Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals transcriptional signatures and immune cell responses in Patients with acute kidney injury

It has been widely recognized that Acute kidney injury (AKI)represents a multifactorial, heterogeneous syndrome, or a spectrum of diseases. AKI is associated with prolonged hospitalization and high mortality, and it predisposes individuals to chronic kidney disease. To date, no effective AKI treatments have been established. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to explore novel molecular mechanisms and gene targets for AKI. We identifies a distinct cell-specific gene expression profile, pathogenic signaling pathways and potential cell-cell communications in the pathogenesis of AKI. These findings will provide a promising novel landscape for mechanisms and treatment of AKI. We analyzed kidney samples from 2 patients with AKI and 2 healthy control subjects using single-cell RNA sequencing. We then identified distinct cell clusters through unsupervised clustering analysis of kidney specimens. Identification of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enrichment analysis in different cells as well as the interaction between cells were also performed. In addition, the differences of gene expression and enrichment pathway in patients with different levels of proteinuria were analyzed.