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Metabolic and Functional Study of γδ T Cells in Critically Ill Patients

16. september 2026 opdateret af: Jiancheng Zhang, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Subset-specific Metabolic Adaptation and Functional Remodeling of Gamma Delta T (γδ T) Cells in Critically Ill ICU Patients: A Single-center, Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.

This prospective observational cohort study investigates the subset-specific metabolic adaptation and functional remodeling of cytotoxic γδT cells in critically ill patients with and without sepsis. Emerging evidence indicates that γδT cells, as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, play a critical role in early anti-infection defense during sepsis. However, the functional status and underlying regulatory mechanisms of cytotoxic γδT cells in septic patients remain incompletely understood. Our preliminary single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that cytotoxic γδT cells from septic patients exhibit significant alterations in cytotoxicity-associated molecules (GZMB, PRF1, GNLY) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway genes, particularly COX6C, which correlates with cytotoxic effector molecule expression. This study aims to systematically characterize the proportion, cytotoxicity, and mitochondrial metabolic function of circulating cytotoxic γδT cells across three cohorts: healthy controls, critically ill non-septic patients, and critically ill septic patients. By integrating flow cytometry, mitochondrial function assays, and functional validation experiments, we seek to elucidate the role of COX6C-mediated mitochondrial metabolic abnormalities in cytotoxic γδT cell dysfunction, providing theoretical basis for understanding immune dysregulation in sepsis and identifying novel therapeutic targets.

Studieoversigt

Status

Rekruttering

Betingelser

Undersøgelsestype

Observationel

Tilmelding (Anslået)

105

Kontakter og lokationer

Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.

Studiesteder

Kina
- Outside of the US
  - Wuhan, Outside of the US, Kina, 430022
    - Rekruttering
    - Department of Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
    - Kontakt:
      
      Jiancheng Zhang, Dr.
      
      Telefonnummer: 13554105815
      
      E-mail: zhjcheng1@126.com

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

Voksen
Ældre voksen

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Prøveudtagningsmetode

Ikke-sandsynlighedsprøve

Studiebefolkning

The study population comprises three distinct groups: healthy volunteers, non-septic critically ill patients, and septic critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Sepsis is defined according to the Sepsis-3 criteria (infection with an acute increase in SOFA score ≥2 points), while critical illness is based on standard ICU admission criteria. All participants must be aged ≥18 years and provide written informed consent (from the participant or a legally authorized representative for those unable to consent). Key exclusion criteria include known immunodeficiency, recent use of T-cell-targeted immunosuppressants or immune checkpoint inhibitors, expected ICU stay <24 hours, pregnancy, active major bleeding, or inability to obtain consent. Consecutive enrollment will take place at the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, with follow-up through 90 days after enrollment.

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy Control Group (NHC):
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- No acute or chronic major diseases.
- Provide written informed consent.
Non-septic Critical Illness Group (CI-NS):
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Admitted to the ICU and meeting the definition of critical illness.
- Excluded from sepsis according to the Sepsis-3 criteria (infection + ΔSOFA ≥ 2 points).
- Written informed consent provided by the participant or legally authorized representative.
Septic Critical Illness Group (CI-Sep):
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Admitted to the ICU and meeting the Sepsis-3 criteria (infection + ΔSOFA ≥ 2 points).
- Written informed consent provided by the participant or legally authorized representative.

Exclusion Criteria:

Age < 18 years.
Known immunodeficiency, HIV infection, active hematologic malignancy, or history of hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplantation within the past 3 months.
Receipt of T-cell-targeted immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., antithymocyte globulin, calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, or high-dose corticosteroids >1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent) before ICU admission or within 24 hours after ICU admission.
Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 antibodies) within the past 6 weeks.
Expected ICU stay < 24 hours or imminent risk of death (moribund state).
Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Active major bleeding.
Inability to obtain informed consent.

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

Antal grupper/kohorter

Kohorter og interventioner

Gruppe / kohorte
Healthy Controls (NHCs) Healthy volunteers without acute or chronic major diseases, aged ≥18 years, who have provided written informed consent. Participants undergo a single blood draw and rectal swab collection.
Critically Ill Non-Septic Patients (CI-NS) Patients admitted to the ICU meeting the criteria for critical illness but without sepsis, as determined by the Sepsis-3 criteria (infection with ΔSOFA ≥ 2 points excluded). Participants are aged ≥18 years, with informed consent obtained from the patient or legally authorized representative. Blood and rectal swab samples are collected at three time points: within 24 hours of ICU admission (D0), Day 2 (D2), and Day 7 (D7). Clinical follow-up extends to 90 days.
Critically Ill Septic Patients (CI-Sep) Patients admitted to the ICU meeting the Sepsis-3 criteria (infection with ΔSOFA ≥ 2 points). Participants are aged ≥18 years, with informed consent obtained from the patient or legally authorized representative. Blood and rectal swab samples are collected at three time points: within 24 hours of ICU admission (D0), Day 2 (D2), and Day 7 (D7). Clinical follow-up extends to 90 days.

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål	Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse	Tidsramme
Change in the Proportion of Cytotoxic γδT Cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) Among Total γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Flow cytometric quantification of the frequency of Cytotoxic γδT cells, defined as TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺ cells, as a percentage of total γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺) in peripheral blood. This subset represents the cytotoxic effector population critical for early anti-infection defense.	Day 2 post-ICU admission

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål	Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse	Tidsramme
Change in COX6C Expression in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Measurement of COX6C (mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV subunit) expression levels in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) at the mRNA level (by single-cell RNA sequencing) and protein level (by flow cytometry).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Cytotoxic Molecule Expression in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Flow cytometric quantification of the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of cytotoxic effector molecules including Granzyme B (GZMB), Perforin (PRF1), and Granulysin (GNLY) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Mitochondrial Mass in Cytotoxic γδT Cell Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Flow cytometric quantification of mitochondrial mass using MitoTracker Green FM staining in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (TMRE) in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Flow cytometric quantification of mitochondrial membrane potential using tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE) staining in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (JC-1) in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Flow cytometric quantification of mitochondrial membrane potential using JC-1 dye (red/green fluorescence ratio) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Measurement of basal oxygen consumption rate reflecting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Extracellular Acidification Rate (ECAR) in Cytotoxic γδT Cells Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Measurement of basal extracellular acidification rate reflecting glycolytic metabolic activity in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Glycolytic Capacity of Cytotoxic γδT Cells at Serial Time Points Tidsramme: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission	Longitudinal flow cytometric puromycin-incorporation assay (SCENITH method) to measure glycolytic capacity in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) at Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission, to track the temporal evolution of metabolic flexibility and stress-adaptive glycolytic reprogramming during the course of critical illness.	Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission
Change in Mitochondrial ROS Levels in Cytotoxic γδT Cells at Serial Time Points Tidsramme: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission	Longitudinal flow cytometric quantification of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitochondrial ROS) levels using MitoSOX Green staining in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) at Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission, reflecting oxidative stress dynamics.	Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission
Change in Cytotoxic γδT Cell Migratory Function Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Assessment of Cytotoxic γδT cell (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) chemotactic and migratory capacity using Transwell migration assay.	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Change in Total γδT Cell Proportion at Serial Time Points Tidsramme: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission	Longitudinal flow cytometric quantification of the frequency of total γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺) as a percentage of total live CD3⁺ T cells in peripheral blood at Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission.	Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission
Change in Cytotoxic γδT Cell Proportion at Serial Time Points Tidsramme: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission	Longitudinal flow cytometric quantification of the frequency of Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) as a percentage of total γδT cells at Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission, to track the temporal evolution of this cell subset.	Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission
Change in COX6C Expression in Cytotoxic γδT Cells at Serial Time Points Tidsramme: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission	Longitudinal measurement of COX6C expression levels in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) at Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission, to assess the temporal dynamics of mitochondrial metabolic gene expression.	Day 0, Day 2, and Day 7 post-ICU admission
Correlation Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and APACHE II Score Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Spearman rank correlation analysis between glycolytic capacity (measured by puromycin incorporation assay at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) with APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score measured within the first 48 hours of ICU admission.	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Correlation Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and SOFA Score Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Spearman rank correlation analysis between glycolytic capacity (measured by puromycin incorporation assay at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) with SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score measured within the first 48 hours of ICU admission.	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Correlation Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Metabolic Parameters and vasopressor dose Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Correlation analysis between COX6C expression, glycolytic capacity, and mitochondrial ROS levels in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) with vasopressor dose (reported as norepinephrine equivalent dose, NEE).	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Correlation Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Metabolic Parameters and plasma lactate levels Tidsramme: Day 2 post-ICU admission	Correlation analysis between COX6C expression, glycolytic capacity, and mitochondrial ROS levels in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) with plasma lactate levels.	Day 2 post-ICU admission
Association Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and 28-day all-cause mortality Tidsramme: Up to 90 days post-discharge	Analysis of association between glycolytic capacity (measured at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) and 28-day all-cause mortality. Patients will be stratified by vital status (survivors vs. non-survivors) and by hospital length of stay (above vs. below median) for comparative analysis.	Up to 90 days post-discharge
Association Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and 90-day all-cause mortality Tidsramme: Up to 90 days post-discharge	Analysis of association between glycolytic capacity (measured at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) and 90-day all-cause mortality. Patients will be stratified by vital status (survivors vs. non-survivors) and by hospital length of stay (above vs. below median) for comparative analysis.	Up to 90 days post-discharge
Association Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and in-hospital mortality Tidsramme: Up to 90 days post-discharge	Analysis of association between glycolytic capacity (measured at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) and in-hospital mortality. Patients will be stratified by vital status (survivors vs. non-survivors) and by hospital length of stay (above vs. below median) for comparative analysis.	Up to 90 days post-discharge
Association Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and ICU mortality Tidsramme: Up to 90 days post-discharge	Analysis of association between glycolytic capacity (measured at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) and ICU mortality. Patients will be stratified by vital status (survivors vs. non-survivors) and by hospital length of stay (above vs. below median) for comparative analysis.	Up to 90 days post-discharge
Association Between Cytotoxic γδT Cell Glycolytic Capacity and hospital length of stay Tidsramme: Up to 90 days post-discharge	Analysis of association between glycolytic capacity (measured at Day 2) in Cytotoxic γδT cells (TCRγδ⁺GZMB⁺PRF1⁺GNLY⁺) and hospital length of stay (days). Patients will be stratified by vital status (survivors vs. non-survivors) and by hospital length of stay (above vs. below median) for comparative analysis.	Up to 90 days post-discharge

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.

Sponsor

Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Faktiske)

21. juni 2026

Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)

15. april 2027

Studieafslutning (Anslået)

15. juli 2027

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

25. juni 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

1. juli 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

2. juli 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

17. september 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

16. september 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. september 2026

Mere information

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