Single-cell analysis of human skin identifies CD14+ type 3 dendritic cells co-producing IL1B and IL23A in psoriasis

Inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (PSO) are underpinned by dendritic cell (DC)-mediated T cell responses. Currently, the heterogeneous human cutaneous DC population is incompletely characterized, and its contribution to these diseases remains unclear. Here, we performed index-sorted single-cell flow cytometry and RNA sequencing of lesional and nonlesional AD and PSO skin to identify macrophages and all DC subsets, including the newly described mature LAMP3(+)BIRC3(+) DCs enriched in immunoregulatory molecules (mregDC) and CD14(+) DC3. By integrating our indexed data with published skin datasets, we generated a myeloid cell universe of DC and macrophage subsets in healthy and diseased skin. Importantly, we found that CD14(+) DC3s increased in PSO lesional skin and co-produced IL1B and IL23A, which are pathological in PSO. Our study comprehensively describes the molecular characteristics of macrophages and DC subsets in AD and PSO at single-cell resolution, and identifies CD14(+) DC3s as potential promoters of inflammation in PSO.

Automated summary

This study reveals the molecular characteristics of different macrophage and DC subsets in AD and PSO through single-cell analysis, identifying CD14(+) DC3 as a potential promoter of inflammation in PSO.