Monocyte Trajectories Endotypes Are Associated With Worsening in Septic Patients

Maxime Bodinier1, Estelle Peronnet1, Karen Brengel-Pesce1

  • 1EA 7426 "Pathophysiology of Injury-Induced Immunosuppression" (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Hospices Civils de Lyon - bioMérieux), Joint Research Unit HCL-bioMérieux, Immunology Laboratory & Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Lyon, France.

Frontiers in Immunology
|December 16, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Sepsis patients show diverse immune responses. Researchers identified four distinct patterns in monocyte HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) expression during the first week, enabling early risk stratification and potential immunomodulatory treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection.
  • Immune system dysregulation is a hallmark of sepsis, exhibiting heterogeneous and evolving patterns over time.
  • Monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (mHLA-DR) expression is a critical marker for adaptive immunity and immune cell function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To decipher the heterogeneity and temporal evolution of mHLA-DR expression in septic patients during the first week post-sepsis onset.
  • To identify distinct patient endotypes based on mHLA-DR expression trajectories.
  • To evaluate the utility of mHLA-DR measurements for early risk stratification in sepsis.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mHLA-DR surface protein expression in two cohorts: a discovery cohort (n=276) and a verification cohort (n=102).
  • Identification and validation of distinct mHLA-DR expression trajectories (endotypes) over the first week of sepsis.
  • Correlation of mHLA-DR expression patterns with patient outcomes and potential for immunomodulatory treatment stratification.

Main Results:

  • Four distinct endotypes of mHLA-DR expression trajectories were identified and validated.
  • Approximately 59% of septic patients displayed low or decreasing mHLA-DR expression, while the remainder showed increased expression.
  • Early measurements of mHLA-DR on the initial and third day post-sepsis onset were sufficient for early risk stratification.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals significant heterogeneity in immune responses during early sepsis, specifically in mHLA-DR expression patterns.
  • Early mHLA-DR profiling can stratify sepsis patients into different risk groups, guiding potential therapeutic interventions.
  • This approach offers a novel method for understanding immune system heterogeneity in sepsis, paving the way for personalized treatment strategies.