Altered Monocyte Subsets in Kawasaki Disease Revealed by Single-cell RNA-Sequencing

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is characterized by a disorder of immune response, and its etiology remains unknown. Monocyte is an important member of the body's innate immune system; however its role in KD is still elusive due to its ambiguous heterogeneity and complex functions. We aim to comprehensively delineate monocyte heterogeneity in healthy and KD infants and to reveal the underlying mechanism for KD. Methods Peripheral monocytes were enriched from peripheral blood samples of two healthy infants and two KD infants. scRNA-seq was performed to acquire the transcriptomic atlas of monocytes. Bio-information analysis was utilized to identify monocyte subsets and explore their functions and differentiation states. SELL+CD14+CD16- monocytes were validated using flow cytometry. Results Three monocyte subsets were identified in healthy infants, including CD14+CD16- monocytes, CD14+CD16+ monocytes, and CD14LowCD16+ monocytes. Cell trajectory analysis revealed that the three monocyte subsets represent a linear differentiation, and possess different biological functions. Furthermore, SELL+CD14+CD16- monocytes, which were poorly differentiated and relating to neutrophil activation, were found to be expanded in KD. Conclusion Our findings provide a valuable resource for deciphering the monocyte heterogeneity in healthy infants and uncover the altered monocyte subsets in KD patients, suggesting potential biomarkers for KD diagnosis and treatment.