Single-cell transcriptomic profiling identifies TIMP1 as a diagnostic marker linked to macrophage ferroptosis in ulcerative colitis

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease driven by genetic, immune and environmental factors, among which macrophage infiltration is one of its core pathological features. Moreover, as an important bridge between oxidative stress and inflammation, Ferroptosis, a nonapoptotic cell death mechanism, plays an increasingly prominent role in inflammatory diseases. However, whether Ferroptosis occurs in colonic macrophages in UC mouse models and whether targeted intervention in this process can be effective for the treatment of UC remain to be elucidated.

Methods: In this study, the characteristics of Ferroptosis in macrophages in UC were analyzed using single-cell transcriptomics. Through in-depth analysis of Sequencing data, key candidate genes related to Ferroptosis were screened, and their reference value in UC diagnosis and prediction was evaluated. Based on the key findings of the bioinformatics analysis, preliminary validation was performed in a DSS-induced in vivo model, followed by in vitro functional experiments in primary macrophages to further assess the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP1) in macrophage Ferroptosis and inflammatory cytokine production.

Results: Single-cell analysis identified TIMP1, PLIN2, HSPA5, NCF2, and DDIT4 as candidate ferroptosis-related diagnostic genes in UC macrophages, with TIMP1 showing the strongest diagnostic potential and association with immune infiltration and NOD-like Receptor signaling. In DSS-induced UC mice, TIMP1 expression was upregulated in colon tissues and in sorted colonic macrophages, and this upregulation was accompanied by intestinal inflammation and macrophage ferroptosis-related changes. In vitro, Timp1 knockdown alleviated LPS-induced macrophage Ferroptosis and inflammatory cytokine production, whereas recombinant TIMP1 enhanced these effects. These findings suggest that TIMP1 may be involved in UC progression through macrophage Ferroptosis.

Conclusion: This study identified TIMP1 as a candidate diagnostic marker associated with macrophage Ferroptosis in UC. Multilevel validation further suggested that TIMP1-related macrophage Ferroptosis may contribute to intestinal inflammatory remodeling, highlighting its potential relevance for future diagnostic and therapeutic investigations in UC.