Background
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an inflammatory disorder of the bile ducts, in which Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) concomitantly occurs (PSC-IBD). Substantial differences in clinical presentation are observed between PSC-IBD and ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study we aim to find distinct pathomechanisms for PSC-IBD using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Methods
Forty-seven colonic samples of PSC-IBD (n=24), UC (n=18) and non-IBD subjects (n=5) were collected. Whole biopsies were dissociated into single cells using collagenase digestion. Library preparation was done with 10x Genomics and sequencing was performed on an MGI2000 sequencer. Then, differential abundance, differential expression, and cell-cell interaction analyses were performed. Stainings for DUOX2 and HLA-DR were performed on paraffin embedded colon mucosal slides.

Results
In total, 71,798 high quality cells identified 54 distinct cell types, including a new type of epithelial cells: DUOX2+ enterocytes. DUOX2+ enterocytes are almost exclusively present in diseased inflamed colon and can act as antigen presenting cells through the expression of MHC2 on its surface. A general shift in cell type composition upon inflammation was observed, comparable between PSC and UC samples. However, an increased abundance was seen for stem cells in non-inflamed (NI) PSC, and not in UC-NI, compared to non-IBD controls. Additionally, we found distinct gene expression patterns between PSC and UC inflammation: while activation of inflammatory monocytes was observed in PSC inflammation, several types of fibroblasts were activated upon UC inflammation.

Conclusion
We describe DUOX2+ enterocytes, which may play a role in both PSC and UC colitis through antigen presentation. Furthermore, we show that intestinal inflammation in PSC-IBD, as compared to UC, is characterized by distinct mucosal cell composition and cell-specific gene expression patterns. PSC colitis, and not UC, is driven by activation of inflammatory monocytes, with antigen presentation through HLA-DRB1, and activation of specific CD4+ T cell subsets. Additionally, an increased abundance of stem cells in PSC-NI could be related with the increased colorectal cancer risk in PSC-IBD.

Gwenny Verstappen

Appearances