Regional transcriptomic profiling reveals immune system enrichment in nonfailing atria and all chambers of the failing human heart

Abstract

The different chambers of the human heart demonstrate regional physiological traits and may be differentially affected during pathologic remodeling, resulting in heart failure. Few previous studies have, however, characterized the different chambers at a transcriptomic level. We therefore conducted whole-tissue RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis of biopsies collected from the four chambers of adult failing (n = 8) and nonfailing (n = 11) human hearts. Atria and ventricles demonstrated distinct transcriptional patterns. Compared to nonfailing ventricles, the transcriptional pattern of nonfailing atria was enriched for a large number of gene sets associated with cardiogenesis, the immune system and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), MAPK/JNK and Wnt signaling. Differences between failing and nonfailing hearts were also determined. The transcriptional pattern of failing atria was distinct compared to that of nonfailing atria and enriched for gene sets associated with the innate and adaptive immune system, TGF beta/SMAD signaling, and changes in endothelial, smooth muscle cell and cardiomyocyte physiology. Failing ventricles were also enriched for gene sets associated with the immune system. Based on the transcriptomic patterns, upstream regulators associated with heart failure were identified. These included many immune response factors predicted to be similarly activated for all chambers of failing hearts. In summary, the heart chambers demonstrate distinct transcriptional patterns that differ between failing and nonfailing hearts. Immune system signaling may be a hallmark of all four heart chambers in failing hearts, and could constitute a novel therapeutic target.