Single-cell transcriptomics of the immune system in ME/CFS at baseline and following symptom provocation

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.13.512091
• Publication Date: 2022-10-18T01:05:24Z
• Authors: Faraz Ahmed; Luyen Tien Vu; Hongya Zhu; David Shing Huk Iu; Elizabeth A. Fogarty; Yeonui Kwak; Weizhong Chen; Carl J. Franconi; Paul R. Munn; Susan M. Levine; Jared Stevens; Xiangling Mao; Dikoma C. Shungu; Geoffrey E. Moore; Betsy A. Keller; Maureen R. Hanson; Jennifer K. Grenier; Andrew Grimson
• Keywords: Immune Dysregulation

SUMMARY ME/CFS is a serious and poorly understood disease. To understand immune dysregulation in ME/CFS, we used single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to examine cells cohorts of patients controls. Post-exertional malaise (PEM), an exacerbation symptoms following strenuous exercise, characteristic symptom ME/CFS. Thus, detect changes coincident with PEM, also performed scRNA-seq on the same exercise. At baseline, displayed classical monocytes suggestive inappropriate differentiation migration tissue. We were able identify both diseased more normal within patients, fraction correlated metrics disease severity. Comparing transcriptome at baseline post-exercise challenge, discovered patterns indicative improper platelet activation minimal elsewhere system. Taken together, these data immunological defects present additional layer Highlights debilitating unknown causes. Here, provide, for first time, extensive single cell resolution dataset detailing gene expression programs circulating cases after provocation. robust certain from manifesting strongest signal. Indeed, aberrant degree Surprisingly, transcriptomes altered they only component system that showed large-scale