Multi-omics integration identifies ARID1B linking cuproptosis-immune crosstalk with atherosclerotic plaque progression

Background Atherosclerosis is a long-term inflammatory disorder of the arterial wall, characterized by lipid deposition and infiltration of immune cells. Recent studies suggest that cuproptosis may participate in the progression of atherosclerosis. Methods Multiple scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq datasets were integrated to systematically characterize cuproptosis patterns in atherosclerosis. Differential expression analysis based on cuproptosis scores identified cuproptosis-modulating genes, which were further refined using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, decision tree, and XGBoost algorithms. CellChat analysis explored the effect of ARID1B expression on intercellular communication, while immune infiltration patterns were assessed via single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. ApoE −/− mice served as the in vivo model of atherosclerosis to confirmed relationships among cuproptosis, ARID1B expression, and immune infiltration in plaques. Results Cuproptosis activity was significantly elevated in atherosclerotic tissues compared with normal arteries, with macrophages exhibiting the highest cuproptosis scores. Distinct expression profiles of cuproptosis-related genes, together with divergent immune infiltration landscapes, were observed between the high and low cuproptosis score atherosclerosis groups. ARID1B was identified as a gene discriminating cuproptosis status in atherosclerosis pathology, with significantly reduced expression in the disease group. Functional enrichment analyses suggested that ARID1B-associated networks were mainly involved in immune cell adhesion, activation, and differentiation. In vivo validation further confirmed that ARID1B expression was significantly reduced in the atherosclerosis group, which was associated with prominent T cell and macrophage infiltration. Conclusion Cuproptosis-related gene ARID1B may reshape immune infiltration patterns in atherosclerosis, positioning it as a promising therapeutic target.