Single-cell analyses highlight the proinflammatory contribution of C1q-high monocytes to Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic vasculitis characterized by systemic immune aberrations. However, a comprehensive understanding of immune disturbances in BD and how they contribute to BD pathogenesis is lacking. Here, we performed single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing to profile peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and isolated monocytes from BD patients and healthy donors. We observed prominent expansion and transcriptional changes in monocytes in PBMCs from BD patients. Deciphering the monocyte heterogeneity revealed the accumulation of C1q-high (C1q(hi)) monocytes in BD. Pseudotime inference indicated that BD monocytes markedly shifted their differentiation toward inflammation-accompanied and C1q(hi) monocyte-ended trajectory. Further experiments showed that C1q(hi) monocytes enhanced phagocytosis and proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and multiplatform analyses revealed the significant clinical relevance of this subtype. Mechanistically, C1q(hi) monocytes were induced by activated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) signaling in BD patients and were decreased by tofacitinib treatment. Our study illustrates the BD immune landscape and the unrecognized contribution of C1q(hi) monocytes to BD hyperinflarnmation, showing their potential as therapeutic targets and clinical assessment indexes.

Automated summary

This study provides insights into the immune landscape of Behcet's disease (BD) and highlights the contribution of C1q-high (C1q(hi)) monocytes to BD hyperinflammation. C1q(hi) monocytes demonstrate increased phagocytosis and proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and their presence is clinically relevant. Activated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) signaling induces the accumulation of C1q(hi) monocytes, which can be reduced by tofacitinib treatment.