Accession Number:

AD1004104

Title:

Environmental Mycobiome Modifiers of Inflammation and Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,20 Aug 2014,19 Aug 2015

Corporate Author:

The Trustees of Dartmouth College Hanover United States

Personal Author(s):

• Whitfield,Michael L.
• Lafyatis,Robert
• Arron,Sarah
• Pioli,Patricia A.

Report Date:

2015-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

54.0

Abstract:

This project is focused on Systemic Sclerosis SSc, a progressive fibrotic disease characterized by skin fibrosis and damage to internal organs. While a wide range of environmental and biological triggers have been proposed, no definitive etiologic agents have yet been identified. Metagenomic analysis of non-human sequences in SSc RNA-seq data was used to detect microbial sequences in human tissues in an unbiased, quantitative manner. Our studies suggest that disease pathogenesis includes a common environmental fungal trigger, Rhodotorula glutinis, which we hypothesize elicits immune activation in a permissive host genetic background.Skin biopsies have been collected from SSc patients and analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, providing substantial gene expression data as well as detailed information regarding the host microbiome. Data has been compared against that of healthy control samples.

Descriptors:

• autoimmune diseases
• skin diseases
• therapeutics
• inflammation
• biological factors
• genetics
• medical research
• fibrosis

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE