Person: Levine, Robert
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Levine
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Levine, Robert
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Publication Cyclic Strain Induces Dual-Mode Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transformation of the Cardiac Valve(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011) Balachandran, Kartik; Alford, Patrick W.; Wylie-Sears, Jill; Goss, Josue; Grosberg, Anna; Bischoff, Joyce; Aikawa, Elena; Levine, Robert; Parker, KevinEndothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) is a critical event for the embryonic morphogenesis of cardiac valves. Inducers of EMT during valvulogenesis include VEGF, TGF-β1, and wnt/β-catenin (where wnt refers to the wingless-type mammary tumor virus integration site family of proteins), that are regulated in a spatiotemporal manner. EMT has also been observed in diseased, strain-overloaded valve leaflets, suggesting a regulatory role for mechanical strain. Although the preponderance of studies have focused on the role of soluble mitogens, we asked if the valve tissue microenvironment contributed to EMT. To recapitulate these microenvironments in a controlled, in vitro environment, we engineered 2D valve endothelium from sheep valve endothelial cells, using microcontact printing to mimic the regions of isotropy and anisotropy of the leaflet, and applied cyclic mechanical strain in an attempt to induce EMT. We measured EMT in response to both low (10%) and high strain (20%), where low-strain EMT occurred via increased TGF-β1 signaling and high strain via increased wnt/β-catenin signaling, suggesting dual strain-dependent routes to distinguish EMT in healthy versus diseased valve tissue. The effect was also directionally dependent, where cyclic strain applied orthogonal to axis of the engineered valve endothelium alignment resulted in severe disruption of cell microarchitecture and greater EMT. Once transformed, these tissues exhibited increased contractility in the presence of endothelin-1 and larger basal mechanical tone in a unique assay developed to measure the contractile tone of the engineered valve tissues. This finding is important, because it implies that the functional properties of the valve are sensitive to EMT. Our results suggest that cyclic mechanical strain regulates EMT in a strain magnitude and directionally dependent manner.Publication Mechanism of Decrease in Mitral Regurgitation After Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Optimization of the Force-Balance Relationship(Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2009) Solis, J.; McCarty, D.; Levine, Robert; Handschumacher, M. D.; Fernandez-Friera, L.; Chen-Tournoux, A.; Mont, L.; Vidal, Barbara; Singh, Jagmeet; Brugada, J.; Picard, Michael; Sitges, M.; Hung, JudyBackground: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to reduce functional mitral regurgitation (MR). It has been proposed that the mechanism of MR reduction relates to geometric change or, alternatively, changes in left ventricular (LV) contractile function. Normal mitral valve (MV) function relies on a balance between tethering and closing forces on the MV leaflets. Functional MR results from a derangement of this force–balance relationship, and CRT may be an important modulator of MV function by its ability to enhance the force–balance relationship on the MV. We hypothesized that CRT improves the comprehensive force balance acting on the valve, including favorable changes in both geometry and LV contractile function. Methods and Results: We examined the effect of CRT on 34 patients with functional MR before and after CRT (209±81 days). MR regurgitant volume, closing forces on MV (derived from Doppler transmitral pressure gradients), including dP/dt and a factor (closing pressure ratio) expressing how long the peak closing gradient is maintained over systole (closing pressure ratio=velocity time integral/MR peak velocity×mitral regurgitation time), and dyssynchrony by tissue Doppler were measured. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, mitral valve annular area (MAA) and contraction (percent change in MAA from end-diastole to midsystole), leaflet closing area (leaflet area during valve closure), and tenting volume (volume under leaflets to annular plane) were measured by 3D echocardiography. After CRT, end-diastolic volume (253±111 versus 221±110 mL, P<0.001) and end-systolic volume (206±97 versus 167±91 mL, P<0.001) decreased and ejection fraction (19±6 versus 27±9%, P<0.001) increased. MR regurgitant volume decreased from 35±17 to 23±14 mL (P<0.001), MAA from 11.6±3.5 to 10.5±3.1 cm2 (P<0.001), leaflet closing area from 15.4±5 to 13.7±3.8 cm2 (P<0.001), and tenting volume from 5.7±2.6 to 4.6±2.2 mL (P<0.001). Peak velocity (and therefore transmitral closing pressure) was more sustained throughout systole, as reflected by the increase in the closing pressure ratio (0.77±0.1 versus 0.84±0.1 before CRT versus after CRT, P=0.01); dP/dt also improved after CRT. There was no change in dyssynchrony or MAA contraction. Conclusions: Reduction in MR after CRT is associated with favorable changes in MV geometry and closing forces on the MV. It does so by favorably affecting the force balance acting on the MV in 2 ways: reducing tethering through reversal of LV remodeling and increasing the systolic duration of peak transmitral closing pressures.Publication Mutations in DCHS1 Cause Mitral Valve Prolapse(2015) Durst, Ronen; Sauls, Kimberly; Peal, David; deVlaming, Annemarieke; Toomer, Katelynn; Leyne, Maire; Salani, Monica; Talkowski, Michael; Brand, Harrison; Perrocheau, Maëlle; Simpson, Charles; Jett, Christopher; Stone, Matthew R.; Charles, Florie; Chiang, Colby; Lynch, Stacey N.; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Delling, Francesca N.; Freed, Lisa A.; Tribouilloy, Christophe; Le Tourneau, Thierry; LeMarec, Hervé; Fernandez-Friera, Leticia; Solis, Jorge; Trujillano, Daniel; Ossowski, Stephan; Estivill, Xavier; Dina, Christian; Bruneval, Patrick; Chester, Adrian; Schott, Jean-Jacques; Irvine, Kenneth D.; Mao, Yaopan; Wessels, Andy; Motiwala, Tahirali; Puceat, Michel; Tsukasaki, Yoshikazu; Menick, Donald R.; Kasiganesan, Harinath; Nie, Xingju; Broome, Ann-Marie; Williams, Katherine; Johnson, Amanda; Markwald, Roger R.; Jeunemaitre, Xavier; Hagege, Albert; Levine, Robert; Milan, David; Norris, Russell A.; Slaugenhaupt, SusanSUMMARY Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common cardiac valve disease that affects nearly 1 in 40 individuals1–3. It can manifest as mitral regurgitation and is the leading indication for mitral valve surgery4,5. Despite a clear heritable component, the genetic etiology leading to non-syndromic MVP has remained elusive. Four affected individuals from a large multigenerational family segregating non-syndromic MVP underwent capture sequencing of the linked interval on chromosome 11. We report a missense mutation in the DCHS1 gene, the human homologue of the Drosophila cell polarity gene dachsous (ds) that segregates with MVP in the family. Morpholino knockdown of the zebrafish homolog dachsous1b resulted in a cardiac atrioventricular canal defect that could be rescued by wild-type human DCHS1, but not by DCHS1 mRNA with the familial mutation. Further genetic studies identified two additional families in which a second deleterious DCHS1 mutation segregates with MVP. Both DCHS1 mutations reduce protein stability as demonstrated in zebrafish, cultured cells, and, notably, in mitral valve interstitial cells (MVICs) obtained during mitral valve repair surgery of a proband. Dchs1+/− mice had prolapse of thickened mitral leaflets, which could be traced back to developmental errors in valve morphogenesis. DCHS1 deficiency in MVP patient MVICs as well as in Dchs1+/− mouse MVICs result in altered migration and cellular patterning, supporting these processes as etiological underpinnings for the disease. Understanding the role of DCHS1 in mitral valve development and MVP pathogenesis holds potential for therapeutic insights for this very common disease.Publication Leaflet Area as a Determinant of Tricuspid Regurgitation Severity in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension(Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2015) Afilalo, J.; Grapsa, J.; Nihoyannopoulos, P.; Beaudoin, J.; Gibbs, J. S. R.; Channick, Richard; Langleben, D.; Rudski, L. G.; Hua, L.; Handschumacher, M. D.; Picard, Michael; Levine, RobertBackground: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a risk factor for mortality in pulmonary hypertension (PH). TR severity varies among patients with comparable degrees of PH and right ventricular (RV) remodeling. The contribution of leaflet adaptation to the pathophysiology of TR has yet to be examined. We hypothesized that tricuspid leaflet area (TLA) is increased in PH, and that its size relative to RV remodeling determines TR severity. Methods and Results: A prospective cohort of 255 patients with PH from pre- and post-capillary etiologies was assembled from two centers. Patients underwent a 3-D echocardiogram focused on the tricuspid apparatus. TLA was measured with the Omni custom software package. Compared with normal controls, PH patients had a twofold increase in RV volumes, 62% increase in annulus area, and 49% increase in TLA. Those with severe TR demonstrated inadequate increase in TLA relative to the closure area, such that the ratio of TLA-to-closure area <1.78 was highly predictive of severe TR (odds ratio 68.7; 95% CI 16.2, 292.7). The median vena contracta width was 8.5 mm in the group with small TLA and large closure area as opposed to 4.8 mm in the group with large TLA and large closure area. Conclusions: TLA plays a significant role in determining which patients with PH develop severe functional TR. The ratio of TLA-to-closure area, reflecting the balance between leaflet adaptation vs. annular dilation and tethering forces, is an indicator of TR severity that may identify which patients stand to benefit from leaflet augmentation during tricuspid valve repair.Publication MVP-Associated Filamin A Mutations Affect FlnA-PTPN12 (PTP-PEST) Interactions(2015) Duval, Damien; Labbé, Pauline; Bureau, Léa; Le Tourneau, Thierry; Norris, Russell A.; Markwald, Roger R.; Levine, Robert; Schott, Jean-Jacques; Mérot, JeanAlthough the genetic basis of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has now been clearly established, the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathological processes associated to a specific mutation often remain to be determined. The FLNA gene (encoding Filamin A; FlnA) was the first gene associated to non-syndromic X-linked myxomatous valvular dystrophy, but the impacts of the mutations on its function remain un-elucidated. Here, using the first repeats (1–8) of FlnA as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified the tyrosine phosphatase PTPN12 (PTP-PEST) as a specific binding partner of this region of FlnA protein. In addition, using yeast two-hybrid trap assay pull down and co-immunoprecipitation experiments, we showed that the MVP-associated FlnA mutations (G288R, P637Q, H743P) abolished FlnA/PTPN12 interactions. PTPN12 is a key regulator of signaling pathways involved in cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) crosstalk, cellular responses to mechanical stress that involve integrins, focal adhesion transduction pathways, and actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Interestingly, we showed that the FlnA mutations impair the activation status of two PTPN12 substrates, the focal adhesion associated kinase Src, and the RhoA specific activating protein p190RhoGAP. Together, these data point to PTPN12/FlnA interaction and its weakening by FlnA mutations as a mechanism potentially involved in the physiopathology of FlnA-associated MVP.Publication Genetic association analyses highlight biological pathways underlying mitral valve prolapse(2016) Dina, Christian; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Tucker, Nathan; Delling, Francesca N.; Toomer, Katelynn; Durst, Ronen; Perrocheau, Maelle; Fernandez-Friera, Leticia; Solis, Jorge; Le Tourneau, Thierry; Chen, Ming-Huei; Probst, Vincent; Bosse, Yohan; Pibarot, Philippe; Zelenika, Diana; Lathrop, Mark; Hercberg, Serge; Roussel, Ronan; Benjamin, Emelia J.; Bonnet, Fabrice; Su Hao, LO; Dolmatova, Elena; Simonet, Floriane; Lecointe, Simon; Kyndt, Florence; Redon, Richard; Le Marec, Hervé; Froguel, Philippe; Ellinor, Patrick; Vasan, Ramachandran S.; Bruneval, Patrick; Norris, Russell A.; Milan, David; Slaugenhaupt, Susan; Levine, Robert; Schott, Jean-Jacques; Hagege, Albert A.; Jeunemaitre, XavierNon-syndromic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common degenerative cardiac valvulopathy of unknown aetiology that predisposes to mitral regurgitation, heart failure and sudden death1. Previous family and pathophysiological studies suggest a complex pattern of inheritance2–5. We performed a meta-analysis of two genome-wide association studies in 1,442 cases and 2,439 controls. We identified and replicated in 1,422 cases and 6,779 controls six loci and provide functional evidence for candidate genes. We highlight LMCD1 encoding a transcription factor6, for which morpholino knockdown in zebrafish results in atrioventricular (AV) valve regurgitation. A similar zebrafish phenotype was obtained for tensin1 (TNS1), a focal adhesion protein involved in cytoskeleton organization. We also show the expression of tensin1 during valve morphogenesis and describe enlarged posterior mitral leaflets in Tns1−/− mice. This study identifies the first risk loci for MVP and suggests new mechanisms involved in mitral valve regurgitation, the most common indication for mitral valve repair7.Publication Learning Curve for Quantification of Right Ventricular Size and Systolic Function in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Comparison of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Three-Dimensional Echocardiography(BioMed Central, 2012) Afilalo, Jonathan; Grapsa, Julia; Durighel, Giuliana; ORegan, Declan; Dawson, David; Levine, Robert; Nihoyannopoulos, PetrosPublication IDH1 and IDH2 Mutation Studies in 1473 Patients with Chronic-, Fibrotic- or Blast-Phase Essential Thrombocythemia, Polycythemia Vera or Myelofibrosis(Nature Publishing Group, 2010) Tefferi, A; Lasho, T L; Abdel-Wahab, O; Guglielmelli, P; Caramazza, D; Pieri, L; Finke, C M; Kilpivaara, O; Mai, M; Gilliland, Dwight; Pardanani, A; Vannucchi, A M; Patel, J.; Wadleigh, Martha; McClure, R. F.; Levine, RobertIn a multi-institutional collaborative project, 1473 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) were screened for isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1)/IDH2 mutations: 594 essential thrombocythemia (ET), 421 polycythemia vera (PV), 312 primary myelofibrosis (PMF), 95 post-PV/ET MF and 51 blast-phase MPN. A total of 38 IDH mutations (18 IDH1-R132, 19 IDH2-R140 and 1 IDH2-R172) were detected: 5 (0.8%) ET, 8 (1.9%) PV, 13 (4.2%) PMF, 1 (1%) post-PV/ET MF and 11 (21.6%) blast-phase MPN (P<0.01). Mutant IDH was documented in the presence or absence of JAK2, MPL and TET2 mutations, with similar mutational frequencies. However, IDH-mutated patients were more likely to be nullizygous for JAK2 46/1 haplotype, especially in PMF (P=0.04), and less likely to display complex karyotype, in blast-phase disease (P<0.01). In chronic-phase PMF, JAK2 46/1 haplotype nullizygosity (P<0.01; hazard ratio (HR) 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–5.2), but not IDH mutational status (P=0.55; HR 1.3, 95% CI 0.5–3.4), had an adverse effect on survival. This was confirmed by multivariable analysis. In contrast, in both blast-phase PMF (P=0.04) and blast-phase MPN (P=0.01), the presence of an IDH mutation predicted worse survival. The current study clarifies disease- and stage-specific IDH mutation incidence and prognostic relevance in MPN and provides additional evidence for the biological effect of distinct JAK2 haplotypes.