Abstract
Introduction:
One rare type of autoimmune disease is called neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and the peripheral immune characteristics of NMOSD remain unclear.
Methods:
Here, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is used to characterize peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with NMOSD.
Results:
The differentiation and activation of lymphocytes, expansion of myeloid cells, and an excessive inflammatory response in innate immunity are observed. Flow cytometry analyses confirm a significant increase in the percentage of plasma cells among B cells in NMOSD. NMOSD patients exhibit an elevated percentage of CD8+ T cells within the T cell population. Oligoclonal expansions of B cell receptors are observed after therapy. Additionally, individuals with NMOSD exhibit elevated expression of CXCL8, IL7, IL18, TNFSF13, IFNG, and NLRP3.
Discussion:
Peripheral immune response high-dimensional single-cell profiling identifies immune cell subsets specific to a certain disease and identifies possible new targets for NMOSD.
Keywords:
B cell; T cell; myeloid cell; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; peripheral blood mononuclear cell; single-cell RNA sequencing.