Abstract 021: Single Cell Multiplex Mass Cytometry Reveals Differential Abundance of Specific Memory and Regulatory T Cell Populations in Human Hypertension

Abstract

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Emerging evidence in animal models demonstrates the importance of a variety of innate and adaptive immune cells in hypertension. We hypothesized that the abundance and phenotype of specific circulating immune cell subsets is altered in human hypertension reflecting disease pathophysiology. We performed unbiased high dimensional, single cell profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in humans with a panel of 31 cell surface markers using mass cytometry. Unsupervised computational analysis from 11 control and 10 hypertensive individuals matched for age, gender, race, and body mass index revealed consistent increases in a novel memory helper T cell subset in hypertension. Manual two dimensional gating revealed that this CD4 + CD45RO + CD62L + CCR7 - CD161 lo memory cell population is nearly 2-fold increased in hypertensive subjects (1.0 vs 1.9%). As an alternative to starting with unsupervised analysis, manual gating for major known immune cell populations revealed a 40% decrease in memory cytotoxic T cells and a 29% decrease in regulatory T cells in hypertensive individuals (3.2 vs 1.9% and 1.3 vs 0.93%, respectively). Unsupervised analysis of the cellular subsets of these populations using Phenograph revealed a selective 63% decrease in PD-1 + memory cytotoxic T cells and 49% decrease in CCR10 + regulatory T cells in hypertension (0.67 vs 0.25% and 0.37 vs 0.19%, respectively). Taken together, these results demonstrate that in human hypertension there are increases in a novel memory helper T cell subset and decreases in PD-1 + memory cytotoxic and CCR10 + regulatory T cell populations. These findings may provide new insights into hypertension pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.