Pro-inflammatory monocyte phenotype during acute progression of cerebral small vessel disease

The aetiology of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) remains elusive, though currently evidence is accumulating that inflammation contributes to its pathophysiology. In this prospective high-frequency imaging study, we showed that the incidence of acute SVD progression coincides with a functional and transcriptional pro-inflammatory monocyte phenotype. To detect SVD progression, individuals with SVD underwent monthly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for 10 consecutive months. RNA sequencing revealed a pro-inflammatory monocyte signature with upregulation of the EGR2 gene. Collectively, we showed that individuals with progressive SVD have pro-inflammatory circulating monocytes characterized by an augmented cytokine production capacity and a pro-inflammatory transcriptional signature. Overall design: RNA sequencing profiles of isolated monocytes of individuals with progressive SVD and individuals without progression of SVD.