Biology subjects

Roca, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Roca, F..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

Elevated cerebrospinal fluid cytokine levels in tuberculous meningitis predict survival in response to dexamethasone

Adjunctive treatment with anti-inflammatory corticosteroids like dexamethasone increases survival in tuberculosis meningitis. Dexamethasone responsiveness associates with a C/T variant in Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase (LTA4H), which regulates expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator leukotriene B4 (LTB4). TT homozygotes, with increased LTB4, have the highest survival when treated with dexamethasone and the lowest survival without. While the T allele is present in only a minority of the worlds population, corticosteroids confer modest survival benefit worldwide. Using Bayesian methods, we examined how pre-treatment levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pro-inflammatory cytokines affect survival in dexamethasone-treated tuberculous meningitis. LTA4H TT homozygosity was associated with global cytokine increases, including TNF. Association between higher cytokine levels and survival extended to non-TT patients, suggesting that other genetic variants may also induce dexamethasone-responsive pathological inflammation. These findings warrant studies that tailor dexamethasone therapy to pre-treatment CSF cytokine concentrations, while searching for additional genetic loci shaping the inflammatory milieu.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

Tumor Necrosis Factor induces pathogenic programmed macrophage necrosis in tuberculosis through a mitochondrial-lysosomal-endoplasmic reticulum circuit

Necrosis of infected macrophages constitutes a critical pathogenetic event in tuberculosis releasing mycobacteria into the extracellular environment where they can grow unrestricted. In zebrafish infected with Mycobacterium marinum, a close relative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, excess Tumor Necrosis Factor triggers programmed necrosis of infected macrophages through the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the participation of cyclophilin D, a component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Here we show that this necrosis pathway is not mitochondrion-intrinsic but rather results from an interorganellar circuit initiating and culminating in the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial ROS induce production of lysosomal ceramide which ultimately activates the cytosolic protein BAX. BAX promotes calcium flow from the endoplasmic reticulum into the mitochondrion through ryanodine receptors. The resultant mitochondrial calcium overload triggers cyclophilin D-mediated necrosis. We identify ryanodine receptors and plasma membrane L-Type calcium channels as specific druggable targets to intercept mitochondrial calcium overload so as to inhibit macrophage necrosis.

cell biology↗