Integrative single-cell transcriptomics and mendelian randomization identifies BTN3A2 as a shared protective factor...

Behçet's disease (BD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disorders. Although they exhibit significant overlap in clinical manifestations and immunological features, whether they share molecular targets and pathogenic links remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the possible linking and shared treatment target between these two diseases.

We analyzed scRNA-seq data from the peripheral blood of BD and IBD patients to delineate the immune cell landscape and identify key subsets via differential proportion analysis. Combining expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was performed to infer causal relationships between the key gene expressions in BD and IBD. Finally, validation was performed using the experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) mouse model, external datasets, and blood samples from BD uveitis patients.

scRNA-seq analysis revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of CD4⁺ TEM_TH1-like cells in both BD and IBD. We identified 45 key signature genes within this subpopulation, among which the BTN3A2 gene was identified as a protective one in both BD and IBD. Co-localization analysis indicated spatial consistency between the BTN3A2 eQTL and BD GWAS signals. At the cellular functional level, BTN3A2⁺ and BTN3A2^- CD4⁺ TEM_TH1-like cells exhibited distinct cell-cell communication networks and pathway enrichment characteristics. The interactions between BTN3A2⁺ and BTN3A2^- cells were mediated by distinct signaling pathways in IBD and BD respectively. The EAU mouse model, which recapitulates BD-like ocular inflammation, was found for the first time to display IBD-like colonic pathological, including inflammatory infiltration, crypt dilation, goblet cell loss, and barrier disruption, accompanied by elevated IL-1β expression. Transcriptomic analysis using EAU mouse retina further revealed that the IBD pathway was one of the most significantly enriched disease-related pathways. Independent external datasets showed a significant downregulation of BTN3A2 at mRNA level in IBD, whereas downregulation of BTN3A2 at mRNA and protein levels was found in BD patients with uveitis.

This study identifies BTN3A2 as a shared protective factor in BD and IBD and provides experimental evidence linking BD-associated ocular inflammation to intestinal pathology, establishing a new basis for comorbidity-targeted therapeutic strategies.