Epstein-Barr virus reprograms autoreactive B cells as antigen-presenting cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

ABSTRACT: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by antinuclear antibodies (ANAs). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been epidemiologically associated with SLE, yet its role in pathogenesis remains incompletely defined. Here, we developed an EBV-specific single-cell RNA-sequencing platform and used it to demonstrate that EBV infection reprograms autoreactive antinuclear antigen B cells to drive autoimmunity in SLE. We demonstrated that, in SLE, EBV⁺ B cells are predominantly CD27⁺CD21^low memory B cells that are present at increased frequencies and express ZEB2, TBX21 (T-bet), and antigen-presenting cell transcriptional pathways. Integrative analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), a

SUBMITTER: Younis S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12740198 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature