Identifying immune signatures of sepsis in very preterm babies
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ABSTRACT: Bacterial infections are a major cause of mortality in preterm babies, yet our understanding of early-life disease-associated immune dysregulation remains limited. Here, we combined multi-parameter flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and targeted plasma analysis to prospectively and longitudinally profile blood from very preterm babies (<32 weeks gestation) across episodes of invasive bacterial infection (sepsis). We identified a dynamically changing peripheral blood immune signature of sepsis, including lymphopenia, reduced dendritic cell frequencies and monocyte HLA-DR expression, which characterized sepsis even when the common clinical marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) was not elevated. Furthermore, scRNAseq showed upregulation of amphiregulin in different leukocyte populations during sepsis, which we validated as a plasma analyte that correlated with clinical signs of disease, even when CRP was normal. This study provides new insights into immune pathways associated with early-life sepsis and identifies potential immune analytes as diagnostic adjuncts for sepsis to guide targeted antibiotic prescribing.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE236099 | GEO | 2023/11/23
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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