Project description:The immunologic features of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) are largely unclear. This study investigated the immunologic features of NTM-PD using digital spatial profiling techniques. Lung tissues obtained from six patients with NTM-PD between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2020, at Seoul National University Hospital were subjected to RNA sequencing. Cores from the peribronchial and fibrotic stromal areas were stained with CD3, CD68, and DNASyto13, and gene expression at the whole-transcriptome level was quantified using PCR amplification and Illumina sequencing. Lung tissues from four patients with bronchiectasis collected during the same period were used as controls. The RNA sequencing results were validated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in another cohort (30 patients with NTM-PD and 15 patients with bronchiectasis). NTM-PD exhibited distinct gene expression patterns in T cells and macrophages. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that pathways related to antigen presentation and processing were upregulated in NTM-PD, particularly in macrophages. Macrophages were more prevalent and the expression of genes associated with the M1 phenotype (CD40 and CD80) was significantly elevated. Although macrophages were activated in the NTM-PD group T cell activity was unaltered. Notably, expression of the costimulatory molecule CD28 was decreased in NTM-PD. IHC analysis showed that T cells expressing Foxp3 or TIM-3, which facilitate the regulatory functions of T cells, were increased. From these, NTM-PD exhibits distinct immunologic signatures characterized by the activation of macrophages without T cell activation.
Project description:Whole blood gene expression to predict susceptibility to nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease in adults with cystic fibrosis
| PRJNA844016 | ENA
Project description:The lung microbiota in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease
Project description:The factors predisposing towards the development of pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease (pNTM) and influencing disease progression remain unclear. Impaired immune responses have been reported in individuals with pNTM but data are limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to use gene expression profiling to examine the host response to pNTM. Microarray analysis of whole blood gene expression was performed on 25 subjects with pNTM and 27 uninfected controls with respiratory disease. Gene expression results were compared to phenotypic variables and survival data. Compared with uninfected controls, pNTM was associated with down-regulation of 213 transcripts enriched for terms related to T cell signalling including IFNG. Reduced IFNG expression was associated with more severe CT changes and impaired lung function. Mortality was associated with the expression of transcripts related to the innate immune response and inflammation, whereas transcripts related to T and B cell function were associated with improved survival. These findings suggest that pNTM is associated with an aberrant immune response which may reflect an underlying propensity to infection, or result from NTM infection itself. There were important differences in the immune response associated with survival and mortality in pNTM.
Project description:<p>This project aims at characterizing the human host susceptibility to pulmonary non-tuberculous mycobacterial (PNTM) infections. PNTM infections occur in patients with chronic lung disease, but also in a distinct group of elderly women without lung defects but who share a common body morphology: tall and lean with scoliosis, pectus excavatum, and mitral valve prolapse. We performed whole exome and genome sequencing in extended families of patients with active PNTM. This unique collection of familial cohorts in PNTM represents an important opportunity for a high yield search for genes that regulate mucosal immunity. We also sequenced the genome of mycobacterial isolates from PNTM patients to integrate host PNTM susceptibility with mycobacterial genotypes and gain insights into the key factors involved in this devastating disease.</p>
Project description:We identified 18 patients with the distinct clinical phenotype of disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, viral infections, especially with human papillomaviruses, and fungal infections, primarily histoplasmosis and molds. This syndrome typically had its onset in adulthood and was characterized by profound circulating monocytopenia, B lymphocytopenia, and NK lymphocytopenia. T lymphocytes were variably affected. Despite these peripheral cytopenias, all patients had macrophages and plasma cells at sites of inflammation and normal immunoglobulin levels. This novel clinical syndrome links mycobacterial, viral, and fungal susceptibility with malignancy and is transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. In order to elucidate the possible genetic defect that results in this novel clinical syndrome, we performed microarray expression analysis on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) isolated from affected patients and healthy controls. Keywords: healthy donor vs affected patient