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Multiplexed scRNA-Seq Reveals Cellular and Genetic Correlates of SLE

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease. Knowledge of circulating immune cell types and cell states associated with SLE remains incomplete. We profiled over 1.2 million PBMCs (160 cases, 98 controls) with multiplexed single-cell RNA-seq (mux-seq). Cases exhibited prominent expression of type-1 interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) in monocytes, reduction of naïve CD4+ T cells that correlated with monocyte ISG expression, and expansion of repertoire-restricted cytotoxic GZMH+ CD8+ T cells. Cell-type-specific expression features accurately predicted case-control status and stratified patients into two molecular subtypes. We integrated dense genotyping data, mapping cell-type-specific cis-eQTLs and linked known and novel SLE-associated variants to cell-type-specific gene expression. These results demonstrate mux-seq as a systematic approach to characterize cellular composition, identify transcriptional signatures, and annotate genetic variants associated with SLE.