Single-cell analysis reveals transcriptomic difference between human hypertrophic scar and keloid
Background Hypertrophic scars and keloids are both pathological scars with similar appearance and pathological features. Currently, the differential diagnosis of the two mainly depends on the subjective judgment of physicians, and there is a lack of objective diagnostic indicators and treatment methods. Objectives To provide single-cell level evidence and new approaches for the differential diagnosis and clinical treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on a hypertrophic scar and a keloid tissue from the same patient to compare the differences in the cellular and tissue microenvironments of the two conditions. Results ScRNA-seq results depicted the distribution of cell subpopulations and different microenvironments between hypertrophic scars and keloids. Conclusions The results of the analysis showed significant differences in cell subcluster distribution and cell communication between hypertrophic scars and keloids. This study demonstrated the potential of scRNA-seq to differentiate the two conditions and provide a new approach to refine differential diagnosis and a possible target for therapeutic research. Overall design: The keloid tissue and the hypertrophic scar tissue from a 34-year-old female patient. The keloid tissue was surgically excised from the anterior chest area and hypertrophic scar tissue from the lower abdomen. Both pathological scar tissues were digested separately into single-cell suspensions and analyzed using droplet-based scRNA-seq.