The nasal basal cell population shifts toward a diseased phenotype with impaired barrier formation capacity in allergic rhinitis

Background

The integrity of the airway epithelium is guarded by the airway basal cells that serve as progenitor cells and restore wounds in case of injury. Basal cells are a heterogenous population, and specific changes in their behavior are associated with chronic barrier disruption—mechanisms that have not been studied in detail in allergic rhinitis (AR).

Objective

We aimed to study basal cell subtypes in AR and healthy controls.

Methods

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) of the nasal epithelium was performed on nonallergic and house dust mite–allergic AR patients to reveal basal cell diversity and to identify allergy-related alterations. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, and in vitro experiments using primary basal cells were performed to confirm phenotypic findings at the protein level and functionally.

Results

The scRNA-Seq, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that basal cells are abundantly and heterogeneously present in the nasal epithelium, suggesting specialized subtypes. The total basal cell fraction within the epithelium in AR is increased compared to controls. scRNA-Seq demonstrated that potentially beneficial basal cells are missing in AR epithelium, while an activated population of allergy-associated basal cells is more dominantly present. Furthermore, our in vitro proliferation, wound healing assay and air–liquid interface cultures show that AR-associated basal cells have altered progenitor capacity compared to nonallergic basal cells.

Conclusions

The nasal basal cell population is abundant and diverse, and it shifts toward a diseased state in AR. The absence of potentially protective subtypes and the rise of a proinflammatory population suggest that basal cells are important players in maintaining epithelial barrier defects in AR.