Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pro-fibrotic lung macrophages found in West Highland white terriers
By Fastrès, Aline et al.·Published in Frontiers in immunology·2020·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of Pro-Fibrotic Macrophage Populations by Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis in West Highland White Terriers Affected With Canine Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of older West Highland White Terriers was studied for breathing problems caused by canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF), a condition that leads to lung tissue scarring and respiratory failure. Researchers found that the dogs with CIPF had higher levels of certain immune cells called macrophages that contribute to this scarring compared to healthy dogs. These findings suggest that targeting these specific cells could be a potential treatment for dogs suffering from this disease. More research is needed to fully understand how these cells affect the progression of CIPF and to develop effective therapies.
People also search for: West Highland White Terrier breathing problems · dog pulmonary fibrosis treatment · canine lung disease symptoms
Abstract
Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) affects old dogs from the West Highland white terrier (WHWT) breed and mimics idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in human. The disease results from deposition of fibrotic tissue in the lung parenchyma causing respiratory failure. Recent studies in IPF using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed the presence of profibrotic macrophage populations in the lung, which could be targeted for therapeutic purpose. In dogs, scRNA-seq was recently validated for the detection of cell populations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from healthy dogs. Here we used the scRNA-seq to characterize disease-related heterogeneity within cell populations of macrophages/monocytes (Ma/Mo) in the BALF from five WHWTs affected with CIPF in comparison with three healthy WHWTs. Gene set enrichment analysis was also used to assess pro-fibrotic capacities of Ma/Mo populations. Five clusters of Ma/Mo were identified. Gene set enrichment analyses revealed the presence of pro-fibrotic monocytes in higher proportion in CIPF WHWTs than in healthy WHWTs. In addition, monocyte-derived macrophages enriched in pro-fibrotic genes in CIPF compared with healthy WHWTs were also identified. These results suggest the implication of Ma/Mo clusters in CIPF processes, although, further research is needed to understand their role in disease pathogenesis. Overexpressed molecules associated with pulmonary fibrosis processes were also identified that could be used as biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets in the future.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33384697/