Complexity and Specificity of the Neutrophil Transcriptome in Diverse Inflammatory States

In this study, we explored transcriptional complexity in human neutrophils, cells generally regarded as nonspecific in their functions and responses. We studied distinct human disease phenotypes and found that, at the gene, gene isoform, and miRNA level, neutrophils exhibit considerable specificity in their transcriptomes. These findings were particularly striking for isoform usage. Thus, even cells whose responses are considered non-specific show tailoring of their transcriptional repertoire toward specific physiologic or pathologic contexts. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the link between gene expression and disease phenotypes. Total RNA was extracted from isolated neutrophils from patients with JIA, from patients with cystic fibrosis and from healthy controls.