A single cell atlas of circulating immune cells involved in diabetic retinopathy
Dan Liao,
Wei Fan,
Na Li,
Ruonan Li,
Xiaotang Wang,
Jiangyi Liu,
Hong Wang,
Shengping Hou
Affiliations
Dan Liao
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China; The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, Sichuan Province, China
Wei Fan
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China
Na Li
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
Ruonan Li
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China
Xiaotang Wang
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China
Jiangyi Liu
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China
Hong Wang
Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China
Shengping Hou
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing 400016, China; Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China; Corresponding author
Summary: This study focused on examining the exact role of circulating immune cells in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). In vitro co-culture experiments showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with type 1 DR crucially modulated the biological functions of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), consequently disrupting their normal functionality. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) study revealed unique differentially expressed genes and pathways in circulating immune cells among healthy controls, non-diabetic retinopathy (NDR) patients, and DR patients. Of significance was the observed upregulation of JUND in each subset of PBMCs in patients with type 1 DR. Further studies showed that downregulating JUND in DR patient-derived PBMCs led to the amelioration of HRMEC dysfunction. These findings highlighted the notable alterations in the transcriptomic patterns of circulating immune cells in type 1 DR patients and underscored the significance of JUND as a key factor for PBMCs in participating in the pathogenesis of DR.
