Minipuberty and Sexual Dimorphism in the Infant Human Thymus

Autor(es)

Moreira-Filho, Carlos Alberto ^[1] ; Bando, Silvia Yumi ^[1] ; Bertonha, Fernanda Bernardi ^[1] ; Ferreira, Leandro Rodrigues ^[1] ; Vinhas, Christiana de Freitas ^[2] ; Bourguignon Oliveira, Lucila Habib ^[1] ; Nogueira Zerbini, Maria Claudia ^[2] ; Furlanetto, Glaucio ^[3] ; Chaccur, Paulo ^[3] ; Carneiro-Sampaio, Magda ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Pediat, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Pathol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[3] Inst Dante Pazzanese Cardiol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 8, SEP 3 2018.
• Citações Web of Science: 2

Resumo

AIRE expression in thymus is downregulated by estrogen after puberty, what probably renders women more susceptible to autoimmune disorders. Here we investigated the effects of minipuberty on male and female infant human thymic tissue in order to verify if this initial transient increase in sex hormones - along the first six months of life - could affect thymic transcriptional network regulation and AIRE expression. Gene co-expression network analysis for differentially expressed genes and miRNA-target analysis revealed sex differences in thymic tissue during minipuberty, but such differences were not detected in the thymic tissue of infants aged 7-18 months, i.e. the non-puberty group. AIRE expression was essentially the same in both sexes in minipuberty and in non-puberty groups, as assessed by genomic and immunohistochemical assays. However, A/RE-interactors networks showed several differences in all groups regarding gene-gene expression correlation. Therefore, minipuberty and genomic mechanisms interact in shaping thymic sexual dimorphism along the first six months of life. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/22308-2 - Representações intermediárias em Ciência Computacional para descoberta de conhecimento
• Beneficiário: Roberto Marcondes Cesar Junior
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 14/50489-9 - O timo humano: desenvolvimento e doenças
• Beneficiário: Magda Maria Sales Carneiro-Sampaio
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático