Two Blood-based Endotypes Reveal Divergent Clinical Outcomes of Fibrotic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
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Rationale
Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP) is an antigen-driven, life-threatening interstitial lung disease characterized by heterogeneous radiologic features, clinical outcomes, and treatment responses.
Objectives
To identify blood-based fHP endotypes that inform mechanism, prognosis and therapeutic response.
Methods
We performed integrative analyses of multi-compartment transcriptomic data derived from whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, bronchoalveolar lavage, and surgical lung biopsies, alongside circulating plasma proteomics. Multiple clustering algorithms were cross-compared to ensure robustness and reproducibility of endotypes identification. Immune cell composition was inferred using bulk RNA-seq deconvolution and annotated with BAL single-cell RNA-seq. Pathway activities were characterized using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Transplant-free survival (TFS) was evaluated for endotype and corticosteroid exposure by Kaplan-Meier methods, with hazard ratios analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.
Results
Two molecular endotypes, lymphocytic-associated (L-fHP) and non-lymphocytic-associated (N-fHP), were identified and validated. L-fHP showed enrichment of adaptive immune signaling and lymphocyte predominance, whereas N-fHP demonstrated myeloid-cell activation with neutrophil and macrophage predominance. Corticosteroid exposure was associated with worse TFS in L-fHP but not in N-fHP after adjusting for age, sex, and baseline pulmonary function. Compared to L-fHP, N-fHP had poorer baseline pulmonary function, faster 12-month FVC decline, and shorter TFS. N-fHP also exhibited elevated neutrophil-associated markers, including matrix metalloproteinase-9, across paired transcriptomic and proteomic datasets, supporting a neutrophil-driven, cross-compartment disease process.
Conclusion
Multi-omic, multi-compartment analysis identifies two reproducible fHP endotypes with distinct clinical outcomes and corticosteroid responses, supporting a precision medicine approach beyond current clinical and radiologic classification.
