Rationale: Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) driven by mutations of DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and poor prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and aortic stenosis. Although experimental studies suggest that DNMT3A CH-driver mutations may enhance inflammation, specific signatures of inflammatory cells in humans are missing. Objective: To define subsets of immune cells mediating inflammation in humans using single-cell RNA-sequencing. Methods and Results: Transcriptomic profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analysed in N=6 HF patients harboring DNMT3A CH-driver mutations and N=4 patients with HF and no DNMT3A mutations by single-cell RNA-sequencing. Monocytes of HF patients carrying DNMT3A mutations demonstrated a significantly increased expression of inflammatory genes compared to monocytes derived from HF patients without DNMT3A mutations. Among the specific up-regulated genes were the prototypic inflammatory interleukin (IL) IL1B, IL6, IL8, the inflammasome NLRP3, and the macrophage inflammatory proteins CCL3 and CCL4 as well as resistin, which augments monocyte-endothelial adhesion. Silencing of DNMT3A in monocytes induced a paracrine pro-inflammatory activation and increased adhesion to endothelial cells. Furthermore, the classical monocyte subset of DNMT3A mutation carriers showed increased expression of T-cell stimulating immunoglobulin superfamily members CD300LB, CD83, SIGLEC12, as well as the CD2 ligand and cell adhesion molecule CD58, all of which may be involved in monocyte-T cell interactions. DNMT3A mutation carriers were further characterized by increased expression of the T-cell alpha receptor constant chain and Th1, Th2, Th17, CD8+ effector, CD4+ memory and Treg specific signatures. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that circulating monocytes and T-cells of HF patients harboring CH-driver mutations in DNMT3A exhibit a highly inflamed transcriptome, which may contribute to the aggravation of chronic heart failure.
Design and application of single-cell RNA sequencing to study kidney immune cells in lupus nephritis
