SAA1/FPR2 signaling between keratinocytes and neutrophils sustains chronic inflammation in Sweet syndrome

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Abstract

Sweet syndrome (also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is a rare inflammatory skin disorder characterized by erythematous plaques with a dense dermal neutrophilic infiltrate. The first-line therapy remains oral corticosteroids, which suppresses inflammation nonspecifically. Although neutrophils are typically short-lived, how they persist in Sweet syndrome skin and contribute to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized population of antigen-presenting cell–like (APC-like) neutrophils expressing MHC class II genes that are uniquely present in Sweet syndrome skin but absent in healthy tissue and the circulation. Keratinocytes extended neutrophil lifespan 10-fold in coculture experiments and drove the emergence of an APC-like phenotype in approximately 30% of neutrophils, mirroring observations in patients’ lesions. Mechanistically, keratinocyte-derived serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) signals through the formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) on neutrophils to promote their survival. These long-lived neutrophils actively orchestrate local immune responses by recruiting T cells and inducing cytokine production. Strikingly, dual blockade of SAA1/FPR2 signaling restores neutrophil turnover to baseline levels, with efficacy comparable to high-dose corticosteroids. These findings uncover a keratinocyte/neutrophil/T cell axis that sustains chronic inflammation in Sweet syndrome and highlight the SAA1/FPR2 pathway as a promising target for precision therapy.

Authors

Jianhe Huang, Satish Sati, Olivia Ahart, Emmanuel Rapp-Reyes, Linda Zhou, Robert G. Micheletti, William D. James, Misha Rosenbach, Thomas H. Leung