Repertoire “gaps” in antiphospholipid syndrome
Case study
Using the IgOme to reveal restriction in the autoimmune IgM repertoire.
Project · Case study
Using the IgOme to reveal restriction in the autoimmune IgM repertoire.
Problem
Can the functional IgM reactivity landscape reveal a mechanism of autoimmune diseases, beyond a list of autoantigens?
Method
Represent the IgOme as a graph of mimotope sequences linked by a shared subsequence. The optimal cutoff (5 of 7 residues) is determined from a set of mimotopes grouped by the panning mAbs that recognize them. Graph clusters are used to estimate differential expression across large cross-reactivity classes1.
Result & open questions
The patient IgM repertoire shows signs of restriction — “gaps” relative to healthy individuals. Open: are gaps cause or consequence?
Related: Graph representations
References
1.
Pashova, S. et al. Restriction of the global IgM repertoire in antiphospholipid syndrome. Frontiers in Immunology 13, 865232 (2022).