Innate Immune Cell Profiling in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Moyamoya Disease

Chenglong Liu; Siqi Mou; Bojian Zhang; Yuheng Pang; Liujia Chan; Junsheng Li; Qiheng He; Zhiyao Zheng; Zhikang Zhao; Wei Sun; Xiangjun Shi; Hancheng Qiu; Xiaofeng Deng; Wenjing Wang; Peicong Ge; Jizong Zhao

doi:10.1007/s10753-024-02201-4

Innate Immune Cell Profiling in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Moyamoya Disease

Inflammation. 2024 Dec 13. doi: 10.1007/s10753-024-02201-4. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Chenglong Liu^{1

2}, Siqi Mou^{1

3}, Bojian Zhang^{1

2}, Yuheng Pang⁴, Liujia Chan⁴, Junsheng Li^{1

2}, Qiheng He^{1

2}, Zhiyao Zheng^{1

5}, Zhikang Zhao^{1

2}, Wei Sun^{1

2}, Xiangjun Shi^{1

6}, Hancheng Qiu^{1

2}, Xiaofeng Deng^{1

2}, Wenjing Wang⁷, Peicong Ge^{8

9}, Jizong Zhao^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China.
² China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, 100070, China.
³ Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
⁴ Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
⁵ Research Unit of Accurate Diagnosis, Treatment, and Translational Medicine of Brain Tumors (No.2019RU011), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
⁶ Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China.
⁷ Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. wangwenjing85321@ccmu.edu.cn.
⁸ Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China. gepeicong@163.com.
⁹ China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, 100070, China. gepeicong@163.com.
¹⁰ Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China. zhaojizong@bjtth.org.
¹¹ China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, 100070, China. zhaojizong@bjtth.org.

PMID: 39671077
DOI: 10.1007/s10753-024-02201-4

Abstract

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disease characterized by stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid artery, thus leading to ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes. Although genetic studies have identified ring finger protein 213 (RNF213) as a susceptibility gene, the low disease penetrance suggests that a secondary trigger, such as infection, may initiate disease onset. This study aimed to characterize the innate immune cell profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of MMD patients via mass cytometry (CyTOF). Blood samples from 10 MMD patients and 10 healthy controls were analysed, with a focus on natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells (DCs). The results revealed significant changes in the NK and monocyte subpopulations in MMD patients; specifically, there was a decrease in the CD56^dimCD16^- NK03 subset and an increase in CD163^high classical monocytes, thus indicating compromised microbial defences and heightened inflammation. Additionally, significant changes were observed in DC subpopulations, including an increase in CCR7⁺ mature DCs and a decrease in CD141⁺ and CD1c⁺ DCs. Overactivation of the TLR/MyD88/NF-κB pathway was observed in most innate immune cells, thus indicating its potential role in disease progression. These findings provide novel insights into immune dysfunction in MMD and highlight potential therapeutic targets.

Keywords: Dendritic cells; Innate immunity; Monocytes; Moyamoya disease; NK cells.

Grants and funding

82301451/National Natural Science Foundation of China