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Abatacept restores dysregulated transcriptomic and proteomic profile in disorders of CTLA-4 insufficiency

  • Mehmet Cihangir Catak
  • , Naz Surucu
  • , Feyza Bayram Catak
  • , Altan Kara
  • , Selin Cildir
  • , Royala Babayeva
  • , Basak Kayaoglu
  • , Alper Bulutoglu
  • , Baran Erman
  • , Ibrahim Serhat Karakus
  • , Ahmad Al-Shaibi
  • , Satanay Hubrack
  • , Esra Karabiber
  • , Figen Celebi Celik
  • , Gamze Akgun
  • , Dilek Baser
  • , Sevgi Bilgic Eltan
  • , Asena Pinar Sefer
  • , Selcen Bozkurt
  • , Necmiye Ozturk
  • Ayca Kiykim, Cigdem Aydogmus, Ferah Genel, Nesrin Gulez, Esra Yucel, Alisan Yildiran, Ayse Metin, Elif Karakoc-Aydiner, Ahmet Ozen, Mayda Gursel, Gökhan Cildir, Bernice Lo, Safa Baris*
*Corresponding author for this work
  • Marmara University
  • Istanbul Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies
  • The Isil Berat Barlan Center for Translational Medicine
  • Middle East Technical University
  • GENALYSE Genetic & Reporting Ltd
  • Flinders University
  • Hacettepe University
  • Sidra Medicine
  • Pendik Research and Training Hospital
  • Behcet Uz Pediatric Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital
  • Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa
  • University of Health Sciences
  • Ondokuz Mayis University
  • Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center
  • Centre for Cancer Biology
  • HBKU College of Health and Life Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Lipopolysaccharide-responsive beige-like anchor (LRBA) deficiency and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) insufficiency are rare primary immune dysregulation disorders. Both conditions result from impaired maintenance of CTLA-4, a critical inhibitory checkpoint molecule. Despite the known benefits of abatacept (a CTLA-4-Ig fusion protein) treatment, its precise immunologic effects remain unclear. Objective: We comprehensively investigated the effect of abatacept therapy on patients with LRBA deficiency and CTLA-4 insufficiency using an integrative multiomics approach. Methods: The study combined longitudinal flow cytometry, targeted and single-cell transcriptomics, and plasma proteomics in patients receiving abatacept treatment. Results: Abatacept treatment increased thymic output and expansion of naive T and B cells while reducing memory T-cell subsets, CD4+ T-cell cytokine production, and CD21low B cells. Multimodal transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed previously unrecognized immunopathogenic mechanisms, including increased CD28 and T-cell receptor signaling as well as compensatory upregulation of inhibitory checkpoint proteins (LAG3, TIGIT, ADORA2A, VSIR, HAVCR2) in response to CTLA-4 insufficiency. Proteomic profiling confirmed the upregulation of inflammatory mediators, including CHI3L1, CXCL13, and CSF1. Most of these transcriptomic and proteomic abnormalities were reversed after abatacept therapy; notably, gene signatures derived from lymphocytes exhibited greater normalization than those associated with myeloid cells. Furthermore, identified shared and disease-specific molecular signatures distinguished LRBA-deficient patients from those with CTLA-4 insufficiency, revealing more severe immune dysregulation in LRBA deficiency. Single-cell RNA sequencing validated the reversal of checkpoint dysregulation and the expression of inflammation-related genes across lymphoid and myeloid lineages. Conclusion: Abatacept effectively corrects key immune circuits in both diseases. This integrative systems-level approach offers new mechanisms and therapeutic targets, supporting personalized intervention strategies. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2025;156:1725-42.)
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1725-1742
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume156
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2025

Keywords

  • Abatacept
  • CTLA-4 insufficiency
  • Im-mune checkpoint dysregulation
  • LRBA deficiency
  • Multiomics profiling

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