Exploring heterogeneity of tumor immune cells and adrenal cells in aldosterone-producing adenomas using single-cell RNA-seq and investigating differences by sex

Heliyon. 2023 Mar 7;9(3):e14357. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14357. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Abstract

The mechanism behind the higher incidence of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) in women compared to men is not yet understood. In this study, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the immune cell infiltration and adrenal cell characteristics in APA. Our findings revealed a high presence of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, with macrophages and T lymphocytes being the most prevalent. Comparison of infiltrating cells between males and females showed that female CD8+T cells had stronger cytotoxic and inflammation-related functions, while female myeloid cells had more enrichment in inflammatory pathways. Additionally, we found that female adrenal cells had greater upregulation of immune-related and antigen presentation pathways. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that zona glomerulosa (ZG) cells had a higher capability for aldosterone synthesis. These results provide a deeper understanding of the APA microenvironment in patients of different sexes and offer new insights into the onset of APA.

Keywords: Aldosterone-producing adenoma; Gender; Immune cells; Single-cell RNA sequencing; Tumor microenvironment.