Transcriptome-wide analyses delineate the genetic architecture of expression variation in atopic dermatitis.

Abstract

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for atopic dermatitis (AD) have uncovered 81 risk loci in European participants; however, translating these findings into functional and therapeutic insights remains challenging. We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) in AD leveraging cis-eQTL data from sun exposed (n = 517), non-sun exposed skin (n = 602) and whole blood (n = 670) tissues and the latest GWAS of AD in Europeans (n = 864982). We implemented the OTTERS pipeline that combines polygenic risk score (PRS) techniques accommodating diverse assumptions in the architecture of gene regulation. We also used differential expression meta-analysis and co-expression networks (n = 186) to characterize the transcriptomic landscape of AD. We identified 176 gene-tissue associations covering 126 unique genes (53 previously unreported). Most TWAS risk genes were identified by adaptive PRS frameworks, with non-significant differences compared with clumping and thresholding approaches. TWAS risk genes were enriched in allergic reactions (e.g., AQP7, AFF4), skin barrier integrity (e.g., ACER3), and inflammatory pathways (e.g., TAPBPL). By integrating co-expression networks of lesional AD skin, we identified 16 hub genes previously identified as TWAS risk genes (six previously unreported) that orchestrate inflammatory responses (e.g., HSPA4) and keratinization (e.g., LCE3E, LCE3D), serving as potential drug targets through drug-gene interactions. Consistent associations between all analyses were reported for FOSL1 and RORC. Collectively, our findings provide additional risk genes for AD with potential implications in therapeutic approaches.