Molecular Stratification of Antiphospholipid Syndrome Through Integrative Analysis of the Whole-Blood RNA Transcriptome.

OBJECTIVE

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a thromboinflammatory disorder characterized by clinical and mechanistic heterogeneity that complicates early diagnosis and hinders targeted treatment. We aimed to identify distinct molecular endotypes among antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-positive patients using whole-blood transcriptomics.

METHODS

Whole-blood RNA sequencing was performed on 174 aPL-positive patients, including those with primary APS (n = 102), secondary APS (n = 29), and aPL positivity without classifiable APS (n = 43). Unsupervised machine learning and immune cell deconvolution defined transcriptomic clusters and immune landscapes.

RESULTS

Four transcriptionally distinct clusters were identified. At one end of the spectrum, cluster 1 showed up-regulation of ribosomal and metabolic pathways and down-regulation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), NETosis, and Hippo/interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling. In contrast, cluster 4 exhibited the opposite pattern, with strong up-regulation of mTOR, NETosis, and Hippo/IL-6 signaling. Cluster 2 demonstrated modest enrichment in messenger RNA processing and amino acid metabolism, and cluster 3 showed biosynthetic suppression with mild Hippo/IL-6 activation. Clinically, cluster 4 stood out with higher IgG anticardiolipin and anti-β2-glycoprotein I positivity, elevated neutrophil counts, and increased urine protein-to-creatinine ratios. Immune deconvolution revealed distinct cell type profiles: cluster 1 was lymphoid predominant; cluster 2 had a balanced composition; cluster 3 was enriched in Treg cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, mast cells, and memory B cells; and cluster 4 was dominated by myeloid cells, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and dendritic cells. Distinct immune pathway activations were linked to clinical features, including white matter lesions, seizures, and cardiac valve disease.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals four endotypes of aPL-positive patients, a step toward personalized medicine for APS through pathway-informed stratification and therapy.