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LGR5 expressing skin fibroblasts define a major hub perturbed in Systemic Sclerosis

ABSTRACT: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an incurable autoimmune disease with high morbidity and mortality rates, with no effective treatment. Here, we conducted a population scale single-cell genomic analysis of skin and blood samples of 56 healthy controls, and 97 SSc patients at different stages of disease. We found immune compartment activation in only a subset of diffuse SSc patients, but global dysregulation of the stromal compartment, including a novel subset of LGR5+ scleroderma associated fibroblasts (ScAF). ScAF cells are mainly localized in the deep reticular dermis of healthy subjects and are dramatically perturbed morphologically and molecularly in SSc patients. Single-cell multiome profiling of the epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes of stromal cells in healthy subjects and SSc patients, revealed ScAF-specific markers, pathways, and transcription factors important in disease development. Systematic analysis combining the clinical metadata and molecular features of the patients, associates specific ScAF targets with disease pathogenesis and SSc clinical traits. Our study provides a high-resolution atlas of the entire spectrum of sclerodermatous skin, proposing a paradigm shift in the understanding of SSc disease and facilitating the development of new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for SSc.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE195452 | GEO | 2022/04/04

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:To identify potential dysregulation of miRNA expression in plasmacytoid dendritic cells from Systemic Sclerosis patients (SSc), miRNA profiling was performed in pDCs from healthy donors or patients with the most severe fibrotic cutaneous form of SSc, namely in dcSSc, with either disease duration shorter (edcSSc) or longer than two years (ldcSSc). Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a critical source of type I interferons (IFNs) that can contribute to the onset and maintenance of autoimmunity. Molecular mechanisms leading to pDC dysregulation and persistent type I IFN signature are largely unexplored, especially in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a disease in which pDCs infiltrate fibrotic skin lesions and produce higher levels of IFNa as compared to healthy controls. To investigate potential microRNA–mediated epigenetic mechanisms underlying pDC dysregulation and type I IFN production in SSc. microRNA expression profiling and validation was performed in highly purified pDCs obtained from the peripheral blood of 3 independent cohorts of healthy controls and SSc patients. Possible functions of miR-618 on pDC biology were identified by overexpression in healthy pDCs. miR-618 expression was upregulated in pDCs of SSc patients, including those in the early stage of disease onset and not presenting with skin fibrosis. IRF8, a crucial transcription factor for pDC development and activation, was identified as a target of miR-618. miR-618 overexpression reduced the development of pDCs from CD34+ cells in-vitro and enhanced their ability to secrete IFNα, mimicking the pDC phenotype observed in SSc patients. miR-618 upregulation suppresses pDC development and increases their ability to secrete IFNα, potentially contributing to the type I IFN signature observed in SSc patients. Considering the importance of pDCs in the pathogenesis of SSc and other diseases characterized by a type I IFN signature, miR-618 potentially represents an important epigenetic target to regulate immune system homeostasis in these conditions.