Increased cGAS/STING signaling components in patients with Mooren’s ulcer

Autor: Ting Liu, Ya-Ni Zhang, Xiao-Tong Sun, Xiao-Fei Bai, Xia Qi, Chao Wei, Yanling Dong, Wen-Pei Hao, Xiaolin Qi
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Int J Ophthalmol
International Journal of Ophthalmology, Vol 14, Iss 11, Pp 1660-1665 (2021)
ISSN: 2227-4898
2222-3959
DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2021.11.03
Popis: AIM: To explore the expression of cGAS/STING signaling components in Mooren’s ulcer (MU). METHODS: Samples were obtained from ten MU patients, and eight residual corneal-scleral rings of healthy donor corneas for controls. Human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) were used to evaluate the effect of cGAS/STING signaling pathway. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to examine the expression of cGAS, STING, and phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (p-IRF3) in MU tissues. The expression of interferon-β (IFN-β) and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The protein levels of cGAS and STING in MU samples were significantly elevated when compared with the healthy controls by Western blot and IHC. After stimulation with cGAMP, real-time PCR and ELISA showed a dramatic increase of IFN-β and ISGs (containing CXCL10, IFIT1, and IL-6) in HCECs. Moreover, HCECs treated with cGAMP was characterized by increased phosphorylation and more nuclear translocation of IRF3. Meanwhile, increased p-IRF3 was observed in MU samples via IHC and Western blot. CONCLUSION: The pronounced expression of cGAS/STING signaling components in the patients with MU and probably contribute to the onset and development of MU.
Databáze: OpenAIRE