4.7 Article

Whole blood transcriptomic analysis reveals PLSCR4 as a potential marker for vaso-occlusive crises in sickle cell disease

Journal

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages -

Publisher

NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01702-8

Keywords

-

Funding

  1. College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Kingdom of Bahrain [E003-PI-04/18]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

The study characterized whole blood gene expression profiles in Bahraini SCD patients using Microarray technology, identifying differentially expressed genes during steady-state and VOC, with PLSCR4 potentially serving as a biomarker for VOC.
Sickle cell disease, a common genetic blood disorder, results from a point mutation in the beta-globin gene affecting the configuration of hemoglobin, predisposing to painful vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and multi-organ dysfunctions. There is a huge variation in the phenotypic expressions of SCD and VOC owing to genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to characterize the whole blood gene expression profile using Microarray technology in Bahraini patients with SCD determining the differentially expressed genes in steady-state (n = 10) and during VOC (n = 10) in comparison to healthy controls (n = 8). Additionally, the study intended to identify potential genetic marker associated with hemolysis. The analysis identified 2073 and 3363 genes that were dysregulated during steady-state and VOC, respectively, compared to healthy controls. Moreover, 1078 genes were differentially expressed during VOC compared to steady state. The PLSCR4 gene was almost 6-fold up-regulated in microarray, 4-fold in polymerase chain reaction, and a mean protein concentration of 0.856 ng/ml was observed in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay during VOC compared to steady-state (0.238 ng/ml) (p < 0.01). Amongst these genes, PLSCR4 is involved in erythrocyte membrane deformity thus, predisposing to hemolysis, adhesion, and thrombosis. In conclusion, PLSCR4 may serve as a potential biomarker for VOC and future large-scale validation are recommended.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.7
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available