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Updated: May 13, 2026

Single-cell RNA-Seq of Defined Subsets of Retinal Ganglion Cells
Published on: May 22, 2017
Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals cellular heterogeneity and identifies biomarkers for obstructive sleep apnea and
Qipeng Cen1, Youfeng Xie1, Wenyi Song1
1Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 166 Daxuedong Road, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China.
Background:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a prevalent sleep disorder associated with migraine, has unclear effects on cellular heterogeneity within this comorbid context.
Results:
A total of 75,502 cells from five cell types were identified from OSA and non-OSA samples (GSE214865), while 20,243 cells from four cell types were identified from migraine and healthy control samples (GSE269117). T cells were the most abundant immune cells in patients with OSA and migraine. HIF-1/NF-κB signaling had significant activity. FOS, FOSB, PDE3B, KLF6, RPS26, MTRNR2L8, MT-ATP8, PLCG2, and CCR7 were the key biomarkers of both OSA and migraine. A TCMNP software-based network was constructed with drug prediction revealed significant associations between Ma Huang and Bai Guo and their active components TCM00192 and TCM02096. Natural killer T cells were the least differentiated subtype and were inferred to be the starting point, closely connected to CD8+ T cells.
Conclusion:
Single-cell RNA analysis revealed a shared T cell-centered immune-dysregulated landscape in OSA and migraine, identifying common biomarkers and key pathways. These findings provide a crucial foundation for understanding comorbidities and developing new therapies.
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