Altered leukocyte gene expression after traumatic spinal cord injury: clinical implications

Neural Regeneration Research, 2018 · DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.237112 · Published: September 1, 2018

Spinal Cord Injury Immunology Bioinformatics

Simple Explanation

Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience immunological changes in addition to motor and sensory function changes. Infections are the leading cause of death for this population, making these changes clinically significant. Inflammation is commonly observed in persons with SCI and may promote common medical consequences such as cardiovascular disease, impaired wound healing, diabetes, and neuropathic pain. The review discusses two recent studies that used functional genomics to investigate gene expression in circulating leukocytes isolated from persons with SCI, seeking to identify therapeutic strategies to improve immune function.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

SCI group: 25 male, 6 female; Able-bodied group: 19 male, 7 female

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Individuals with SCI levels rostral to T5, where sympathetic nervous system disruption would occur, had more differentially expressed genes (N = 2226) compared to able-bodied participants.
2
The study found an under-expression of modules related to many immune cell types including Natural Killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells.
3
Several pro-inflammatory genes were among the top 50 upregulated differentially expressed genes in study participants with SCI rostral to T5, including JAK2.

Research Summary

This mini-review discusses two recent studies that used functional genomics to investigate gene expression in circulating leukocytes isolated from persons with SCI to identify therapeutic strategies to improve immune function. The first study identified 1453 genes that were differentially expressed in men with SCI, focusing on a gene network related to lymphoid tissue structure regulated by nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). The second study, a larger analysis, discovered 1815 genes that were differentially expressed between SCI and able-bodied groups, with SCI participants rostral to T5 having more differentially expressed genes.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Targets

The identification of specific molecular pathways altered after SCI provides potential targets for therapeutic interventions to improve immunological function and overall health.

Personalized Medicine

Understanding gene expression changes in leukocytes could lead to personalized treatment strategies based on the individual's immune profile after SCI.

Functional Recovery

Addressing inflammation and immune dysfunction may promote functional recovery in persons living with chronic SCI, potentially improving their quality of life.

Study Limitations

1
The review is based on a limited number of studies systematically investigating gene expression in immune cells after SCI.
2
Participant group sizes in the discussed studies were relatively small, potentially affecting the generalizability of the findings.
3
The review primarily focuses on chronic SCI, and findings may not be directly applicable to acute SCI.

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