Mass Cytometry Studies of Patients With Autoimmune Endocrine Diseases Reveal Distinct Disease-Specific Alterations in Immune Cell Subsets

• Although there is evidence that autoimmune diseases share similar immunogenetic mechanisms, studies comparing peripheral CD45(+) cells from patients with autoimmune endocrine diseases in parallel are limited. In this study, we applied high-dimensional single-cell mass cytometry to phenotypically characterize PBMC from patients with new-onset (N-T1D) and long-standing type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), Graves' disease and autoimmune Addison's disease (AD), as well as healthy controls. The frequency of CD20(lo)CD27(hi)CD38(hi)HLA-DRint plasmablasts, CD86(+)CD14(lo)CD16(+) non-classical monocytes and two subsets of CD56(dim)HLA-DR+IFN-gamma(+) NK cells were increased in patients with HT. Subsets of CD56(dim)CD69(+)HLA-DR- NK cells and CD8(+) TEMRA cells, both expressing IFN-gamma, were expanded and reduced, respectively, in the N-T1D group. In addition, patients with AD were characterized by an increased percentage of central memory CD8(+) T cells that expressed CCR4, GATA3, and IL-2. We demonstrate that patients with N-T1D, HT, and AD had altered frequencies of distinct subsets within antigen-presenting and cytotoxic cell lineages. Previously unreported alterations of specific cell subsets were identified in samples from patients with HT and AD. Our study might contribute to a better understanding of shared and diverging immunological features between autoimmune endocrine diseases.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Immunologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Immunology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

mass cytometry (CyTOF)

type 1 diabetes

Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Graves' disease

Addison's disease

antigen-presenting cells

NK cells

T cells

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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