Investigation of Macrophage Populations in Fibrotic Interstitial Pneumonia Using Mass Cytometry

2024 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23K19592
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0902:General internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Tomotsugu Takano 九州大学, 大学病院, 助教 (80978958)
• Project Period (FY): 2023-08-31 – 2025-03-31
• Keywords: 間質性肺炎 / マクロファージ / マスサイトメトリー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The primary objective of our analysis was to investigate the correlation between the rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC), a marker of disease progression in interstitial pneumonia, and the proportions of macrophage subpopulations. We retrospectively reviewed medical records and identified 40 cases. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples, which had been stored, were analyzed using mass cytometry. To date, analysis has been completed for 20 cases. In these 20 cases, macrophage populations were classified into subpopulations using unsupervised machine learning methods. A correlation analysis revealed that the proportion of the CD36+CD11c+CD206+ macrophage subpopulation was associated with the rate of FVC decline

Free Research Field

内科学一般およびその関連分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

中間解析では線維化を伴う間質性肺炎において肺胞洗浄液中のマクロファージ亜集団が臨床経過と相関することが示された。間質性肺炎の臨床経過には多様性があり進行予測は容易ではない。本研究を通じて侵襲が低く日常診療において採取されている肺胞洗浄液中の線維化進行予測バイオマーカーが明らかとなれば、早期の治療介入など疾患管理改善による予後改善、さらにはマクロファージを標的とした新規治療開発に繋がることが期待される。