Proportions of resting memory T cells and monocytes in blood have prognostic significance in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2019-12, Vol.111 (6), p.1343-1350
• Main Authors: Liu, Yao-Zhong, Saito, Shigeki, Morris, Gilbert F., Miller, Charles A., Li, Jian, Lefante, John J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cibersort; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - immunology; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - mortality; Immunologic Memory; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Memory T cells; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Monocytes - immunology; Prognosis; Pulmonary fibrosis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2018.09.006

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease characterized by progressive decline of lung function. Here, we tested the importance of differential proportions of blood immune cells to IPF clinical outcomes. We used Cibersort to deconvolute immune cell components based on PBMCs or whole blood IPF genomics datasets. We found that a higher proportion of resting memory (RM) T cells was associated with a better survival and a higher DLco (diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide) in IPF patients. The association was also found in opposite direction for monocytes. Additionally, in IPF patients as compared to healthy controls, proportions of monocytes were observed to be higher, yet RM T cells were observed to be lower. Taken together, our result suggests a beneficial effect of RM T cells and a detrimental effect of monocytes for IPF. Future genomics studies of IPF should be more focused on these two types of cells. •Immune cells' proportions are key to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) outcomes.•Resting memory (RM) T cells appear to be protective and monocytes detrimental.•The higher the proportions of RM T cells, the longer the patients' survival time.•The higher the proportions of monocytes, the shorter the patients' survival time.•The two cells' proportions are also associated with diffusing capacity of lung.