Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0162316 (iron deficiency anemia)
 3,806 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hookworms are blood feeding intestinal nematodes that infect more than 500 million people and cause iron deficiency anemia. Infected children suffer from physical and cognitive growth retardation. Because of potential anthelminthic drug resistance, the need for vaccine development is urgent. Numerous antigens have been tested in animal models as vaccines against hookworm infection, but there is no effective human vaccine. We cloned a cDNA encoding Ancylostoma ceylanicum metalloprotease 6 (Acemep-6). Ace-MEP-6 is a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 101.87 kDa and based on computational analysis it is very likely to be engaged in food processing via hemoglobin digestion. Groups of hamsters were immunized with an Ace-mep-6 cDNA vaccine, either once or three times. Animals that were administered one dose developed high resistance (80%, p < 0.01) against challenge infection, whereas triple immunization resulted in no worm burden reduction. These results suggest that DNA vaccines can be powerful tools in ancylostomiasis control, although the mechanisms through which protection is conferred remain unclear.
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PMID:Ancylostoma ceylanicum metalloprotease 6 DNA vaccination induces partial protection against hookworm challenge infection. 2399 Apr 36

The mechanisms underlying thrombocytosis in patients with iron deficiency anemia remain unknown. Here, we present findings that support the hypothesis that low iron biases the commitment of megakaryocytic (Mk)-erythroid progenitors (MEPs) toward the Mk lineage in both human and mouse. In MEPs of transmembrane serine protease 6 knockout (Tmprss6-/-) mice, which exhibit iron deficiency anemia and thrombocytosis, we observed a Mk bias, decreased labile iron, and decreased proliferation relative to wild-type (WT) MEPs. Bone marrow transplantation assays suggest that systemic iron deficiency, rather than a local role for Tmprss6-/- in hematopoietic cells, contributes to the MEP lineage commitment bias observed in Tmprss6-/- mice. Nontransgenic mice with acquired iron deficiency anemia also show thrombocytosis and Mk-biased MEPs. Gene expression analysis reveals that messenger RNAs encoding genes involved in metabolic, vascular endothelial growth factor, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways are enriched in Tmprss6-/- vs WT MEPs. Corroborating our findings from the murine models of iron deficiency anemia, primary human MEPs exhibit decreased proliferation and Mk-biased commitment after knockdown of transferrin receptor 2, a putative iron sensor. Signal transduction analyses reveal that both human and murine MEP have lower levels of phospho-ERK1/2 in iron-deficient conditions compared with controls. These data are consistent with a model in which low iron in the marrow environment affects MEP metabolism, attenuates ERK signaling, slows proliferation, and biases MEPs toward Mk lineage commitment.
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PMID:Low iron promotes megakaryocytic commitment of megakaryocytic-erythroid progenitors in humans and mice. 3169 43