Single‐cell transcriptome atlas revealed bronchoalveolar immune features related to disease severity in pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia
Xiantao Shen,
Zhengjiang Jin,
Xiaomin Chen,
Zhenhui Wang,
Lu Yi,
Yangwei Ou,
Lin Gong,
Chengliang Zhu,
Guogang Xu,
Yi Wang
Affiliations
Xiantao Shen
State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation) Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan) Ministry of Environmental Protection School of Public Health Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Zhengjiang Jin
Department of Clinical Laboratory Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Xiaomin Chen
Department of Disinfection and Pest Control Wuhan Center for Disease Control & Prevention Wuhan China
Zhenhui Wang
Department of Clinical Laboratory Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Lu Yi
Department of Clinical Laboratory Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Yangwei Ou
Department of Radiology Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Lin Gong
State Key Laboratory of Environment Health (Incubation) Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (Wuhan) Ministry of Environmental Protection School of Public Health Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
Chengliang Zhu
Department of Clinical Laboratory Institute of Translational Medicine Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan China
Guogang Xu
Health Management Institute The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases Chinese PLA General Hospital Beijing China
Yi Wang
Experimental Research Center Capital Institute of Pediatrics Beijing China
Abstract The mechanisms underlying protective immunity in mild Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and the pathogenesis of severe MPP, characterized by dysregulated immune responses, remain unclear. Here, we performed single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) to profile bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from 13 healthy donors and 24 hospitalized pediatric patients with MPP, covering both mild and severe cases. Severe MPP patients exhibited high levels of exhausted T cells and M1‐like macrophages, with the exhaustion of T cells attributed to persistent type I interferon signaling and inadequate assistance from CD4+ T cells. Significant cell‐cell interactions between exhausted T cells and programmed death‐ligand 1+ (PD‐L1+) macrophages were detected in severe patients, potentially mediated through inhibitor molecules (e.g., PD1) and their receptors (e.g., PD‐L1), as well as human leukocyte antigen class I molecules and their receptors (e.g., KLRC1/D2), resulting in the dysfunction of anti‐MP immune responses. Mild MPP patients were featured by an increased abundance of neutrophils, coupled with enhanced activation, contributing to protective immunity. Together, our study provides a detailed characterization of the BALF immune landscape in MPP patients, revealing distinct immune characteristics between mild and severe cases, which offers a valuable resource for understanding MPP immunopathogenesis and formulating effective therapeutic strategies.
