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

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.

We comprehensively investigated the effect of abatacept therapy on patients with LRBA deficiency and CTLA-4 insufficiency using an integrative multiomics approach.

The study combined longitudinal flow cytometry, targeted and single-cell transcriptomics, and plasma proteomics in patients receiving abatacept treatment.

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 CD21^low 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.

Abatacept effectively corrects key immune circuits in both diseases. This integrative systems-level approach offers new mechanisms and therapeutic targets, supporting personalized intervention strategies.