Single-cell analysis pinpoints distinct populations of cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and an IL-10+CD109+ TH2 cell population in nasal polyps
Who nose the T cell subsets in nasal polyps?
Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps suffer from comorbid asthma and often undergo repeated surgical resections of their nasal polyps. These nasal polyps associate with type 2 immune responses, yet the T helper (TH) cell populations in these nasal polyps are poorly defined. Using transcriptomics and flow cytometry on nasal polyps from patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, Ma et al. identified T regulatory (Treg) cells, TH2 cells, type 2 innate lymphoid cells, and cytotoxic CD4+ T cells in said polyps. In nasal polyps, there was a subpopulation of TH2 cells (CD109+CRTH2тИТ) that had an immune suppressive phenotype, Treg cellтАУexpressed GATA3, and there were three distinct subsets of cytotoxic CD4+ T cells. Thus, this study uncovers a diverse population of TH cells in nasal polyps.
Abstract
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by a chronic inflammatory process often associated with comorbid asthma. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of single T helper (TH) cells from nasal polyps of patients with CRSwNP and validated these findings using multiparameter flow cytometry. Polyp tissue contained suppressive T regulatory (Treg) cells, TH2 cells, type 2 innate lymphoid cells, and three transcriptionally distinct subsets of cytotoxic CD4+ T cells (CD4+ CTL). GATA3 expression was a feature of polyp Treg cells, whereas TH2 cells highly expressed TCN1, CD200R, and HPGDS and were enriched for genes involved in lipid metabolism. Only a portion of polyp TH2 cells expressed the prostaglandin D2 receptor CRTH2, whereas a subpopulation of CD109+CRTH2тИТ TH2 cells expressed mRNA for common inhibitor receptors including LAG3 and TIM3 and produced IL-10. Together, we resolved the complexity of TH cells in patients with CRSwNP, identifying several distinct clusters of CD4+ CTL and a population of CD109+CRTH2тИТ TH2 cells with putative regulatory potential.
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