Neutrophil Phenotypes in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease
Summary
Neutrophils, traditionally viewed as uniform first responders to infection, exhibit remarkable phenotypic diversity in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Beyond classical high-density neutrophils are low-density neutrophils (LDNs) and granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, each defined by distinct buoyant densities, surface markers and functional programmes. In diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, subsets of activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), produce reactive oxygen species and secrete proinflammatory cytokines, thereby driving tissue damage and autoantigen exposure. Conversely, some neutrophil phenotypes acquire immunosuppressive properties, depleting key metabolites and constraining T-cell responses. Metabolic reprogramming—shifting between glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation and amino-acid utilisation—underpins these divergent functional states. Dissecting the balance between pathogenic and regulatory neutrophil subsets is central to understanding disease progression and for the development of targeted therapies that modulate immunometabolism without compromising host defence.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Neutrophil Phenotypes in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neutrophil phenotypes in autoimmune and inflammatory disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Low-density neutrophils (LDNs): A subset of neutrophils that co-purify with mononuclear cells due to reduced buoyant density and display distinct activation and immunomodulatory profiles.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs): Web-like structures composed of chromatin and granule proteins extruded by neutrophils to trap pathogens, which can also promote tissue damage and autoimmunity.
Immunometabolism: The study of how metabolic pathways within immune cells regulate their activation, differentiation and effector functions.
Pseudotemporal trajectory analysis: A computational approach applied to single-cell data to infer the progression of cellular states along a differentiation or activation continuum.
References
- CD98 defines a metabolically flexible, proinflammatory subset of low‐density neutrophils in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical and Translational Medicine (2023).
- Integrated multi-omics and artificial intelligence to explore new neutrophils clusters and potential biomarkers in sepsis with experimental validation. Frontiers in Immunology (2024).
- Low-Density Neutrophils Contribute to Subclinical Inflammation in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- Neutrophils with myeloid derived suppressor function deplete arginine and constrain T cell function in septic shock patients. Critical Care (2014).
- Neutrophils in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Same Foe Different M.O.. Frontiers in Immunology (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.