Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 8, 2025
Single-cell Analysis of Immunophenotype and Cytokine Production in Peripheral Whole Blood via Mass Cytometry
Published on: June 26, 2018
Immunological heterogeneity in Ménière's disease: CD4+ T cell subset profiling reveals three distinct
Huaili Jiang1, Yanxia Zhan2, Menglong Zhao3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Vertigo Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Background:
Ménière's disease (MD) remains a heterogeneous disorder with unclear pathogenesis. While immune dysregulation has been implicated, the specific role of CD4+ T cell subsets and their clinical correlations in MD are poorly understood.
Methods:
We performed comprehensive immune profiling of 30 MD patients and 27 healthy controls using flow cytometry to analyze six CD4+ T cell subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg, TGF-β+, TNF-α+) and multiplex cytokine analysis of 16 inflammatory mediators plus IgE. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering identified distinct immune phenotypes, and cox regression analysis determined biomarkers of disease activity.
Results:
Three distinct immunophenotypes were identified: Autoinflammatory (35.7 %, elevated Th1/TNF-α + cells), inactive (28.6 %, balanced profiles), and type 2-skewed (35.7 %, increased Treg/TGF-β + cells). MD patients showed significantly altered Th1/Th2/Th17 balance with elevated TGF-β + cells (p < 0.001) and decreased serum IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-17 a levels, while CCL3/CCL4 chemokines were increased. Cluster-specific immune-clinical correlations revealed distinct pathophysiological patterns. IL-2Rα (HR = 0.18, p = 0.007) and IFN-γ (HR = 0.26, p = 0.046) may represent biomarkers of disease activity.
Conclusion:
MD exhibits significant immunological heterogeneity with three distinct CD4+ T cell-defined phenotypes. These findings support the development of personalized treatment approaches and suggest potential biomarkers of disease activity, advancing our understanding of MD pathogenesis through comprehensive immune profiling.
