Leucocyte eQTLs in autoimmune disease and health
Peripheral blood was taken from healthy controls and patients with active autoimmune disease. CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and B cells were separated using magnetic-activated cell sorting. RNA and genomic DNA was extracted from cell lysates using Qiagen Allprep kits. Genotyping of healthy controls and patients with inflammatory bowel disease was performed using the Illumina Human OmniExpress12v1.0 BeadChip at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. 200 ng RNA was processed for hybridization onto Affymetrix Human Gene ST 1.1 microarrays. Gene expression and genotyping data was used to perform eQTL mapping.
Study
EGAS00001001251
High-resolution, patient-level dissection of IL-23 blockade in cutaneous psoriasis
Psoriasis vulgaris and other chronic inflammatory diseases improve markedly with therapeutic blockade of IL-23 signaling in T cells, but the genetic mechanisms of response remain poorly understood. We single-cell transcriptomically profiled CD45+ immune cells isolated from lesional psoriatic skin before and after IL-23 blockade. In clinically responsive patients, a psoriatic transcriptional signature in skin-resident memory T cells was sharply attenuated. In contrast, poorly responsive patients were distinguished by enduring T17 cell activation, a mechanism distinct from alternative cytokine signaling or downstream resistance. Spatial transcriptomic analysis suggests that successful IL-23 blockade requires dampening of > 90% of IL-17-induced signaling in lymphocyte-adjacent keratinocytes, an unexpectedly high threshold. We also detected a subset of persistent, disease-specific T17 abnormalities in responsive patients, revealing an irreversible cell identity that may necessitate ongoing IL-23 inhibition. Collectively, our data establishes a patient-level paradigm for dissecting response to immunomodulatory treatments.
Study
EGAS00001007373
Clonal hematopoiesis in rheumatoid arthritis
To evaluate the clinical impact of CHIP on RA phenotypes and outcomes, we collected DNA samples from four distinct RA patient cohorts of newly diagnosed, previously untreated, RA patients without hematologic malignancies. A total of 573 RA patients and 163 healthy controls underwent targeted NGS sequencing using a sequencing panel consisting of 65 genes recurrently mutated in myeloid malignancies.
Study
EGAS50000000890
HCA_Thymus_Disease
Single cell RNA sequencing on thymic cells from children with syndromic diseases such as Trisomy 21 and inflammatory/autoimmune diseases such as myasthenia gravis.
Our group has previously performed atlasing of the healthy human thymus using single cell transcriptomics and obtained an unprecedented understanding of human thymus throughout development.
In this study, we intend to survey diseased human thymus and compare this to healthy to obtain a better understanding of thymic dysfunction in human diseases. The diseases we will survey include congenital conditions such as Down's syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome as well as acquired diseases such as myasthenia gravis and thymic hyperplasia. We intend to perform genetic and genomic study on the samples, including expression analysis. This will not only help us to understand the cells and molecular pathways affected in dysfunctional thymus; but may also lead to generalisable understandings in human genetic diseases and inflammatory/autoimmune diseases.
This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/
Study
EGAS00001004310
Peripheral blood DNA methylome in adalimumab-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Background and aims
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are currently treated with biological agents mostly aimed at cytokine blockade such as anti-TNFα therapy. Currently, there are no biomarkers to predict therapy response to these agents. Here, we aimed to predict response to adalimumab (ADA) treatment in RA patients using DNA methylation in peripheral blood
Methods
DNA methylation profiling on whole peripheral blood from 92 RA patients before the start of adalimumab (ADA) was determined using Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip Array. After 6 months, treatment response was assessed according to the Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) criteria for disease response. Patients were classified as responders (DAS28<3.2 or decrease of 1.2 points) or as non-responders (DAS28>5.1 or decrease of less than 0.6 points). Machine learning models were built with gradient boosting and stability selection models to predict response prior to ADA treatment with predictor DNA methylation markers.
Results
We demonstrated a 27-feature panel of DNA methylation markers or CpG classifiers that predict response in RA patients treated with ADA. Forty-nine patients were assigned as responder and 43 patients assigned as non-responders. We differentiate responders from non-responders with a high sensitivity (AUC 0.76). The predictor CpGs annotated to genes involved in immunological- and pathophysiological pathways related to RA such as T-cell signaling, B-cell pathology and angiogenesis.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate that DNA methylation signatures discriminate responders and non-responders to ADA treatment and can serve as a tool for therapy prediction.
Study
EGAS00001007578
Genome-wide association scan in psoriasis
To identify novel susceptibility loci for psoriasis, we undertook a genome-wide association scan of of 594,224 SNPs in 2,622 individuals with psoriasis and 5,667 controls.
Study
EGAS00000000108
Functional single-cell characterization of immune aplastic anemia shows convergence of NK and NK-like CD8+ T cells with disease-associated TCR signature
Immune aplastic anemia (AA) is a life-threatening bone marrow (BM) failure disorder driven by an autoimmune T cell attack against the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the autoantigen targets and the role of other immune cells are unknown. Here, by analyzing an international cohort of 156 AA patients with scRNA+TCRαβ-seq, TCRβ-seq, flow cytometry, and plasma cytokine profiling with comparisons to healthy controls and patients with other hematological disorders, we identify NK cells and CD8+ TEMRA cells expressing NK receptors with AA-associated TCRβ-seq motifs as the most dysregulated immune cell populations in AA BM. Functional co-culture experiments with scRNA-TCRαβ-seq readout utilizing primary HSPCs and immune cells provide evidence that NK cellscannot kill HSPCs alone, but sensitize them to CD8+ T cell-mediated killing. Furthermore, HSPCs induce strong activation of T cell clones with CD8+ TEMRA NK-like phenotype and AA-associated TCR motifs. Our results reveal the convergent evolution of innate and adaptive immune cells in AA, where NK cells support CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity.
Study
EGAS00001007602
Functional single-cell characterization of immune aplastic anemia shows convergence of NK and NK-like CD8+ T cells with disease-associated TCR signature
Immune aplastic anemia (AA) is a life-threatening bone marrow (BM) failure disorder driven by an autoimmune T cell attack against the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the autoantigen targets and the role of other immune cells are unknown. Here, by analyzing an international cohort of 156 AA patients with scRNA+TCRαβ-seq, TCRβ-seq, flow cytometry, and plasma cytokine profiling with comparisons to healthy controls and patients with other hematological disorders, we identify NK cells and CD8+ TEMRA cells expressing NK receptors with AA-associated TCRβ-seq motifs as the most dysregulated immune cell populations in AA BM. Functional co-culture experiments with scRNA-TCRαβ-seq readout utilizing primary HSPCs and immune cells provide evidence that NK cellscannot kill HSPCs alone, but sensitize them to CD8+ T cell-mediated killing. Furthermore, HSPCs induce strong activation of T cell clones with CD8+ TEMRA NK-like phenotype and AA-associated TCR motifs. Our results reveal the convergent evolution of innate and adaptive immune cells in AA, where NK cells support CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity.
Study
EGAS00001007604
Optimizing single-cell transcriptomic discrimination of atopic dermatitis versus psoriasis vulgaris
Optimizing single-cell transcriptomic discrimination of atopic dermatitis versus psoriasis vulgaris
Study
EGAS00001007487
IL-17B uses IL-17RA and IL-17RB to induce Type-2 inflammation from human lymphocytes
IL-17 family cytokines are critical to host defense responses at cutaneous and mucosal surfaces. Whereas IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17C induce overlapping inflammatory cascades to promote neutrophil-mediated immunity, IL-17E/IL-25 drives type 2 immune pathways and eosinophil activity. Genetic and pharmacological studies reveal the significant contribution these cytokines play in antimicrobial and autoimmune mechanisms. However, little is known about the related family member, IL-17B, with contrasting reports of both pro- and anti-inflammatory function in rodents. We demonstrate that in the human immune system, IL-17B is functionally similar to IL-25 and elicits type 2 cytokine secretion from innate type 2 lymphocytes, NKT, and CD4+ CRTH2+ Th2 cells. Like IL-25, this activity is dependent on the IL-17RA and IL-17RB receptor subunits. Furthermore, IL-17B can augment IL-33–driven type 2 responses. These data position IL-17B as a novel component in the regulation of human type 2 immunity.
Study
EGAS50000000579