B cell receptor repertoire sequencing in systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis, vasculopathy, and immune dysregulation. B cells play an important role in its pathogenesis, not only by producing autoantibodies but also through antigen presentation and cytokine production. However, the detailed characteristics of the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire in SSc have remained unclear.In this project, we performed high-throughput sequencing of immunoglobulin heavy chain repertoires from peripheral blood B cells of patients with systemic sclerosis and compared them with healthy controls. Our goal was to characterize the overall repertoire diversity, gene usage, and specific rearrangement patterns that may contribute to the disease process.Through our analysis, we found that the IGHD5-5 gene segment was more frequently rearranged in SSc patients compared to healthy individuals. This biased usage of IGHD5-5 suggests an antigen-driven selection process or a disturbance in the recombination machinery that could be associated with autoimmunity. In addition, we examined the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) length distribution, clonality, and VDJ gene usage patterns, which provided further insights into the immunological features of systemic sclerosis.By making these sequencing datasets publicly available, we aim to support reproducibility and encourage further research into the role of B cells in systemic sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. The deposited data may help researchers identify common or disease-specific BCR motifs, explore mechanisms of immune dysregulation, and develop potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets.Overall, this project contributes to a better understanding of how B cell repertoires are shaped in systemic sclerosis and provides a valuable resource for the immunology and rheumatology communities.