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Published on: December 14, 2011
Gene profiling in muscle of severely burned children: age- and sex-dependent changes
Mohan R K Dasu1, Robert E Barrow, David N Herndon
1Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Insights
Severe burns significantly alter gene expression in children's skeletal muscle, affecting metabolism and immune responses. This study highlights key molecular changes following thermal injury in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care
- Molecular biology
- Burn research
Background:
- Severe thermal injury triggers a significant catabolic response in skeletal muscle.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of this response is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify gene expression alterations in the skeletal muscle of children with severe burns.
- To compare gene expression profiles between burned children and a control group.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-density oligonucleotide microarrays (Affymetrix HG-U95 Av.2) to analyze gene expression.
- Compared messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns between six burn patients and six control subjects.
- RNA was isolated, transcribed in vitro, and hybridized to arrays for analysis using Affymetrix GeneChip Analysis Suite 5.2 and dChip.
Main Results:
- Significant differential expression was observed in 77 genes (increased) and 21 genes (decreased) in burn children compared to controls (P < 0.05).
- Specific genes with altered expression were identified in both male and female burn patients.
- Affected genes were categorized into key functional groups including metabolism, immune response, stress response, and signal transduction.
Conclusions:
- Burn injury leads to differential gene expression in pediatric skeletal muscle, impacting various cellular functions.
- Identified genes, including transcription factors and signaling pathway proteins, warrant further investigation.
- Further research is needed to establish functional relevance and molecular pathology of burn injury in muscle tissue.
Background:
Thermal injury is associated with a pronounced catabolic response in skeletal muscle. This study identifies gene expression changes in skeletal muscle of thermally injured girls and boys using high-density oligonucleotide arrays.
Methods:
Six burned children with a mean age of 8.3 +/- 1.3 years and TBSA burn size covering 51 +/- 6% admitted to our hospital with in 48 h of injury and six cleft lip and cleft palate patients were studied. Total RNA was isolated, in vitro transcribed, and hybridized to HG-U95 Av.2 Affymetrix arrays. Messenger RNA expression patterns of controls and burn patients were compared using Affymetrix GeneChip Analysis Suite 5.2 and dChip.
Results:
Statistical analysis of the 12,625 genes on each array showed a significant increase in the expression of 77 genes in burn children and a decrease in 21 genes when compared to controls (P < 0.05). We found three genes in burned males and two genes in burned females with decreased expression in muscle compared to controls. Chromosomes 1, 2, 7, 12, and 16 showed genes with increased expression in muscle from burned children, while chromosomes 3, 7, 8, 19, and 22 had genes with decreased expression. Categories of genes affected were related to metabolism, proliferation, transcription/translation, immune response, stress response, angiogenesis, and signal transduction.
Conclusions:
Genes that are differentially expressed in skeletal muscle of burned children, but whose function in muscle is unknown, include those related to various transcription factors and those known to encode proteins involved in signaling pathways. Further analysis is required to achieve the ultimate goal of making functionally relevant conclusions about the molecular pathology of burn injury.
