; Kai Wei YANG ; Yue MI ; Yu FAN ; Wei YU ; Yi SONG ; Zhi Song HE ; Li Qun ZHOU ; Xue Song LI
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2022;54(4):644-651
OBJECTIVE:
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have significantly improved the treatment efficacy of a variety of malignant tumors. However, patients may experience a series of special side effects during treatments with ICI. Immune-related myositis after ICI treatment is characterized by autoimmune rheumatic and musculoskeletal damage, which is relatively rare. To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ICI-associated myositis in urological tumors, we summarized the clinical manifestations, electrophysiological and pathological characteristics, treatments and outcomes in 8 patients.
METHODS:
The clinical data of the 8 patients with immune-related myositis after ICI treatment for urological tumors treated in the Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital from March 2018 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for demographic characteristics, drug regimen, clinical symptoms, laboratory indices, electromyography examination, pathological manifestations and outcomes.
RESULTS:
The eight patients included 2 females and 6 males with a median age of 68 years, all treated with ICI for urological neoplasms, including 2 upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), 3 renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and 3 bladder cancer (BCa). The median time between the first ICI treatment and the detection of immune-related myositis was 39.5 days, and the median duration of treatment was 2 sessions. The main symptoms were muscle pain and weakness, 5 cases with ptosis, 3 cases with secondary rhabdomyolysis, 5 cases with myocarditis, 1 case with myasthenia gravis, and 1 case with enterocolitis. Among them, patients with immune-related myocarditis had a shorter interval from the first anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy to the onset of immune-related myositis (P=0.042) compared with patients without myocarditis. The 8 patients had significant elevation of transaminases and muscle enzyme profile indexes, and 5 patients showed positive auto-antibodies. 3 patients had perfected muscle biopsies and showed typical skeletal muscle inflammatory myopathy-like pathological changes with CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD20+ lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophage infiltration. After the diagnosis of immune-related myositis, all the 8 patients immediately discontinued ICI therapy and improved after intravenous administration of methylprednisolone alone or in combination with gamma-globulin.
CONCLUSION
Immune-related myositis after ICI treatment is an immune-related adverse reactions (irAEs) with unique clinical and pathological features, commonly combined with cardiovascular adverse reactions. Immediate discontinuation of ICI and initiation of glucocorticoid therapy may improve the patient's condition in a timely manner.
Aged
;
Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/adverse effects*
;
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects*
;
Kidney Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Male
;
Myocarditis/drug therapy*
;
Myositis/pathology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms


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