GSE158291
Single-cell transcriptomic landscape reveals the differences in cell differentiation and immune microenvironment of papillary thyroid carcinoma between male and female patients
Objective: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the main pathological type of thyroid carcinoma (TC), whose incidence and prognosis are related to the gender of patients. We focused on the differences of cell clusters and immune microenvironment induced by gender in PTC. Methods: We collected tissues from nodular goiter, male PTC patients and female PTC patients respectively, performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) based on BD Rhapsody and characterized the first single-cell transcriptomic landscape of PTC involving gender. The differential cell clusters and their genes profile were identified in male- and female- PTC, analyzed by multi-resolution network. Finally, we analyzed the interaction of fibroblasts, endothelial cells with malignant epithelial cells, and the difference of immune infiltration of B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes driven by gender. Results: Malignant epithelial cells were divided into two distinct subsets in male PTC patients and female PTC patients, with significant difference involving gene mutation, gene profile and cell differentiation. In the interaction between fibroblasts, endothelial cells and malignant epithelial cells, members of human leukocyte antigen and their receptors were considered as typical in female PTC patients, while TGFB1 and its receptors in male PTC patients. Both B cells and T cells were significantly different between male- and female PTC patients, involving cell clusters, cell differentiation and dominant genes set. Conclusions: Our research indicated the detailed differences of cell clusters and immune microenvironment in PTC driven by gender, and provided an insight to further understand the impact of gender on PTC at single-cell level. Overall design: Single cell RNA sequencing of  PTC tissue from 14 patients (3 for nodular goiter, 7 for female PTC patients, 4 for male PTC patients).