Frontiers in Endocrinology (Jul 2024)

Single-cell analysis of human PBMCs in healthy and type 2 diabetes populations: dysregulated immune networks in type 2 diabetes unveiled through single-cell profiling

  • Doeon Gu,
  • Doeon Gu,
  • Jinyeong Lim,
  • Jinyeong Lim,
  • Kyung Yeon Han,
  • In-Ho Seo,
  • Jae Hwan Jee,
  • Soo Jin Cho,
  • Yoon Ho Choi,
  • Sung Chul Choi,
  • Jang Hyun Koh,
  • Jin-Young Lee,
  • Mira Kang,
  • Mira Kang,
  • Mira Kang,
  • Dong-Hyuk Jung,
  • Woong-Yang Park,
  • Woong-Yang Park,
  • Woong-Yang Park

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1397661
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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Abnormalities in glucose metabolism that precede the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D) activate immune cells, leading to elevated inflammatory factors and chronic inflammation. However, no single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies have characterized the properties and networks of individual immune cells in T2D. Here, we analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-diabetes and T2D patients by scRNA-seq. We found that CD14 monocytes in T2D patients were in a pro-inflammatory state and intermediate monocytes expressed more MHC class II genes. In T2D patients, cytotoxic CD4 T cells, effector memory CD8 T cells, and γδ T cells have increased cytotoxicity and clonal expansion. B cells were characterized by increased differentiation into intermediate B cells, plasma cells, and isotype class switching with increased expression of soluble antibody genes. These results suggest that monocytes, T cells, and B cells could interact to induce chronic inflammation in T2D patients with pro-inflammatory characteristics.

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