Abstract
BackgroundThe use of anti-B cell based therapies in immune-mediated diseases targeting general B cell markers or molecules important for B cell function has increased the clinical needs of monitoring B cell subpopulations.ResultsWe analyzed the expression profile of cell surface markers CD86 and B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) in B cell subtypes using flow cytometry, including naïve, transitional, switched memory, non-switched memory and double-negative memory B cells and plasmablasts, and investigated the dependence of age and sex in a healthy adult blood donor population. The switched memory B cell subtype displayed a divergent expression of the markers, with increased CD86 and decreased BTLA as compared to non-switched and double negative memory cells, as well as compared to naïve B cells. Plasmablasts expressed highly increased CD86 compared to all other subtypes and a decreased expression of BTLA compared to naïve cells, but still higher compared to the memory cell populations. Transitional B cells had CD86 and BTLA expression similar to the other naïve cells.ConclusionsWe show divergent expression of CD86 and BTLA in memory cells and plasmablasts compared to naïve B cells independent of age and sex. Furthermore, a similarly divergent difference of expression pattern was seen between the memory cell subtypes, altogether indicating that the combination of CD86 and BTLA might be markers for a permissive activation state. We suggest the combination of CD86 and BTLA expression on B cell subtypes as a potentially important tool in monitoring the status of B cell subtypes before and after treatments influencing the B cell compartment.
Highlights
The use of anti-B cell based therapies in immune-mediated diseases targeting general B cell markers or molecules important for B cell function has increased the clinical needs of monitoring B cell subpopulations
Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) for B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and CD86 were determined for all subpopulations described below
It remains to be seen how this combined expression pattern is affected in infectious diseases or in response to treatments of immune-mediated diseases. To our knowledge this is the first publication to describe the combination of CD86 and BTLA cell surface markers on different B cell subtypes
Summary
The use of anti-B cell based therapies in immune-mediated diseases targeting general B cell markers or molecules important for B cell function has increased the clinical needs of monitoring B cell subpopulations. The impact on clinical outcome by anti-B cell treatments has sometimes been surprisingly high, even in diseases classically regarded as T cell driven, and despite the survival of the long-lived antibody producing plasma cells (PC). This fact has highlighted other B cell functions besides antibody production, e.g. cytokine production and T cell modulation ability, as important factors in disease progression. Determining B cell subtypes is of importance in IgG4-related disease [3] and a more detailed description of the status of B cells might be valuable in predicting outcome of vaccination and potentially in making decisions on vaccine regimes [4], and in evaluating activity of chronic viral infections [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
