Rauch Daniel A, Ramos Paula Valiño, Khanfar Mariam, Harding John, Joseph Ancy, Fahad Anam, Simonson Paul, Risch Isabel, Griffith Obi, Griffith Malachi, Ratner Lee
Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
PLoS Pathog. 2025 Apr 1;21(4):e1012233. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012233. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is a complex tumor caused by KS-associated herpesvirus 8 (KSHV). Histological analysis reveals a mixture of "spindle cells", vascular-like spaces, extravasated erythrocytes, and immune cells. In order to elucidate the infected and uninfected cell types in KS tumors, we examined twenty-five skin and blood samples from sixteen subjects by single cell RNA sequence analyses. Two populations of KSHV-infected cells were identified, one of which represented a CD34-negative proliferative fraction of endothelial cells, and the second representing CD34-positive cells expressing endothelial genes found in a variety of cell types including high endothelial venules, fenestrated capillaries, and endothelial tip cells. Although both infected clusters contained cells expressing lytic and latent KSHV genes, the CD34+ cells expressed more K5 and less K12. Novel cellular biomarkers were identified in the KSHV infected cells, including the sodium channel SCN9A. The number of KSHV positive cells was found to be less than 10% of total tumor cells in all samples and correlated inversely with tumor-infiltrating immune cells. T-cell receptor clones were expanded in KS tumors and blood, although in differing magnitudes. Changes in cellular composition in KS tumors after treatment with antiretroviral therapy alone, or immunotherapy were noted. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of single cell analyses to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers.
卡波西肉瘤(KS)是一种由卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒8(KSHV)引起的复杂肿瘤。组织学分析显示有“梭形细胞”、血管样腔隙、外渗红细胞和免疫细胞的混合。为了阐明KS肿瘤中被感染和未被感染的细胞类型,我们通过单细胞RNA序列分析检查了16名受试者的25份皮肤和血液样本。鉴定出了两类KSHV感染细胞,其中一类代表内皮细胞的CD34阴性增殖部分,另一类代表表达内皮基因的CD34阳性细胞,这些内皮基因存在于包括高内皮微静脉、有孔毛细血管和内皮尖端细胞在内的多种细胞类型中。尽管两个感染簇都含有表达KSHV裂解基因和潜伏基因的细胞,但CD34+细胞表达的K5更多而K12更少。在KSHV感染细胞中鉴定出了新的细胞生物标志物,包括钠通道SCN9A。在所有样本中,发现KSHV阳性细胞数量不到肿瘤细胞总数的10%,且与肿瘤浸润免疫细胞呈负相关。T细胞受体克隆在KS肿瘤和血液中均有扩增,尽管扩增程度不同。注意到单独使用抗逆转录病毒疗法或免疫疗法治疗后KS肿瘤中细胞组成的变化。这些研究证明了单细胞分析用于鉴定预后和预测生物标志物的可行性。