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Background:Congenital spinal anomalies represent a heterogeneous group of spinal deformities, of which only progressive or severe curves warrant surgical management. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the impact of surgery on the health-related quality of life and very limited data exists comparing these outcomes to healthy controls. Methods:A single surgeon series of 67 consecutive children with congenital scoliosis (mean age at surgery 8.0 y, range: 1.0 to 18.3 y, 28 girls) undergoing hemivertebrectomy (n = 34), instrumented spinal fusion (n = 20), or vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib procedure (n = 13) with a mean follow-up of 5.8 years (range: 2 to 13 y). The comparison was made to age and sex-matched healthy controls. Outcome measures included the Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire both pre and postoperatively, radiographic outcomes, and complications. Results:The average major curve correction was significantly better in the hemivertebrectomy (60%) and instrumented spinal fusion (51%) than in the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib group (24%), respectively (P < 0.001). Complications were noted in 8 of 67 (12%) children, but all patients recovered fully during follow-up. Pain, self-image, and function domains improved numerically from preoperative to final follow-up, but the pain score was the only one with a statistically significant change (P = 0.033). The Scoliosis Research Society pain, self-image, and function domain scores remained at a significantly lower level at the final follow-up than in the healthy controls (P <= 0.05), while activity scores improved to a similar level. Conclusions:Surgery for congenital scoliosis improved angular spinal deformities with a reasonable risk of complications. Health-related quality of life outcomes improved from preoperative to final follow-up, but especially pain and function domains remained at a significantly lower level than in the age and sex-matched healthy controls.

Study Design.Comparative cohort study. Objective.The aim of the present study was to evaluate pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in surgically managed patients with a minimum follow-up of 10 years compared with patients with untreated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and a healthy control group. Summary of Background Data.Posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screws is the standard treatment for AIS, although it remains unclear whether this procedure results in improved long-term HRQoL compared with untreated patients with AIS. Patients and Methods.Sixty-four consecutive patients at a minimum follow-up of 10 years, who underwent posterior pedicle screw instrumentation for AIS were prospectively enrolled. Fifty-three (83%) of these patients completed Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) 24 questionnaires, clinical examination, and standing spinal radiographs. Pain and HRQoL were compared with age and sex-matched patients with untreated AIS and healthy individuals. Results.The mean major curve was 57 degrees preoperatively and 15 degrees at the 10-year follow-up. SRS-24 self-image domain score showed a significant improvement from preoperative to 2 years and remained significantly better at the 10-year follow-up (P < 0.001). Patients fused to L3 or below had lower pain, satisfaction, and total score than patients fused to L2 or above (P < 0.05), but self-image, function, and activity scores did not differ between groups at 10-year follow-up. Pain, self-image, general activity, and total SRS domains were significantly better at 10-year follow-up in the surgically treated patients as compared with untreated patients (all P < 0.05). Healthy controls had significantly higher total scores than those surgically treated at 10-year follow-ups (P < 0.001). Conclusion.Patients undergoing segmental pedicle screw instrumentation for AIS maintain high-level HRQoL during a 10-year follow-up. Their HRQoL was significantly better than in the untreated patient

Objective Copy number variation of the C4 complement components, C4A and C4B, has been associated with systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether C4 copy number variation is connected to the autoimmune repertoire in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogrens syndrome (SS), or myositis. Methods Using targeted DNA sequencing, we determined the copy number and genetic variants of C4 in 2,290 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SLE, primary SS, or myositis and 1,251 healthy controls. Results A prominent relationship was observed between C4A copy number and the presence of SSA/SSB autoantibodies, which was shared between the 3 diseases. The strongest association was detected in patients with autoantibodies against both SSA and SSB and 0 C4A copies when compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 10.2-33.3]), whereas a weaker association was seen in patients without SSA/SSB autoantibodies (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.7-5.5]). The copy number of C4 correlated positively with C4 plasma levels. Further, a common loss-of-function variant in C4A leading to reduced plasma C4 was more prevalent in SLE patients with a low copy number of C4A. Functionally, we showed that absence of C4A reduced the individuals capacity to deposit C4b on immune complexes. Conclusion We show that a low C4A copy number is more strongly associated with the autoantibody repertoire than with the clinically defined disease entities. These findings may have implications for understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and for patient stratification when taking the genetic profile into account., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health; Swedish Rheumatism Association; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Heart Lung Foundation; Stockholm County; Karolinska Institutet; Wallenberg Scholarship; King Gustav Vs 80-Year Foundation

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers play an important role in diagnosing Alzheimers disease (AD) which is characterized by amyloid-beta (A beta) amyloidosis. Here, we used two App knock-in mouse models, App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F), exhibiting AD-like A beta pathology to analyze how the brain pathologies translate to CSF proteomes by label-free mass spectrometry (MS). This identified several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as significantly altered in App knock-in mice. Next, we compared mouse CSF proteomes with previously reported human CSF MS results acquired from patients across the AD spectrum. Intriguingly, the ECM protein decorin was similarly and significantly increased in both App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F) mice, strikingly already at three months of age in the App(NL-F/NL-F) mice and preclinical AD subjects having abnormal CSF-A beta 42 but normal cognition. Notably, in this group of subjects, CSF-decorin levels positively correlated with CSF-A beta 42 levels indicating that the change in CSF-decorin is associated with early A beta amyloidosis. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that CSF-decorin can predict a specific AD subtype having innate immune activation and potential choroid plexus dysfunction in the brain. Consistently, in App(NL-F/NL-F) mice, increased CSF-decorin correlated with both AP plaque load and with decorin levels in choroid plexus. In addition, a low concentration of human A beta 42 induces decorin secretion from mouse primary neurons. Interestingly, we finally identify decorin to activate neuronal autophagy through enhancing lysosomal function. Altogether, the increased CSF-decorin levels occurring at an early stage of A beta amyloidosis in the brain may reflect pathological changes in choroid plexus, present in a subtype of AD subjects., Funding Agencies|Karolinska Institute; Hallsten Research Foundation; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Brain foundation; Torsten Soderberg Foundation; Erling-Persson Family Foundation; China Scholarship Council; Swedish Research Council [2015-4870]; uropean Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk1odowska-Curie grant [676144]; Gun and Bertil Stohnes Foundation; Gamla Tjanarinnor grant; Margaretha af Ugglas Stiftelse; Alzheimerfonden [AF-930934]; Alzheimerfonden; Hjarnfonden; Swedish Brain Foundation [ALZ2022-0004, FO-2020-0207]; European Research Council [681712]; Swedish State Support for Clinical Research [ALFGBG-720931]; Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), USA [201809-2016862]; AD Strategic Fund; Alzheimers Association [ADSF-21-831376-C, ADSF-21-831381-C, ADSF-21-831377-C]; Olav Thon Foundation; Stiftelsen for Gamla Tjanarinnor, Hjarnfonden, Sweden [FO2019-0228]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [860197]; European Union Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Disorders [JPND2021-00694]; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL

Objective Copy number variation of the C4 complement components, C4A and C4B, has been associated with systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether C4 copy number variation is connected to the autoimmune repertoire in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogrens syndrome (SS), or myositis. Methods Using targeted DNA sequencing, we determined the copy number and genetic variants of C4 in 2,290 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SLE, primary SS, or myositis and 1,251 healthy controls. Results A prominent relationship was observed between C4A copy number and the presence of SSA/SSB autoantibodies, which was shared between the 3 diseases. The strongest association was detected in patients with autoantibodies against both SSA and SSB and 0 C4A copies when compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 10.2-33.3]), whereas a weaker association was seen in patients without SSA/SSB autoantibodies (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.7-5.5]). The copy number of C4 correlated positively with C4 plasma levels. Further, a common loss-of-function variant in C4A leading to reduced plasma C4 was more prevalent in SLE patients with a low copy number of C4A. Functionally, we showed that absence of C4A reduced the individuals capacity to deposit C4b on immune complexes. Conclusion We show that a low C4A copy number is more strongly associated with the autoantibody repertoire than with the clinically defined disease entities. These findings may have implications for understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and for patient stratification when taking the genetic profile into account., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health; Swedish Rheumatism Association; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Heart Lung Foundation; Stockholm County; Karolinska Institutet; Wallenberg Scholarship; King Gustav Vs 80-Year Foundation

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers play an important role in diagnosing Alzheimers disease (AD) which is characterized by amyloid-beta (A beta) amyloidosis. Here, we used two App knock-in mouse models, App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F), exhibiting AD-like A beta pathology to analyze how the brain pathologies translate to CSF proteomes by label-free mass spectrometry (MS). This identified several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as significantly altered in App knock-in mice. Next, we compared mouse CSF proteomes with previously reported human CSF MS results acquired from patients across the AD spectrum. Intriguingly, the ECM protein decorin was similarly and significantly increased in both App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F) mice, strikingly already at three months of age in the App(NL-F/NL-F) mice and preclinical AD subjects having abnormal CSF-A beta 42 but normal cognition. Notably, in this group of subjects, CSF-decorin levels positively correlated with CSF-A beta 42 levels indicating that the change in CSF-decorin is associated with early A beta amyloidosis. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that CSF-decorin can predict a specific AD subtype having innate immune activation and potential choroid plexus dysfunction in the brain. Consistently, in App(NL-F/NL-F) mice, increased CSF-decorin correlated with both AP plaque load and with decorin levels in choroid plexus. In addition, a low concentration of human A beta 42 induces decorin secretion from mouse primary neurons. Interestingly, we finally identify decorin to activate neuronal autophagy through enhancing lysosomal function. Altogether, the increased CSF-decorin levels occurring at an early stage of A beta amyloidosis in the brain may reflect pathological changes in choroid plexus, present in a subtype of AD subjects., Funding Agencies|Karolinska Institute; Hallsten Research Foundation; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Brain foundation; Torsten Soderberg Foundation; Erling-Persson Family Foundation; China Scholarship Council; Swedish Research Council [2015-4870]; uropean Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk1odowska-Curie grant [676144]; Gun and Bertil Stohnes Foundation; Gamla Tjanarinnor grant; Margaretha af Ugglas Stiftelse; Alzheimerfonden [AF-930934]; Alzheimerfonden; Hjarnfonden; Swedish Brain Foundation [ALZ2022-0004, FO-2020-0207]; European Research Council [681712]; Swedish State Support for Clinical Research [ALFGBG-720931]; Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), USA [201809-2016862]; AD Strategic Fund; Alzheimers Association [ADSF-21-831376-C, ADSF-21-831381-C, ADSF-21-831377-C]; Olav Thon Foundation; Stiftelsen for Gamla Tjanarinnor, Hjarnfonden, Sweden [FO2019-0228]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [860197]; European Union Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Disorders [JPND2021-00694]; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL

Objective Copy number variation of the C4 complement components, C4A and C4B, has been associated with systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether C4 copy number variation is connected to the autoimmune repertoire in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogrens syndrome (SS), or myositis. Methods Using targeted DNA sequencing, we determined the copy number and genetic variants of C4 in 2,290 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SLE, primary SS, or myositis and 1,251 healthy controls. Results A prominent relationship was observed between C4A copy number and the presence of SSA/SSB autoantibodies, which was shared between the 3 diseases. The strongest association was detected in patients with autoantibodies against both SSA and SSB and 0 C4A copies when compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 10.2-33.3]), whereas a weaker association was seen in patients without SSA/SSB autoantibodies (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.7-5.5]). The copy number of C4 correlated positively with C4 plasma levels. Further, a common loss-of-function variant in C4A leading to reduced plasma C4 was more prevalent in SLE patients with a low copy number of C4A. Functionally, we showed that absence of C4A reduced the individuals capacity to deposit C4b on immune complexes. Conclusion We show that a low C4A copy number is more strongly associated with the autoantibody repertoire than with the clinically defined disease entities. These findings may have implications for understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and for patient stratification when taking the genetic profile into account., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health; Swedish Rheumatism Association; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Heart Lung Foundation; Stockholm County; Karolinska Institutet; Wallenberg Scholarship; King Gustav Vs 80-Year Foundation

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers play an important role in diagnosing Alzheimers disease (AD) which is characterized by amyloid-beta (A beta) amyloidosis. Here, we used two App knock-in mouse models, App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F), exhibiting AD-like A beta pathology to analyze how the brain pathologies translate to CSF proteomes by label-free mass spectrometry (MS). This identified several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as significantly altered in App knock-in mice. Next, we compared mouse CSF proteomes with previously reported human CSF MS results acquired from patients across the AD spectrum. Intriguingly, the ECM protein decorin was similarly and significantly increased in both App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F) mice, strikingly already at three months of age in the App(NL-F/NL-F) mice and preclinical AD subjects having abnormal CSF-A beta 42 but normal cognition. Notably, in this group of subjects, CSF-decorin levels positively correlated with CSF-A beta 42 levels indicating that the change in CSF-decorin is associated with early A beta amyloidosis. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that CSF-decorin can predict a specific AD subtype having innate immune activation and potential choroid plexus dysfunction in the brain. Consistently, in App(NL-F/NL-F) mice, increased CSF-decorin correlated with both AP plaque load and with decorin levels in choroid plexus. In addition, a low concentration of human A beta 42 induces decorin secretion from mouse primary neurons. Interestingly, we finally identify decorin to activate neuronal autophagy through enhancing lysosomal function. Altogether, the increased CSF-decorin levels occurring at an early stage of A beta amyloidosis in the brain may reflect pathological changes in choroid plexus, present in a subtype of AD subjects., Funding Agencies|Karolinska Institute; Hallsten Research Foundation; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Brain foundation; Torsten Soderberg Foundation; Erling-Persson Family Foundation; China Scholarship Council; Swedish Research Council [2015-4870]; uropean Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk1odowska-Curie grant [676144]; Gun and Bertil Stohnes Foundation; Gamla Tjanarinnor grant; Margaretha af Ugglas Stiftelse; Alzheimerfonden [AF-930934]; Alzheimerfonden; Hjarnfonden; Swedish Brain Foundation [ALZ2022-0004, FO-2020-0207]; European Research Council [681712]; Swedish State Support for Clinical Research [ALFGBG-720931]; Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), USA [201809-2016862]; AD Strategic Fund; Alzheimers Association [ADSF-21-831376-C, ADSF-21-831381-C, ADSF-21-831377-C]; Olav Thon Foundation; Stiftelsen for Gamla Tjanarinnor, Hjarnfonden, Sweden [FO2019-0228]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [860197]; European Union Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Disorders [JPND2021-00694]; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers play an important role in diagnosing Alzheimers disease (AD) which is characterized by amyloid-beta (A beta) amyloidosis. Here, we used two App knock-in mouse models, App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F), exhibiting AD-like A beta pathology to analyze how the brain pathologies translate to CSF proteomes by label-free mass spectrometry (MS). This identified several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as significantly altered in App knock-in mice. Next, we compared mouse CSF proteomes with previously reported human CSF MS results acquired from patients across the AD spectrum. Intriguingly, the ECM protein decorin was similarly and significantly increased in both App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F) mice, strikingly already at three months of age in the App(NL-F/NL-F) mice and preclinical AD subjects having abnormal CSF-A beta 42 but normal cognition. Notably, in this group of subjects, CSF-decorin levels positively correlated with CSF-A beta 42 levels indicating that the change in CSF-decorin is associated with early A beta amyloidosis. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that CSF-decorin can predict a specific AD subtype having innate immune activation and potential choroid plexus dysfunction in the brain. Consistently, in App(NL-F/NL-F) mice, increased CSF-decorin correlated with both AP plaque load and with decorin levels in choroid plexus. In addition, a low concentration of human A beta 42 induces decorin secretion from mouse primary neurons. Interestingly, we finally identify decorin to activate neuronal autophagy through enhancing lysosomal function. Altogether, the increased CSF-decorin levels occurring at an early stage of A beta amyloidosis in the brain may reflect pathological changes in choroid plexus, present in a subtype of AD subjects., Funding Agencies|Karolinska Institute; Hallsten Research Foundation; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Brain foundation; Torsten Soderberg Foundation; Erling-Persson Family Foundation; China Scholarship Council; Swedish Research Council [2015-4870]; uropean Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk1odowska-Curie grant [676144]; Gun and Bertil Stohnes Foundation; Gamla Tjanarinnor grant; Margaretha af Ugglas Stiftelse; Alzheimerfonden [AF-930934]; Alzheimerfonden; Hjarnfonden; Swedish Brain Foundation [ALZ2022-0004, FO-2020-0207]; European Research Council [681712]; Swedish State Support for Clinical Research [ALFGBG-720931]; Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), USA [201809-2016862]; AD Strategic Fund; Alzheimers Association [ADSF-21-831376-C, ADSF-21-831381-C, ADSF-21-831377-C]; Olav Thon Foundation; Stiftelsen for Gamla Tjanarinnor, Hjarnfonden, Sweden [FO2019-0228]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [860197]; European Union Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Disorders [JPND2021-00694]; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL

Objective Copy number variation of the C4 complement components, C4A and C4B, has been associated with systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether C4 copy number variation is connected to the autoimmune repertoire in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogrens syndrome (SS), or myositis. Methods Using targeted DNA sequencing, we determined the copy number and genetic variants of C4 in 2,290 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SLE, primary SS, or myositis and 1,251 healthy controls. Results A prominent relationship was observed between C4A copy number and the presence of SSA/SSB autoantibodies, which was shared between the 3 diseases. The strongest association was detected in patients with autoantibodies against both SSA and SSB and 0 C4A copies when compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 10.2-33.3]), whereas a weaker association was seen in patients without SSA/SSB autoantibodies (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.7-5.5]). The copy number of C4 correlated positively with C4 plasma levels. Further, a common loss-of-function variant in C4A leading to reduced plasma C4 was more prevalent in SLE patients with a low copy number of C4A. Functionally, we showed that absence of C4A reduced the individuals capacity to deposit C4b on immune complexes. Conclusion We show that a low C4A copy number is more strongly associated with the autoantibody repertoire than with the clinically defined disease entities. These findings may have implications for understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and for patient stratification when taking the genetic profile into account., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health; Swedish Rheumatism Association; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Heart Lung Foundation; Stockholm County; Karolinska Institutet; Wallenberg Scholarship; King Gustav Vs 80-Year Foundation

Objective Copy number variation of the C4 complement components, C4A and C4B, has been associated with systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases. This study was undertaken to investigate whether C4 copy number variation is connected to the autoimmune repertoire in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogrens syndrome (SS), or myositis. Methods Using targeted DNA sequencing, we determined the copy number and genetic variants of C4 in 2,290 well-characterized Scandinavian patients with SLE, primary SS, or myositis and 1,251 healthy controls. Results A prominent relationship was observed between C4A copy number and the presence of SSA/SSB autoantibodies, which was shared between the 3 diseases. The strongest association was detected in patients with autoantibodies against both SSA and SSB and 0 C4A copies when compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.0 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 10.2-33.3]), whereas a weaker association was seen in patients without SSA/SSB autoantibodies (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.7-5.5]). The copy number of C4 correlated positively with C4 plasma levels. Further, a common loss-of-function variant in C4A leading to reduced plasma C4 was more prevalent in SLE patients with a low copy number of C4A. Functionally, we showed that absence of C4A reduced the individuals capacity to deposit C4b on immune complexes. Conclusion We show that a low C4A copy number is more strongly associated with the autoantibody repertoire than with the clinically defined disease entities. These findings may have implications for understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of systemic inflammatory autoimmune diseases and for patient stratification when taking the genetic profile into account., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health; Swedish Rheumatism Association; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Heart Lung Foundation; Stockholm County; Karolinska Institutet; Wallenberg Scholarship; King Gustav Vs 80-Year Foundation

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers play an important role in diagnosing Alzheimers disease (AD) which is characterized by amyloid-beta (A beta) amyloidosis. Here, we used two App knock-in mouse models, App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F), exhibiting AD-like A beta pathology to analyze how the brain pathologies translate to CSF proteomes by label-free mass spectrometry (MS). This identified several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as significantly altered in App knock-in mice. Next, we compared mouse CSF proteomes with previously reported human CSF MS results acquired from patients across the AD spectrum. Intriguingly, the ECM protein decorin was similarly and significantly increased in both App(NL-F/NL-F) and App(NL-G-F/NL-G-F) mice, strikingly already at three months of age in the App(NL-F/NL-F) mice and preclinical AD subjects having abnormal CSF-A beta 42 but normal cognition. Notably, in this group of subjects, CSF-decorin levels positively correlated with CSF-A beta 42 levels indicating that the change in CSF-decorin is associated with early A beta amyloidosis. Importantly, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that CSF-decorin can predict a specific AD subtype having innate immune activation and potential choroid plexus dysfunction in the brain. Consistently, in App(NL-F/NL-F) mice, increased CSF-decorin correlated with both AP plaque load and with decorin levels in choroid plexus. In addition, a low concentration of human A beta 42 induces decorin secretion from mouse primary neurons. Interestingly, we finally identify decorin to activate neuronal autophagy through enhancing lysosomal function. Altogether, the increased CSF-decorin levels occurring at an early stage of A beta amyloidosis in the brain may reflect pathological changes in choroid plexus, present in a subtype of AD subjects., Funding Agencies|Karolinska Institute; Hallsten Research Foundation; Swedish Research Council; Swedish Brain foundation; Torsten Soderberg Foundation; Erling-Persson Family Foundation; China Scholarship Council; Swedish Research Council [2015-4870]; uropean Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk1odowska-Curie grant [676144]; Gun and Bertil Stohnes Foundation; Gamla Tjanarinnor grant; Margaretha af Ugglas Stiftelse; Alzheimerfonden [AF-930934]; Alzheimerfonden; Hjarnfonden; Swedish Brain Foundation [ALZ2022-0004, FO-2020-0207]; European Research Council [681712]; Swedish State Support for Clinical Research [ALFGBG-720931]; Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), USA [201809-2016862]; AD Strategic Fund; Alzheimers Association [ADSF-21-831376-C, ADSF-21-831381-C, ADSF-21-831377-C]; Olav Thon Foundation; Stiftelsen for Gamla Tjanarinnor, Hjarnfonden, Sweden [FO2019-0228]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant [860197]; European Union Joint Program for Neurodegenerative Disorders [JPND2021-00694]; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL

By performing whole-genome sequencing in a Swedish cohort of 71 parent-offspring trios, in which the child in each family is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700), we investigated the contribution of de novo variants to risk of SLE. We found de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to be significantly enriched in gene promoters in SLE patients compared with healthy controls at a level corresponding to 26 de novo promoter SNVs more in each patient than expected. We identified 12 de novo SNVs in promoter regions of genes that have been previously implicated in SLE, or that have functions that could be of relevance to SLE. Furthermore, we detected three missense de novo SNVs, five de novo insertion-deletions, and three de novo structural variants with potential to affect the expression of genes that are relevant for SLE. Based on enrichment analysis, disease-affecting de novo SNVs are expected to occur in one-third of SLE patients. This study shows that de novo variants in promoters commonly contribute to the genetic risk of SLE. The fact that de novo SNVs in SLE were enriched to promoter regions highlights the importance of using whole-genome sequencing for identification of de novo variants., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation

By performing whole-genome sequencing in a Swedish cohort of 71 parent-offspring trios, in which the child in each family is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700), we investigated the contribution of de novo variants to risk of SLE. We found de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to be significantly enriched in gene promoters in SLE patients compared with healthy controls at a level corresponding to 26 de novo promoter SNVs more in each patient than expected. We identified 12 de novo SNVs in promoter regions of genes that have been previously implicated in SLE, or that have functions that could be of relevance to SLE. Furthermore, we detected three missense de novo SNVs, five de novo insertion-deletions, and three de novo structural variants with potential to affect the expression of genes that are relevant for SLE. Based on enrichment analysis, disease-affecting de novo SNVs are expected to occur in one-third of SLE patients. This study shows that de novo variants in promoters commonly contribute to the genetic risk of SLE. The fact that de novo SNVs in SLE were enriched to promoter regions highlights the importance of using whole-genome sequencing for identification of de novo variants., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

By performing whole-genome sequencing in a Swedish cohort of 71 parent-offspring trios, in which the child in each family is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700), we investigated the contribution of de novo variants to risk of SLE. We found de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to be significantly enriched in gene promoters in SLE patients compared with healthy controls at a level corresponding to 26 de novo promoter SNVs more in each patient than expected. We identified 12 de novo SNVs in promoter regions of genes that have been previously implicated in SLE, or that have functions that could be of relevance to SLE. Furthermore, we detected three missense de novo SNVs, five de novo insertion-deletions, and three de novo structural variants with potential to affect the expression of genes that are relevant for SLE. Based on enrichment analysis, disease-affecting de novo SNVs are expected to occur in one-third of SLE patients. This study shows that de novo variants in promoters commonly contribute to the genetic risk of SLE. The fact that de novo SNVs in SLE were enriched to promoter regions highlights the importance of using whole-genome sequencing for identification of de novo variants., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

By performing whole-genome sequencing in a Swedish cohort of 71 parent-offspring trios, in which the child in each family is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700), we investigated the contribution of de novo variants to risk of SLE. We found de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to be significantly enriched in gene promoters in SLE patients compared with healthy controls at a level corresponding to 26 de novo promoter SNVs more in each patient than expected. We identified 12 de novo SNVs in promoter regions of genes that have been previously implicated in SLE, or that have functions that could be of relevance to SLE. Furthermore, we detected three missense de novo SNVs, five de novo insertion-deletions, and three de novo structural variants with potential to affect the expression of genes that are relevant for SLE. Based on enrichment analysis, disease-affecting de novo SNVs are expected to occur in one-third of SLE patients. This study shows that de novo variants in promoters commonly contribute to the genetic risk of SLE. The fact that de novo SNVs in SLE were enriched to promoter regions highlights the importance of using whole-genome sequencing for identification of de novo variants., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with extensive heterogeneity in disease presentation between patients, which is likely due to an underlying molecular diversity. Here, we aimed at elucidating the genetic aetiology of SLE from the immunity pathway level to the single variant level, and stratify patients with SLE into distinguishable molecular subgroups, which could inform treatment choices in SLE. Methods We undertook a pathway-centred approach, using sequencing of immunological pathway genes. Altogether 1832 candidate genes were analysed in 958 Swedish patients with SLE and 1026 healthy individuals. Aggregate and single variant association testing was performed, and we generated pathway polygenic risk scores (PRS). Results We identified two main independent pathways involved in SLE susceptibility: T lymphocyte differentiation and innate immunity, characterised by HLA and interferon, respectively. Pathway PRS defined pathways in individual patients, who on average were positive for seven pathways. We found that SLE organ damage was more pronounced in patients positive for the T or B cell receptor signalling pathways. Further, pathway PRS-based clustering allowed stratification of patients into four groups with different risk score profiles. Studying sets of genes with priors for involvement in SLE, we observed an aggregate common variant contribution to SLE at genes previously reported for monogenic SLE as well as at interferonopathy genes. Conclusions Our results show that pathway risk scores have the potential to stratify patients with SLE beyond clinical manifestations into molecular subsets, which may have implications for clinical follow-up and therapy selection., Funding Agencies|AstraZeneca-Science for Life Laboratory Research Collaboration grant (DISSECT); Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2018-02535]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustav Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish-Heart-Lung foundationSwedish Heart-Lung Foundation; Wallenberg Scholar Award; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI)Swedish Research Council; Uppsala University; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation

By performing whole-genome sequencing in a Swedish cohort of 71 parent-offspring trios, in which the child in each family is affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700), we investigated the contribution of de novo variants to risk of SLE. We found de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs) to be significantly enriched in gene promoters in SLE patients compared with healthy controls at a level corresponding to 26 de novo promoter SNVs more in each patient than expected. We identified 12 de novo SNVs in promoter regions of genes that have been previously implicated in SLE, or that have functions that could be of relevance to SLE. Furthermore, we detected three missense de novo SNVs, five de novo insertion-deletions, and three de novo structural variants with potential to affect the expression of genes that are relevant for SLE. Based on enrichment analysis, disease-affecting de novo SNVs are expected to occur in one-third of SLE patients. This study shows that de novo variants in promoters commonly contribute to the genetic risk of SLE. The fact that de novo SNVs in SLE were enriched to promoter regions highlights the importance of using whole-genome sequencing for identification of de novo variants., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [2018-02399, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation

Objectives: Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) de-ubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-κB but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results: Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-κB signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions: We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease, which currently lacks specific diagnostic biomarkers. The diversity within the patients obstructs clinical trials but may also reflect differences in underlying pathogenesis. Our objective was to obtain protein profiles to identify potential general biomarkers of SLE and to determine molecular subgroups within SLE for patient stratification. Plasma samples from a cross-sectional study of well-characterized SLE patients (n = 379) and matched population controls (n = 316) were analyzed by antibody suspension bead array targeting 281 proteins. To investigate the differences between SLE and controls, Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction, generalized linear modeling and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis were performed. K-means clustering was used to identify molecular SLE subgroups. We identified Interferon regulating factor 5 (IRF5), solute carrier family 22 member 2 (SLC22A2) and S100 calcium binding protein A12 (S100A12) as the three proteins with the largest fold change between SLE patients and controls (SLE/Control = 1.4, 1.4, and 1.2 respectively). The lowest p-values comparing SLE patients and controls were obtained for S100A12, Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) and SLC22A2 (p(adjusted) = 3 x 10(-9), 3 x 10(-6), and 5 x 10(-6) respectively). In a set of 15 potential biomarkers differentiating SLE patients and controls, two of the proteins were transcription factors, i.e., IRF5 and SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor (SPDEF). IRF5 was up-regulated while SPDEF was found to be down-regulated in SLE patients. Unsupervised clustering of all investigated proteins identified three molecular subgroups among SLE patients, characterized by (1) high levels of rheumatoid factor-IgM, (2) low IRF5, and (3) high IRF5. IRF5 expressing microparticles were analyzed by flow cytometry in a subset of patients to confirm the presence of IRF5 in plasma and detection of, QC 20190610

Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of polymorphic deposits comprising diffuse and cored plaques. Because diffuse plaques are predominantly observed in cognitively unaffected, amyloid-positive (CU-AP) individuals, pathogenic conversion into cored plaques appears to be critical to AD pathogenesis. Herein, we identified the distinct Aβ species associated with amyloid polymorphism in brain tissue from individuals with sporadic AD (s-AD) and CU-AP. To this end, we interrogated Aβ polymorphism with amyloid conformation–sensitive dyes and a novel in situ MS paradigm for chemical characterization of hyperspectrally delineated plaque morphotypes. We found that maturation of diffuse into cored plaques correlated with increased Aβ1–40 deposition. Using spatial in situ delineation with imaging MS (IMS), we show that Aβ1–40 aggregates at the core structure of mature plaques, whereas Aβ1–42 localizes to diffuse amyloid aggregates. Moreover, we observed that diffuse plaques have increased pyroglutamated Aβx-42 levels in s-AD but not CU-AP, suggesting an AD pathology–related, hydrophobic functionalization of diffuse plaques facilitating Aβ1–40 deposition. Experiments in tgAPPSwe mice verified that, similar to what has been observed in human brain pathology, diffuse deposits display higher levels of Aβ1–42 and that Aβ plaque maturation over time is associated with increases in Aβ1–40. Finally, we found that Aβ1–40 deposition is characteristic for cerebral amyloid angiopathy deposition and maturation in both humans and mice. These results indicate that N-terminal Aβx-42 pyroglutamation and Aβ1–40 deposition are critical events in priming and maturation of pathogenic Aβ from diffuse into cored plaques, underlying neurotoxic plaque development in AD., Funding Agencies|Leonard Wolfson Centre for Experimental Neurology; Reta Lila Weston Institute for Neurological Studies; Medical Research Council

Objectives: Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) de-ubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-κB but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results: Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-κB signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions: We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentation and complex etiology involving the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and hormonal factors. Many common SNPs identified by genome wide-association studies (GWAS) explain only a small part of the disease heritability suggesting the contribution from rare genetic variants, undetectable in GWAS, and complex epistatic interactions. Using targeted resequencing of coding and conserved regulatory regions within and around 215 candidate genes selected on the basis of their known role in autoimmunity and genes associated with canine immune-mediated diseases, we identified a rare regulatory variant rs200395694:G > T located in intron 4 of the MEF2D gene encoding the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D transcription factor and associated with SLE in Swedish cohorts (504 SLE patients and 839 healthy controls, p = 0 .014 , CI = 1.1-10). Fisher's exact test revealed an association between the genetic variant and a triad of disease manifestations including Raynaud, anti-Ul-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP), and anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies (p = 0.00037) among the patients. The DNA-binding activity of the allele was further studied by EMSA, reporter assays, and minigenes. The region has properties of an active cell-specific enhancer, differentially affected by the alleles of rs200395694:G > T. In addition, the risk allele exerts an inhibitory effect on the splicing of the alternative tissue-specific isoform, and thus may modify the target gene set regulated by this isoform. These findings emphasize the potential of dissecting traits of complex diseases and correlating them with rare risk alleles with strong biological effects.

Objectives Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) deubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-kappa B but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-kappa B signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation., Funding Agencies|DISSECT AstraZeneca-SciLifeLab collaboration; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Rheumatism Foundation; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation; Medical Research Council Programme Grant [MRC000985]

Objectives: Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) de-ubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-κB but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results: Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-κB signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions: We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation.

Objectives: To performa cross-comparative analysis of DNA methylation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), patients with primary Sjogrens syndrome (pSS), and healthy controls addressing the question of epigenetic sharing and aiming to detect disease-specific alterations. Methods: DNA extracted from peripheral blood from 347 cases with SLE, 100 cases with pSS, and 400 healthy controls were analyzed on the Human Methylation 450k array, targeting 485,000 CpG sites across the genome. A linear regression model including age, sex, and blood cell type distribution as covariates was fitted, and association p-values were Bonferroni corrected. A random forest machine learning classifier was designed for prediction of disease status based on DNA methylation data. Results: We established a combined set of 4,945 shared differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) in SLE and pSS compared to controls. In pSS, hypomethylation at type I interferon induced genes was mainly driven by patients who were positive for Ro/SSA and/or La/SSB autoantibodies. Analysis of differential methylation between SLE and pSS identified 2,244 DMCs with a majority of sites showing decreased methylation in SLE compared to pSS. The random forest classifier demonstrated good performance in discerning between disease status with an area under the curve (AUC) between 0.83 and 0.96. Conclusions: The majority of differential DNA methylation is shared between SLE and pSS, however, important quantitative differences exist. Our data highlight neutrophil dysregulation as a shared mechanism, emphasizing the role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune diseases. The current study provides evidence for genes and molecular pathways driving common and disease-specific pathogenic mechanisms., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation [KAW 2011.0073]; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [VR-MH Dnr 521-2014-2263, Dnr 2018-02399, Dnr 2016-01982]; Gustaf V and Queen Victorias Freemasons Foundation; County Council of Ostergotland; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI); Ingegerd Johansson donation; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of polymorphic deposits comprising diffuse and cored plaques. Because diffuse plaques are predominantly observed in cognitively unaffected, amyloid-positive (CU-AP) individuals, pathogenic conversion into cored plaques appears to be critical to AD pathogenesis. Herein, we identified the distinct Aβ species associated with amyloid polymorphism in brain tissue from individuals with sporadic AD (s-AD) and CU-AP. To this end, we interrogated Aβ polymorphism with amyloid conformation–sensitive dyes and a novel in situ MS paradigm for chemical characterization of hyperspectrally delineated plaque morphotypes. We found that maturation of diffuse into cored plaques correlated with increased Aβ1–40 deposition. Using spatial in situ delineation with imaging MS (IMS), we show that Aβ1–40 aggregates at the core structure of mature plaques, whereas Aβ1–42 localizes to diffuse amyloid aggregates. Moreover, we observed that diffuse plaques have increased pyroglutamated Aβx-42 levels in s-AD but not CU-AP, suggesting an AD pathology–related, hydrophobic functionalization of diffuse plaques facilitating Aβ1–40 deposition. Experiments in tgAPPSwe mice verified that, similar to what has been observed in human brain pathology, diffuse deposits display higher levels of Aβ1–42 and that Aβ plaque maturation over time is associated with increases in Aβ1–40. Finally, we found that Aβ1–40 deposition is characteristic for cerebral amyloid angiopathy deposition and maturation in both humans and mice. These results indicate that N-terminal Aβx-42 pyroglutamation and Aβ1–40 deposition are critical events in priming and maturation of pathogenic Aβ from diffuse into cored plaques, underlying neurotoxic plaque development in AD., Funding Agencies|Leonard Wolfson Centre for Experimental Neurology; Reta Lila Weston Institute for Neurological Studies; Medical Research Council

Objectives Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) deubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-kappa B but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-kappa B signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation., Funding Agencies|DISSECT AstraZeneca-SciLifeLab collaboration; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Rheumatism Foundation; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation; Medical Research Council Programme Grant [MRC000985]

Objectives: Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) de-ubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-κB but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results: Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-κB signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions: We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation.

Objectives: To performa cross-comparative analysis of DNA methylation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), patients with primary Sjogrens syndrome (pSS), and healthy controls addressing the question of epigenetic sharing and aiming to detect disease-specific alterations. Methods: DNA extracted from peripheral blood from 347 cases with SLE, 100 cases with pSS, and 400 healthy controls were analyzed on the Human Methylation 450k array, targeting 485,000 CpG sites across the genome. A linear regression model including age, sex, and blood cell type distribution as covariates was fitted, and association p-values were Bonferroni corrected. A random forest machine learning classifier was designed for prediction of disease status based on DNA methylation data. Results: We established a combined set of 4,945 shared differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) in SLE and pSS compared to controls. In pSS, hypomethylation at type I interferon induced genes was mainly driven by patients who were positive for Ro/SSA and/or La/SSB autoantibodies. Analysis of differential methylation between SLE and pSS identified 2,244 DMCs with a majority of sites showing decreased methylation in SLE compared to pSS. The random forest classifier demonstrated good performance in discerning between disease status with an area under the curve (AUC) between 0.83 and 0.96. Conclusions: The majority of differential DNA methylation is shared between SLE and pSS, however, important quantitative differences exist. Our data highlight neutrophil dysregulation as a shared mechanism, emphasizing the role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune diseases. The current study provides evidence for genes and molecular pathways driving common and disease-specific pathogenic mechanisms., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation [KAW 2011.0073]; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [VR-MH Dnr 521-2014-2263, Dnr 2018-02399, Dnr 2016-01982]; Gustaf V and Queen Victorias Freemasons Foundation; County Council of Ostergotland; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI); Ingegerd Johansson donation; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of polymorphic deposits comprising diffuse and cored plaques. Because diffuse plaques are predominantly observed in cognitively unaffected, amyloid-positive (CU-AP) individuals, pathogenic conversion into cored plaques appears to be critical to AD pathogenesis. Herein, we identified the distinct Aβ species associated with amyloid polymorphism in brain tissue from individuals with sporadic AD (s-AD) and CU-AP. To this end, we interrogated Aβ polymorphism with amyloid conformation–sensitive dyes and a novel in situ MS paradigm for chemical characterization of hyperspectrally delineated plaque morphotypes. We found that maturation of diffuse into cored plaques correlated with increased Aβ1–40 deposition. Using spatial in situ delineation with imaging MS (IMS), we show that Aβ1–40 aggregates at the core structure of mature plaques, whereas Aβ1–42 localizes to diffuse amyloid aggregates. Moreover, we observed that diffuse plaques have increased pyroglutamated Aβx-42 levels in s-AD but not CU-AP, suggesting an AD pathology–related, hydrophobic functionalization of diffuse plaques facilitating Aβ1–40 deposition. Experiments in tgAPPSwe mice verified that, similar to what has been observed in human brain pathology, diffuse deposits display higher levels of Aβ1–42 and that Aβ plaque maturation over time is associated with increases in Aβ1–40. Finally, we found that Aβ1–40 deposition is characteristic for cerebral amyloid angiopathy deposition and maturation in both humans and mice. These results indicate that N-terminal Aβx-42 pyroglutamation and Aβ1–40 deposition are critical events in priming and maturation of pathogenic Aβ from diffuse into cored plaques, underlying neurotoxic plaque development in AD., Funding Agencies|Leonard Wolfson Centre for Experimental Neurology; Reta Lila Weston Institute for Neurological Studies; Medical Research Council

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. The mode of inheritance of the genetic risk beyond familial SLE cases is currently unknown. Additionally, the contribution of heterozygous variants in genes known to cause monogenic SLE is not fully understood. Whole-genome sequencing of DNA samples from 71 Swedish patients with SLE and their healthy biological parents was performed to investigate the general genetic risk of SLE using known SLE GWAS risk loci identified using the ImmunoChip, variants in genes associated to monogenic SLE, and the mode of inheritance of SLE risk alleles in these families. A random forest model for predicting genetic risk for SLE showed that the SLE risk variants were mainly inherited from one of the parents. In the 71 patients, we detected a significant enrichment of ultra-rare (0.1%) missense and nonsense mutations in 22 genes known to cause monogenic forms of SLE. We identified one previously reported homozygous nonsense mutation in the C1QC (Complement C1q C Chain) gene, which explains the immunodeficiency and severe SLE phenotype of that patient. We also identified seven ultra-rare, coding heterozygous variants in five genes (C1S, DNASE1L3, DNASE1, IFIH1, and RNASEH2A) involved in monogenic SLE. Our findings indicate a complex contribution to the overall genetic risk of SLE by rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE. The rare variants were inherited from the other parent than the one who passed on the more common risk variants leading to an increased genetic burden for SLE in the child. Higher frequency SLE risk variants are mostly passed from one of the parents to the offspring affected with SLE. In contrast, the other parent, in seven cases, contributed heterozygous rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE, suggesting a larger impact of rare variants in SLE than hitherto reported., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [D0283001, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Research Council for Infrastructures (VR-RFI)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. The mode of inheritance of the genetic risk beyond familial SLE cases is currently unknown. Additionally, the contribution of heterozygous variants in genes known to cause monogenic SLE is not fully understood. Whole-genome sequencing of DNA samples from 71 Swedish patients with SLE and their healthy biological parents was performed to investigate the general genetic risk of SLE using known SLE GWAS risk loci identified using the ImmunoChip, variants in genes associated to monogenic SLE, and the mode of inheritance of SLE risk alleles in these families. A random forest model for predicting genetic risk for SLE showed that the SLE risk variants were mainly inherited from one of the parents. In the 71 patients, we detected a significant enrichment of ultra-rare (0.1%) missense and nonsense mutations in 22 genes known to cause monogenic forms of SLE. We identified one previously reported homozygous nonsense mutation in the C1QC (Complement C1q C Chain) gene, which explains the immunodeficiency and severe SLE phenotype of that patient. We also identified seven ultra-rare, coding heterozygous variants in five genes (C1S, DNASE1L3, DNASE1, IFIH1, and RNASEH2A) involved in monogenic SLE. Our findings indicate a complex contribution to the overall genetic risk of SLE by rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE. The rare variants were inherited from the other parent than the one who passed on the more common risk variants leading to an increased genetic burden for SLE in the child. Higher frequency SLE risk variants are mostly passed from one of the parents to the offspring affected with SLE. In contrast, the other parent, in seven cases, contributed heterozygous rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE, suggesting a larger impact of rare variants in SLE than hitherto reported., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [D0283001, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Research Council for Infrastructures (VR-RFI)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentation and complex etiology involving the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and hormonal factors. Many common SNPs identified by genome wide-association studies (GWAS) explain only a small part of the disease heritability suggesting the contribution from rare genetic variants, undetectable in GWAS, and complex epistatic interactions. Using targeted resequencing of coding and conserved regulatory regions within and around 215 candidate genes selected on the basis of their known role in autoimmunity and genes associated with canine immune-mediated diseases, we identified a rare regulatory variant rs200395694:G > T located in intron 4 of the MEF2D gene encoding the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D transcription factor and associated with SLE in Swedish cohorts (504 SLE patients and 839 healthy controls, p = 0 .014 , CI = 1.1-10). Fisher's exact test revealed an association between the genetic variant and a triad of disease manifestations including Raynaud, anti-Ul-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP), and anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies (p = 0.00037) among the patients. The DNA-binding activity of the allele was further studied by EMSA, reporter assays, and minigenes. The region has properties of an active cell-specific enhancer, differentially affected by the alleles of rs200395694:G > T. In addition, the risk allele exerts an inhibitory effect on the splicing of the alternative tissue-specific isoform, and thus may modify the target gene set regulated by this isoform. These findings emphasize the potential of dissecting traits of complex diseases and correlating them with rare risk alleles with strong biological effects.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentation and complex etiology involving the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and hormonal factors. Many common SNPs identified by genome wide-association studies (GWAS) explain only a small part of the disease heritability suggesting the contribution from rare genetic variants, undetectable in GWAS, and complex epistatic interactions. Using targeted resequencing of coding and conserved regulatory regions within and around 215 candidate genes selected on the basis of their known role in autoimmunity and genes associated with canine immune-mediated diseases, we identified a rare regulatory variant rs200395694:G > T located in intron 4 of the MEF2D gene encoding the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D transcription factor and associated with SLE in Swedish cohorts (504 SLE patients and 839 healthy controls, p = 0 .014 , CI = 1.1-10). Fisher's exact test revealed an association between the genetic variant and a triad of disease manifestations including Raynaud, anti-Ul-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP), and anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies (p = 0.00037) among the patients. The DNA-binding activity of the allele was further studied by EMSA, reporter assays, and minigenes. The region has properties of an active cell-specific enhancer, differentially affected by the alleles of rs200395694:G > T. In addition, the risk allele exerts an inhibitory effect on the splicing of the alternative tissue-specific isoform, and thus may modify the target gene set regulated by this isoform. These findings emphasize the potential of dissecting traits of complex diseases and correlating them with rare risk alleles with strong biological effects.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the formation of polymorphic deposits comprising diffuse and cored plaques. Because diffuse plaques are predominantly observed in cognitively unaffected, amyloid-positive (CU-AP) individuals, pathogenic conversion into cored plaques appears to be critical to AD pathogenesis. Herein, we identified the distinct Aβ species associated with amyloid polymorphism in brain tissue from individuals with sporadic AD (s-AD) and CU-AP. To this end, we interrogated Aβ polymorphism with amyloid conformation–sensitive dyes and a novel in situ MS paradigm for chemical characterization of hyperspectrally delineated plaque morphotypes. We found that maturation of diffuse into cored plaques correlated with increased Aβ1–40 deposition. Using spatial in situ delineation with imaging MS (IMS), we show that Aβ1–40 aggregates at the core structure of mature plaques, whereas Aβ1–42 localizes to diffuse amyloid aggregates. Moreover, we observed that diffuse plaques have increased pyroglutamated Aβx-42 levels in s-AD but not CU-AP, suggesting an AD pathology–related, hydrophobic functionalization of diffuse plaques facilitating Aβ1–40 deposition. Experiments in tgAPPSwe mice verified that, similar to what has been observed in human brain pathology, diffuse deposits display higher levels of Aβ1–42 and that Aβ plaque maturation over time is associated with increases in Aβ1–40. Finally, we found that Aβ1–40 deposition is characteristic for cerebral amyloid angiopathy deposition and maturation in both humans and mice. These results indicate that N-terminal Aβx-42 pyroglutamation and Aβ1–40 deposition are critical events in priming and maturation of pathogenic Aβ from diffuse into cored plaques, underlying neurotoxic plaque development in AD., Funding Agencies|Leonard Wolfson Centre for Experimental Neurology; Reta Lila Weston Institute for Neurological Studies; Medical Research Council

Objectives Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) deubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-kappa B but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-kappa B signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation., Funding Agencies|DISSECT AstraZeneca-SciLifeLab collaboration; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Rheumatism Foundation; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation; Medical Research Council Programme Grant [MRC000985]

Almost 50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Development of disease-modifying therapies would benefit from reliable, non-invasive positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers for early diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and assessment of therapeutic effects. Traditionally, PET ligands have been based on small molecules that, with the right properties, can penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and visualize targets in the brain. Recently a new class of PET ligands based on antibodies have emerged, mainly in applications related to cancer. While antibodies have advantages such as high specificity and affinity, their passage across the BBB is limited. Thus, to be used as brain PET ligands, antibodies need to be modified for active transport into the brain. Here, we review the development of radioligands based on antibodies for visualization of intrabrain targets. We focus on antibodies modified into a bispecific format, with the capacity to undergo transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1)-mediated transcytosis to enter the brain and access pathological proteins, e.g. amyloid-beta. A number of such antibody ligands have been developed, displaying differences in brain uptake, pharmacokinetics, and ability to bind and visualize the target in the brain of transgenic mice. Potential pathological changes related to neurodegeneration, e.g. misfolded proteins and neuroinflammation, are suggested as future targets for this novel type of radioligand. Challenges are also discussed, such as the temporal match of radionuclide half-life with the ligand's pharmacokinetic profile and translation to human use. In conclusion, brain PET imaging using bispecific antibodies, modified for receptor-mediated transcytosis across the BBB, is a promising method for specifically visualizing molecules in the brain that are difficult to target with traditional small molecule ligands.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentation and complex etiology involving the interplay between genetic, epigenetic, environmental and hormonal factors. Many common SNPs identified by genome wide-association studies (GWAS) explain only a small part of the disease heritability suggesting the contribution from rare genetic variants, undetectable in GWAS, and complex epistatic interactions. Using targeted resequencing of coding and conserved regulatory regions within and around 215 candidate genes selected on the basis of their known role in autoimmunity and genes associated with canine immune-mediated diseases, we identified a rare regulatory variant rs200395694:G > T located in intron 4 of the MEF2D gene encoding the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D transcription factor and associated with SLE in Swedish cohorts (504 SLE patients and 839 healthy controls, p = 0 .014 , CI = 1.1-10). Fisher's exact test revealed an association between the genetic variant and a triad of disease manifestations including Raynaud, anti-Ul-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP), and anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies (p = 0.00037) among the patients. The DNA-binding activity of the allele was further studied by EMSA, reporter assays, and minigenes. The region has properties of an active cell-specific enhancer, differentially affected by the alleles of rs200395694:G > T. In addition, the risk allele exerts an inhibitory effect on the splicing of the alternative tissue-specific isoform, and thus may modify the target gene set regulated by this isoform. These findings emphasize the potential of dissecting traits of complex diseases and correlating them with rare risk alleles with strong biological effects.

Almost 50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Development of disease-modifying therapies would benefit from reliable, non-invasive positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers for early diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and assessment of therapeutic effects. Traditionally, PET ligands have been based on small molecules that, with the right properties, can penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and visualize targets in the brain. Recently a new class of PET ligands based on antibodies have emerged, mainly in applications related to cancer. While antibodies have advantages such as high specificity and affinity, their passage across the BBB is limited. Thus, to be used as brain PET ligands, antibodies need to be modified for active transport into the brain. Here, we review the development of radioligands based on antibodies for visualization of intrabrain targets. We focus on antibodies modified into a bispecific format, with the capacity to undergo transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1)-mediated transcytosis to enter the brain and access pathological proteins, e.g. amyloid-beta. A number of such antibody ligands have been developed, displaying differences in brain uptake, pharmacokinetics, and ability to bind and visualize the target in the brain of transgenic mice. Potential pathological changes related to neurodegeneration, e.g. misfolded proteins and neuroinflammation, are suggested as future targets for this novel type of radioligand. Challenges are also discussed, such as the temporal match of radionuclide half-life with the ligand's pharmacokinetic profile and translation to human use. In conclusion, brain PET imaging using bispecific antibodies, modified for receptor-mediated transcytosis across the BBB, is a promising method for specifically visualizing molecules in the brain that are difficult to target with traditional small molecule ligands.

Objectives Genetic variations in TNFAIP3 (A20) deubiquitinase (DUB) domain increase the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis. A20 is a negative regulator of NF-kappa B but the role of its DUB domain and related genetic variants remain unclear. We aimed to study the functional effects of A20 DUB-domain alterations in immune cells and understand its link to SLE pathogenesis. Methods CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate human U937 monocytes with A20 DUB-inactivating C103A knock-in (KI) mutation. Whole genome RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes between WT and C103A KI cells. Functional studies were performed in A20 C103A U937 cells and in immune cells from A20 C103A mice and genotyped healthy individuals with A20 DUB polymorphism rs2230926. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation was addressed ex vivo in neutrophils from A20 C103A mice and SLE-patients with rs2230926. Results Genetic disruption of A20 DUB domain in human and murine myeloid cells did not give rise to enhanced NF-kappa B signalling. Instead, cells with C103A mutation or rs2230926 polymorphism presented an upregulated expression of PADI4, an enzyme regulating protein citrullination and NET formation, two key mechanisms in autoimmune pathology. A20 C103A cells exhibited enhanced protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation, which could be suppressed by selective PAD4 inhibition. Moreover, SLE-patients with rs2230926 showed increased NETs and increased frequency of autoantibodies to citrullinated epitopes. Conclusions We propose that genetic alterations disrupting the A20 DUB domain mediate increased susceptibility to SLE through the upregulation of PADI4 with resultant protein citrullination and extracellular trap formation., Funding Agencies|DISSECT AstraZeneca-SciLifeLab collaboration; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council; Knut and Alice Wallenberg FoundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Rheumatism Foundation; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Ingegerd Johansson donation; Medical Research Council Programme Grant [MRC000985]

Objectives: To performa cross-comparative analysis of DNA methylation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), patients with primary Sjogrens syndrome (pSS), and healthy controls addressing the question of epigenetic sharing and aiming to detect disease-specific alterations. Methods: DNA extracted from peripheral blood from 347 cases with SLE, 100 cases with pSS, and 400 healthy controls were analyzed on the Human Methylation 450k array, targeting 485,000 CpG sites across the genome. A linear regression model including age, sex, and blood cell type distribution as covariates was fitted, and association p-values were Bonferroni corrected. A random forest machine learning classifier was designed for prediction of disease status based on DNA methylation data. Results: We established a combined set of 4,945 shared differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) in SLE and pSS compared to controls. In pSS, hypomethylation at type I interferon induced genes was mainly driven by patients who were positive for Ro/SSA and/or La/SSB autoantibodies. Analysis of differential methylation between SLE and pSS identified 2,244 DMCs with a majority of sites showing decreased methylation in SLE compared to pSS. The random forest classifier demonstrated good performance in discerning between disease status with an area under the curve (AUC) between 0.83 and 0.96. Conclusions: The majority of differential DNA methylation is shared between SLE and pSS, however, important quantitative differences exist. Our data highlight neutrophil dysregulation as a shared mechanism, emphasizing the role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune diseases. The current study provides evidence for genes and molecular pathways driving common and disease-specific pathogenic mechanisms., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation [KAW 2011.0073]; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [VR-MH Dnr 521-2014-2263, Dnr 2018-02399, Dnr 2016-01982]; Gustaf V and Queen Victorias Freemasons Foundation; County Council of Ostergotland; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University; Swedish Research Council (VR-RFI); Ingegerd Johansson donation; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, OMIM 152700) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. The mode of inheritance of the genetic risk beyond familial SLE cases is currently unknown. Additionally, the contribution of heterozygous variants in genes known to cause monogenic SLE is not fully understood. Whole-genome sequencing of DNA samples from 71 Swedish patients with SLE and their healthy biological parents was performed to investigate the general genetic risk of SLE using known SLE GWAS risk loci identified using the ImmunoChip, variants in genes associated to monogenic SLE, and the mode of inheritance of SLE risk alleles in these families. A random forest model for predicting genetic risk for SLE showed that the SLE risk variants were mainly inherited from one of the parents. In the 71 patients, we detected a significant enrichment of ultra-rare (0.1%) missense and nonsense mutations in 22 genes known to cause monogenic forms of SLE. We identified one previously reported homozygous nonsense mutation in the C1QC (Complement C1q C Chain) gene, which explains the immunodeficiency and severe SLE phenotype of that patient. We also identified seven ultra-rare, coding heterozygous variants in five genes (C1S, DNASE1L3, DNASE1, IFIH1, and RNASEH2A) involved in monogenic SLE. Our findings indicate a complex contribution to the overall genetic risk of SLE by rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE. The rare variants were inherited from the other parent than the one who passed on the more common risk variants leading to an increased genetic burden for SLE in the child. Higher frequency SLE risk variants are mostly passed from one of the parents to the offspring affected with SLE. In contrast, the other parent, in seven cases, contributed heterozygous rare variants in genes associated with monogenic forms of SLE, suggesting a larger impact of rare variants in SLE than hitherto reported., Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research Council for Medicine and Health [D0283001, 2017-02000]; Swedish Rheumatism Association; King Gustaf Vs 80-year Foundation; Swedish Society of Medicine; Swedish Research Council for Infrastructures (VR-RFI)