👤 Camille Corre

The gradual deterioration of articular cartilage was thought to be the central event in osteoarthritis (OA), but recent studies demonstrated the importance of low-grade synovitis in the progression of OA. The Syndecan (SDC) family of membrane proteoglycans is known to be involved in the regulation of inflammation, but there is limited evidence considering the role of syndecans in OA synovitis. Our study aimed to investigate the hip OA synovial membrane expression patterns of SDC1, SDC2 and SDC4, as well as exostosins and sulfotransferases (enzymes involved in the polymerisation and modification of syndecans' heparan sulphate chains). Synovial membrane samples of patients with OA (24) were divided into two groups according to their Krenn synovitis score severity. The immunohistochemical expressions of SDC1, SDC2, SDC4, EXT1, EXT2, NDST1 and NDST2 in synovial intima and subintima were then analysed and compared with the control group (patients with femoral neck fracture). According to our study, the immunoexpression of SDC1, NDST1 and EXT2 is significantly increased in the intimal cells of OA synovial membrane in patients with lower histological synovitis scores and SDC4 in patients with higher synovitis scores, in comparison with non-OA controls. The difference in the expression of SDC2 among the OA and non-OA groups was insignificant. SDC1, SDC4, NDST1 and EXT2 seem to be involved as inflammation moderators in low-grade OA synovitis and, therefore, should be further investigated as potential markers of disease progression and therapeutic goals. Show less

Over the past 20 years, diagnostic testing for genetic diseases has evolved, leading to variable diagnostic certainty for individuals included in long-term natural history studies. Using genotype and phenotype data from an ongoing natural history study of CLN3 disease, we developed a hierarchical diagnostic confidence scheme with three major classes: Definite, Probable, or Possible CLN3 disease. An additional level, CLN3 Disease PLUS, includes individuals with CLN3 disease plus an additional disorder with a separate etiology that substantially affects the phenotype. Within the Definite and Probable CLN3 disease classes, we further divided individuals into subclasses based on phenotype. After assigning participants to classes, we performed a blinded reclassification to assess the reliability of this scheme. A total of 134 individuals with suspected CLN3 disease were classified: 100 as Definite, 21 as Probable, and 7 as Possible. Six individuals were classified as CLN3-PLUS. Phenotypes included the classical juvenile-onset syndromic phenotype, a "vision loss only" phenotype, and an atypical syndromic phenotype. Some individuals were too young to fully classify phenotype. Test-retest reliability showed 96% agreement. We created a reliable diagnostic confidence scheme for CLN3 disease that has excellent face validity. This scheme has implications for clinical research in CLN3 and other rare genetic neurodegenerative disorders. Show less

Environmental pollution is increasingly considered an important factor involved in the obesity incidence. Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are important actors in the concept of DOHaD (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease), where epigenetic mechanisms play crucial roles. Bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer used in the manufacture of plastics and resins is one of the most studied obesogenic endocrine disruptor. Bisphenol S (BPS), a BPA substitute, has the same obesogenic properties, acting at low doses with a sex-specific effect following perinatal exposure. Since the liver is a major organ in regulating body lipid homeostasis, we investigated gene expression and DNA methylation under low-dose BPS exposure. The BPS obesogenic effect was associated with an increase of hepatic triglyceride content. These physiological disturbances were accompanied by genome-wide changes in gene expression (1366 genes significantly modified more than 1.5-fold). Gene ontology analysis revealed alteration of gene cascades involved in protein translation and complement regulation. It was associated with hepatic DNA hypomethylation in autosomes and hypermethylation in sex chromosomes. Although no systematic correlation has been found between gene repression and hypermethylation, several genes related to liver metabolism were either hypermethylated (Acsl4, Gpr40, Cel, Pparδ, Abca6, Ces3a, Sgms2) or hypomethylated (Soga1, Gpihbp1, Nr1d2, Mlxipl, Rps6kb2, Esrrb, Thra, Cidec). In specific cases (Hapln4, ApoA4, Cidec, genes involved in lipid metabolism and liver fibrosis) mRNA upregulation was associated with hypomethylation. In conclusion, we show for the first time wide disruptive physiological effects of low-dose of BPS, which raises the question of its harmlessness as an industrial substitute for BPA. Show less

To identify loci for age at menarche, we performed a meta-analysis of 32 genome-wide association studies in 87,802 women of European descent, with replication in up to 14,731 women. In addition to the known loci at LIN28B (P = 5.4 × 10⁻⁶⁰) and 9q31.2 (P = 2.2 × 10⁻³³), we identified 30 new menarche loci (all P < 5 × 10⁻⁸) and found suggestive evidence for a further 10 loci (P < 1.9 × 10⁻⁶). The new loci included four previously associated with body mass index (in or near FTO, SEC16B, TRA2B and TMEM18), three in or near other genes implicated in energy homeostasis (BSX, CRTC1 and MCHR2) and three in or near genes implicated in hormonal regulation (INHBA, PCSK2 and RXRG). Ingenuity and gene-set enrichment pathway analyses identified coenzyme A and fatty acid biosynthesis as biological processes related to menarche timing. Show less