Single-cell analysis reveals novel clonally expanded monocytes associated with IL1β-IL1R2 pair in acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

Abstract Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder wherein the composition and gene expression patterns of peripheral blood immune cells change significantly. It is triggered by antigens with similar epitopes to Schwann cells that stimulate a maladaptive immune response against peripheral nerves. However, an atlas for peripheral blood immune cells in patients with GBS has not yet been constructed. Herein, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) at the peak and convalescent stages. Our study identified a novel clonally expanded CD14+ CD163+ monocyte subtype in the peripheral blood of patients with AIDP, and it was enriched in cellular response to IL1 and chemokine signaling pathways. Furthermore, we observed increased IL1β-IL1R2 cell-cell communication between CD14+ and CD16+ monocytes. In short, by analyzing the single-cell landscape of the PBMCs in patients with AIDP we hope to widen our understanding of the composition of peripheral immune cells in patients with GBS and provide a theoretical basis for future studies.