Journal Article

Single cell transcriptomics in blood of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Kim, Jeeyoung, Heo, Yeonjeong, Kim, Woo Jin, Hong, Seok-Ho

2025

Overview

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides gene expression profiles at the single-cell level. Hence, we evaluated gene expression in the peripheral blood of patients with COPD. Methods Peripheral blood samples from seven healthy controls and eight patients with COPD were obtained in this study. The 10X Genomics Chromium Instrument and cDNA synthesis kit were utilized to generate a barcoded cDNA library for single cell RNA-sequencing. We compared the scRNA-seq data between the COPD and control groups using computational analysis. Functional analyses were performed using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. Results scRNA-seq was used to analyze the transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seven normal controls and eight patients with COPD. We found an increased number of monocyte/macrophages in the COPD group compared to the normal control group. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in monocyte/macrophages, we identified 15 upregulated genes (EGR1, NR4A1, CCL3, CXCL8, PTGS2, CD83, BCL2A1, SGK1, IL1B, BTG2, NFKBIZ, DUSP2, MAFB, PLAUR and CCL3L1) and 7 downregulated genes (FOLR3, RPS4Y1, HLA-DRB5, NAMPT, CD52, TMEM176A and TMEM176B) in the COPD group compared to the normal control group. Conclusions Using scRNA-seq, we found differences in cell type distribution, especially in monocyte/ macrophages. Several upregulated and downregulated genes were found in the monocyte/macrophages of the COPD group.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Aged / Analysis / Approximation / Biomarkers / Biosynthesis / Blood / BTG2 protein / Care and treatment / Case-Control Studies / CD83 antigen / Cell cycle / Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / Critical Care Medicine / Diagnosis / Down-regulation / EGR-1 protein / Female / Gene expression / Gene Expression Profiling / Genetic aspects / Genomes / Genomic analysis / Genomics / Humans / Intensive / Internal Medicine / Leukocytes (mononuclear) / Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism / Lung diseases / Lung diseases, Obstructive / Macrophages / Macrophages - metabolism / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Metabolism / Metabolites / Middle Aged / Monocytes / Monocytes - metabolism / Morbidity / Peripheral blood mononuclear cells / Phosphorylation / Pneumology/Respiratory System / Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - blood / Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - genetics / Respiration / Ribonucleic acid / RNA / RNA sequencing / Sequence Analysis, RNA / Single cell RNA sequencing / Single cell transcriptome / Single-Cell Analysis / Software / Transcription / Transcriptome / Transcriptomes / Transcriptomics / Visualization