TIFA protein expression is associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 8;11(1):14140. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-93582-1.

Abstract

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-interacting protein with a forkhead-associated domain (TIFA), a key regulator of inflammation, may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A total of 48 PAH patients (age 50.1 ± 13.1 years, 22.9% men), 25 hypertensive subjects, and 26 healthy controls were enrolled. TIFA protein expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured. Pulmonary arterial hemodynamics were derived from right heart catheterization. PAH patients had the highest expression of TIFA, TNF-α, and IL-1β. TIFA protein expression was significantly associated with IL-1β (r = 0.94; P < 0.001), TNF-α (r = 0.93; P < 0.001), mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.41; P = 0.006), and pulmonary vascular resistance (r = 0.41; P = 0.007). TIFA protein expression could independently predict the presence of PAH (odds ratio [95% confidence interval per-0.1 standard deviation]: 1.72 [1.37-2.16]; P < 0.001) and outperformed echocardiographic estimation. Ex vivo silencing of TIFA protein expression in PBMCs led to the suppression of the cellular expression of IL-1β and TNF-α. IL-1β and TNF-α mediated 80.4% and 56.6% of the causal relationship between TIFA and PAH, respectively, supporting the idea that TIFA protein is involved in the pathogenesis of PAH.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics*
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-1beta / genetics*
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / blood
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / genetics*
  • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension / pathology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • IL1B protein, human
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • NF-kappa B
  • TIFA protein, human
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha