A pilot integrative analysis of colonic gene expression, gut microbiota, and immune infiltration in primary sclerosing cholangitis-inflammatory bowel disease: association of disease with bile acid pathways

Mohammed Nabil Quraishi, Animesh Acharjee, Andrew D Beggs, Richard Horniblow, Chris Tselepis, Georgios Gkoutos, Subrata Ghosh, Amanda Rossiter, Nicholas Loman, Willem van Schaik, David Withers, Julian R F Walters, Gideon M Hirschfield, Tariq H Iqbal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)
261 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although a majority of patients with PSC have colitis [PSC-IBD; primary sclerosing cholangitis-inflammatory bowel disease], this is phenotypically different from ulcerative colitis [UC]. We sought to define further the pathophysiological differences between PSC-IBD and UC, by applying a comparative and integrative approach to colonic gene expression, gut microbiota and immune infiltration data. 

METHODS: Colonic biopsies were collected from patients with PSC-IBD [n = 10], UC [n = 10], and healthy controls [HC; n = 10]. Shotgun RNA-sequencing for differentially expressed colonic mucosal genes [DEGs], 16S rRNA analysis for microbial profiling, and immunophenotyping were performed followed by multi-omic integration. 

RESULTS: The colonic transcriptome differed significantly between groups [p = 0.01]. Colonic transcriptomes from HC were different from both UC [1343 DEGs] and PSC-IBD [4312 DEGs]. Of these genes, only 939 had shared differential gene expression in both UC and PSC-IBD compared with HC. Imputed pathways were predominantly associated with upregulation of immune response and microbial defense in both disease cohorts compared with HC. There were 1692 DEGs between PSC-IBD and UC. Bile acid signalling pathways were upregulated in PSC-IBD compared with UC [p = 0.02]. Microbiota profiles were different between the three groups [p = 0.01]; with inferred function in PSC-IBD also being consistent with dysregulation of bile acid metabolism. Th17 cells and IL17-producing CD4 cells were increased in both PSC-IBD and UC when compared with HC [p < 0.05]. Multi-omic integration revealed networks involved in bile acid homeostasis and cancer regulation in PSC-IBD. 

CONCLUSIONS: Colonic transcriptomic and microbiota analysis in PSC-IBD point toward dysregulation of colonic bile acid homeostasis compared with UC. This highlights important mechanisms and suggests the possibility of novel approaches in treating PSC-IBD.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)935-947
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Crohn's & Colitis
Volume14
Issue number7
Early online date4 Feb 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2020

Keywords

  • Autoimmune liver disease
  • bioinformatics
  • colitis
  • dysbiosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gastroenterology

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