Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Molecular Stratification of Antiphospholipid Syndrome Through Integrative Analysis of the Whole‐Blood RNA Transcriptome
Authors' conclusion
This study reveals four endotypes of aPL-positive patients
Study context
- Population
- aPL-positive patients
- Participants
- 174 patients
- Exposure
- Primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) vs Secondary APS vs aPL positivity without classifiable APS
- Primary APSn = 102
- Secondary APSn = 29
- aPL positivity without classifiable APSn = 43
- Outcome
- Distinct molecular endotypes (transcriptomic clusters) among aPL-positive patients
Methodological detailswhole-blood RNA sequencing, unsupervised machine learning, immune cell deconvolution
- Whole-blood RNA sequencing
- Unsupervised machine learning
- Immune cell deconvolution
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Transcriptomic clusters
- Four transcriptionally distinct clusters identified
- 4
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Clinical features by cluster
- Cluster 4: higher IgG aCL and anti-β2-glycoprotein I positivity, elevated neutrophil counts, increased urine protein-to-creatinine ratios
- Distinct immune pathway activations linked to white matter lesions, seizures and cardiac valve disease
Immune cell composition (deconvolution) by cluster
- Cluster 1: lymphoid predominant
- Cluster 2: balanced composition
- Cluster 3: enriched in Treg cells, NK cells, macrophages, mast cells and memory B cells
- Cluster 4: dominated by myeloid cells, incl. neutrophils, eosinophils and dendritic cells
Original publication
Molecular Stratification of Antiphospholipid Syndrome Through Integrative Analysis of the Whole‐Blood RNA Transcriptome. Arthritis Rheumatol. Published 13 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →