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Updated: Sep 10, 2025
Single-cell Analysis of Immunophenotype and Cytokine Production in Peripheral Whole Blood via Mass Cytometry
Published on: June 26, 2018
Investigating cytotoxic and inflammatory human IL-7 receptor low effector memory CD8+ T cells in lupus
Sang Jin Lee1, Min Sun Shin2, Yeon-Joo Lee3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, 41944, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Medicine, Medical Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Accumulation of specific CD8+ T cells (IL7Rlow effector memory) drives lupus inflammation and tissue damage by inducing neutrophil extracellular traps. Targeting these cells offers a potential therapeutic strategy for lupus.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease characterized by widespread inflammation and tissue damage.
- CD8+ T cells play a critical role in SLE pathogenesis, but their heterogeneity and specific contributions remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the heterogeneity of CD8+ T cells in lupus.
- To determine the role of specific CD8+ T cell subsets in promoting lupus inflammation and tissue damage.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of RNA-seq and microarray data from lupus patients.
- Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) of kidney tissues.
- Ex vivo evaluation of CD8+ T cell subset effects on neutrophils.
Main Results:
- Accumulation of IL7Rlow effector memory (EM) CD8+ T cells expressing cytotoxic molecules in lupus peripheral blood and kidneys.
- Association of CD8+ T cell infiltration and cytotoxic gene expression with treatment outcomes in lupus kidney tissues.
- IL7Rlow EM CD8+ T cells induce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) via TNF-α and IFN-γ, a key lupus inflammatory pathway.
Conclusions:
- Cytotoxic and inflammatory IL7Rlow EM CD8+ T cells are key players in lupus pathogenesis.
- The accumulation of these specific CD8+ T cells has clinical and biological implications in lupus.
- Targeting IL7Rlow EM CD8+ T cells presents a promising therapeutic avenue for lupus treatment.
Background:
This study aims to interrogate the implications of CD8+ T cells in lupus by examining CD8+ T cell heterogeneity and assessing the significance of this heterogeneity in promoting inflammation and tissue damage.
Methods:
Our own and publicly available RNA-seq and microarray data from the peripheral blood and kidney tissues of patients with lupus were analysed. Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) analysis of immune cells was conducted in lupus and normal kidney tissues. The effects of CD8+ T cell subsets on neutrophils were evaluated ex vivo.
Findings:
Our scRNA-seq analysis showed an accumulation of effector memory (EM) CD8+ T cell subsets that expressed low levels of the IL7 receptor gene (IL7Rlow) but high levels of effector molecule genes, including GZMB, GZMK, PRF1, and GNLY, in the peripheral blood and kidneys of patients with lupus. CD8+ T cell infiltrations and cytotoxic molecule expression in lupus kidney tissues were associated with treatment outcomes, as determined by IMC. The gene signatures of IL7Rlow CD8+ T cell subsets correlated with type I IFN gene signature in the peripheral blood of paediatric and adult patients with lupus. IL7Rlow EM CD8+ T cells induced neutrophil extracellular trap (NET), a key inflammatory pathway in lupus pathogenesis, dependently of TNF-α and IFN-γ.
Interpretation:
Our study provides insights into lupus pathogenesis by demonstrating the clinical and biological implications of cytotoxic and inflammatory IL7Rlow EM CD8+ T cell accumulation in lupus. This raises the prospect of therapeutic targets aimed at such CD8+ T cells.
Funding:
Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2023-00249,430) as well as by the National Institutes of Health (1R01AR082203 and 2RF1AG056728 to IK, 5T32AR007107 to LO and JPY) and the Rheumatology Research Foundation (to IK).
