miRNAs may play a major role in the control of gene expression in key pathobiological processes in Chagas disease cardiomyopathy

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Dec 22;14(12):e0008889. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008889. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC), an especially aggressive inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy caused by lifelong infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of cardiomyopathy in Latin America. Although chronic myocarditis may play a major pathogenetic role, little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for its severity. The aim of this study is to study the genes and microRNAs expression in tissues and their connections in regards to the pathobiological processes. To do so, we integrated for the first time global microRNA and mRNA expression profiling from myocardial tissue of CCC patients employing pathways and network analyses. We observed an enrichment in biological processes and pathways associated with the immune response and metabolism. IFNγ, TNF and NFkB were the top upstream regulators. The intersections between differentially expressed microRNAs and differentially expressed target mRNAs showed an enrichment in biological processes such as Inflammation, inflammation, Th1/IFN-γ-inducible genes, fibrosis, hypertrophy, and mitochondrial/oxidative stress/antioxidant response. MicroRNAs also played a role in the regulation of gene expression involved in the key cardiomyopathy-related processes fibrosis, hypertrophy, myocarditis and arrhythmia. Significantly, a discrete number of differentially expressed microRNAs targeted a high number of differentially expressed mRNAs (>20) in multiple processes. Our results suggest that miRNAs orchestrate expression of multiple genes in the major pathophysiological processes in CCC heart tissue. This may have a bearing on pathogenesis, biomarkers and therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chagas Cardiomyopathy / metabolism*
  • Chagas Cardiomyopathy / pathology*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology*
  • Genome, Human
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Principal Component Analysis

Substances

  • MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Aix-Marseille University (Direction des Relations Internationales), the ARCUS II PACA Brésil program, CNPq (the Brazilian National Research Council), and FAPESP (São Paulo State Research Funding Agency-Brazil). ECN and CC were recipient for an international program funded either by the French ANR and the Brazilian FAPESP agencies (Br-Fr-chagas). AFF hold fellowships from the São Paulo State Research Funding Agency, FAPESP. ECN and JK have received a Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq productivity award. CC is a recipient of a temporary professorship position supported by the French consulate in Brazil and the University of São Paulo (USP). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.