Inference and analysis of cell-cell communication of non-myeloid circulating cells in late sepsis based on single-cell RNA-seq.

Sepsis is a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome triggered by infection and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). Immune dysfunction is a hallmark of sepsis. In this study, the authors investigated cell-cell communication among lymphoid-derived leucocytes using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms in late-stage sepsis. The authors' findings revealed that both the number and strength of cellular interactions were elevated in septic patients compared to healthy individuals, with several pathways showing significant alterations, particularly in conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Notably, pathways such as CD6-ALCAM were more activated in sepsis, potentially due to T cell suppression. This study offers new insights into the mechanisms of immunosuppression and provides potential avenues for clinical intervention in sepsis.