Trained immunity in human monocyte enhances myeloid-T-cell pathogenic crosstalk in Ankylosing Spondylitis

Abstract

Recent studies in infectious, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases have established the presence of memory in innate immune cells. This "trained immunity (TI)" leads to an enhanced response to a second challenge. Monocytes in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a common form of inflammatory arthritis, are known to be hyper-responsive to microbial stimulus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We asked if TI is present in AS monocytes and, if so, how it contributes to disease pathology. Using Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), we identify a subset of monocytes from AS patients exhibiting features of trained immunity and being hyperresponsive to LPS stimulation. Surprisingly, both trained monocytes in AS and {beta}-glucan-trained monocytes from healthy donors are hyper-responsive to T-cell-induced activation. scRNA-seq of AS synovial mononuclear cells shows enrichment of a monocyte population with these/analogous features. Additionally, T cell-stimulated monocytes act back on T-cells to support Th17 responses (of established pathology in AS). Lastly, using genetic and chemical perturbations we show that ERN1, an AS risk gene enriched in this trained monocyte population, contributes to T-cell-induced monocyte activation. Our data provide strong evidence for the first time for the key role of TI in common human inflammatory arthritis.