Single-cell spatial profiling identifies a mucosal-like epithelial signature in hidradenitis suppurativa tunnels
Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease affecting 1-4% of the population. In advanced HS, tunnels (dermal sinus tracts) often form, perpetuating chronic inflammation. Early immunohistochemistry studies found atypical keratin staining in tunnel epithelium, suggesting keratinocyte dysregulation influenced by ongoing inflammation. To date, the gene-expression features of HS tunnels have not been directly characterized relative to lesional (L-epi) or non-lesional epidermis (NL-epi), leaving their molecular profile largely undefined. We performed spatio-temporal-enhanced-resolution-omics-sequencing (STEREOseq), which provides spatial transcriptomes at single-cell resolution, on lesional and non-lesional skin specimens from the same patient with advanced HS (Hurley stage III).