Potential different immune phenotypes of macrophages in oral lichen planus by integrating immunofluorescence double staining and single-cell RNA sequencing

Qianqian Zhang; Ran Zhao; Xuemin Shen; Kai Sun

Journal of Dental Sciences (Oct 2024)

Potential different immune phenotypes of macrophages in oral lichen planus by integrating immunofluorescence double staining and single-cell RNA sequencing

Qianqian Zhang,
Ran Zhao,
Xuemin Shen,
Kai Sun

Affiliations

Qianqian Zhang: Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
Ran Zhao: Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
Xuemin Shen: Corresponding author. Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200011, China.; Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
Kai Sun: Corresponding author. Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200011. China.; Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 19, no. 4
pp. 2210 – 2217

Abstract

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Background/purpose: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease with obscure etiopathogenesis. Macrophages play an important role in interaction between innate and adaptive immunity. This study aimed to investigate the macrophage phenotypes and obtain more comprehensive gene characteristics of macrophages in OLP. Materials and methods: Double cluster of differentiation (CD) 68/CD86 and CD68/CD206 immunofluorescence staining was conducted in 11 biopsy-proven OLP tissue samples and 5 health control (HC) to represent M1 and M2 macrophages, respectively. The number of positively stained cells was manually counted, and the density was calculated. Furtherly, OLP single-cell dataset GSE211630 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Gene characteristics and functional analysis of the macrophages were elucidated. Results: In the OLP group, the densities of M1 (P < 0.001), M2 macrophages (P < 0.001) and M1/M2 ratio (P = 0.001) were significantly higher than those in HC group. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that proportions of CXCL10 macrophages (P = 0.003), IL1B/MMP19 macrophages (P < 0.001) were increased in OLP tissues compared with those in HC. Macrophages in OLP tissues had a stronger ability to cell chemotaxis, positive regulation of cell adhesion and antigen processing and presentation. Functional analysis revealed macrophages in OLP tissues could interact with multiple immune cells, and multiple signaling pathways were associated with macrophages in OLP. Conclusion: A pro-inflammatory status of macrophages with different gene characteristics was found in the microenvironment of OLP by integrating immunofluorescence double staining and single-cell RNA sequencing, which provided a potential target for clinical treatment of OLP.

Published in Journal of Dental Sciences

ISSN: 1991-7902 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Taiwan, Province of China
LCC subjects: Medicine: Dentistry
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-dental-sciences/

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