Identification of regulator of SSc specific monocyte using comprehensive genetic analysis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16310
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 54020:Connective tissue disease and allergy-related
• Research Institution: Nippon Medical School
• Principal Investigator: Iseki Yuko 日本医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (50723045)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: monocyte

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It was difficult to obtain sufficient amounts of RNA from 20 ml of peripheral blood at a time using 9 macrophage-inducing conditions. The surface markers CSF-1, and IL-34 induced macrophages were evaluated by flow cytometry. There were no significant differences in the expression of CD14, CD80, CD206, CD163 between CSF-1 macrophages and IL-34 induced macrophages.
The percentage of M4 macrophages was significantly higher in SSc patients than in healthy controls, but there was no correlation with percentage of specific immunocompetent cells, autoantibodies, or complications.

Free Research Field

膠原病

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、種々の誘導コンディションで誘導したマクロファージのmaster regulatorを特定し、SSc特定的単球/マクロファージを探索することが目的であったが、一定量の血液サンプルから十分量のRNAの抽出が困難であり、CSF-1及びIL-34で誘導したマクロファージの表面マーカーの特徴を評価した。しかし、両者で大きな差は認めなかった。SScにおけるM4単球の割合は有意に高いが、特定の自己抗体や合併症との関連が見出せなかったことから、SSc及び健常人の単球/マクロファージ分画のscRNA-seqが今後SSc特異的単球/マクロファージを同定するために有用である可能性が示唆された。