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

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Jul 12:15:1397661. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1397661. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: T cell; cell interaction; monocyte; pro-inflammatory characteristics; single-cell RNA sequencing; type 2 diabetes.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / immunology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear* / immunology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • Monocytes / metabolism
  • Single-Cell Analysis* / methods

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HR20C0025).