Long-lived Antibody-secreting Plasma Cells Research Articles

Differential regulation of self-reactivity discriminates between IgG+human circulating memory B cells and bone marrow plasma cells

Long-term humoral immunity is maintained by the formation of high-affinity class-switched memory B cells and long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells. In healthy humans, a substantial fraction of IgG-positive memory B cells express self-reactive and polyreactive IgG antibodies that frequently develop by somatic mutations. Whether self- and polyreactive IgG-secreting B cells are also tolerated in the long-lived plasma cell pool is not known. To address this question, we cloned and expressed the Ig genes from 177 IgG-producing bone marrow plasma cells of four healthy donors. All antibodies were highly mutated but the frequency of self- and polyreactive IgG antibodies was significantly lower than that found in circulating memory B cells. The data suggest that in contrast to the development of memory B cells, entry into the bone marrow plasma cell compartment requires previously unappreciated selective regulation by mechanisms that limit the production of self- and polyreactive serum IgG antibodies.

MyD88 Plays an Essential Role in Inducing B Cells Capable of Differentiating into Antibody-Secreting Cells after Vaccination

We investigated the roles of MyD88, an innate adaptor signaling molecule, in inducing protective humoral immunity after vaccination with influenza virus-like particles (VLPs). MyD88 knockout C57BL/6 mice (MyD88(-/-) mice) vaccinated with influenza VLPs showed significant defects in inducing IgG2a/c isotype antibodies and in generating splenic recall memory B cell responses and antibody-secreting plasma cells in the bone marrow. The protective efficacy of influenza VLP vaccination was lower in MyD88(-/-) mice than in the wild-type mice. Our findings indicate that MyD88-mediated innate signaling pathways are important for effectively inducing primary and boost immune responses, T helper type 1 isotype-switched antibodies, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting T cell responses. In particular, the results in this study demonstrated for the first time that MyD88-mediated immune activation is likely an essential pathway for effective generation of long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells and highly protective immunity after vaccination with influenza VLPs. This study provides insight into mechanisms by which recombinant viral vaccines induce protective immunity via the MyD88-mediated innate immune signaling pathway.

Vaccine-elicited SIV and HIV envelope-specific IgA and IgG memory B cells in rhesus macaque peripheral blood correlate with functional antibody responses and reduced viremia

An effective HIV vaccine requires strong systemic and mucosal, cellular and humoral immunity. Numerous non-human primate studies have investigated memory T cells, but not memory B cells. Humoral immunologic memory is mediated by long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells and differentiation of memory B cells into short-lived plasma blasts following re-exposure to immunizing antigen. Here we studied memory B cells in vaccinated rhesus macaques. PBMC were stimulated polyclonally using CD40 Ligand, IL-21 and CpG to induce B cell proliferation and differentiation into antibody secreting cells (ASCs). Flow cytometry was used for phenotyping and evaluating proliferation by CFSE dilution. B cell responses were quantified by ELISPOT. Methodology was established using PBMC of vaccinated elite-controller macaques that exhibited strong, multi-functional antibody activities. Subsequently, memory B cells elicited by two replicating Ad-recombinant prime/envelope boost regimens were retrospectively evaluated pre- and post-SIV and SHIV challenges. The vaccine regimens induced SIV and HIV Env-specific IgG and IgA memory B cells. Prior to challenge, IgA memory B cells were more numerous than IgG memory B cells, reflecting the mucosal priming immunizations. Pre- and post-challenge memory B cells were correlated with functional antibody responses including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated viral inhibition (ADCVI) and transcytosis inhibition. Post-challenge, Env-specific IgG and IgA memory B cells were correlated with reduced chronic viremia. We conclude that functional antibody responses elicited by our prime/boost regimen were effectively incorporated into the memory B cell pool where they contributed to control of viremia following re-exposure to the immunizing antigen.

APRIL secreted by neutrophils binds to heparan sulfate proteoglycans to create plasma cell niches in human mucosa

The bone marrow constitutes a favorable environment for long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells, providing blood-circulating antibody. Plasma cells are also present in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) to mediate local frontline immunity, but how plasma cell survival there is regulated is not known. Here we report that a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) promoted survival of human upper and lower MALT plasma cells by upregulating expression of the antiapoptotic proteins bcl-2, bcl-xL, and mcl-1. The in situ localization of APRIL was consistent with such a prosurvival role in MALT. In upper MALT, tonsillar epithelium produced APRIL. Upon infection, APRIL production increased considerably when APRIL-secreting neutrophils recruited from the blood infiltrated the crypt epithelium. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) retained secreted APRIL in the subepithelium of the infected zone to create APRIL-rich niches, wherein IgG-producing plasma cells accumulated. In lower MALT, neutrophils were the unique source of APRIL, giving rise to similar niches for IgA-producing plasmocytes in villi of lamina propria. Furthermore, we found that mucosal humoral immunity in APRIL-deficient mice is less persistent than in WT mice. Hence, production of APRIL by inflammation-recruited neutrophils may create plasma cell niches in MALT to sustain a local antibody production.

Revue implantodontie

Vaccines are a highly effective intervention for conferring protection against infections and reducing the associated morbidity and mortality in vaccinated individuals. However, ageing is often associated with a functional decline in the immune system that results in poor antibody production in older individuals after vaccination. A key contributing factor of this age-related decline in vaccine efficacy is the reduced size and function of the germinal centre (GC) response. GCs are specialised microstructures where B cells undergo affinity maturation and diversification of their antibody genes, before differentiating into long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells and memory B cells. The GC response requires the coordinated interaction of many different cell types, including B cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells and stromal cell subsets like follicular dendritic cells (FDCs). This review discusses how ageing affects different components of the GC reaction that contribute to its limited output and ultimately impaired antibody responses in older individuals after vaccination. An understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the age-related decline in the GC response is crucial in informing strategies to improve vaccine efficacy and extend the healthy lifespan amongst older people.

Aide-Memoire for Antibody Production

What persuades a memory lymphocyte to stick around for years after an infection has been cleared? For B cells, the explanations have been that either antigens persist somehow or that some B cells develop into long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells that need no stimulation. Bernasconi et al. provide evidence for an intermediate mechanism in which nonspecific stimuli--not limited to antigens from any one pathogen--spur B cells into continued antibody production. In culture, human memory, but not naïve, B cells divided strongly in response to CpG sequences of DNA, which are powerful signals to innate immune cells. The T cell cytokine interleukin-15 evoked the same response, and like CpG, could induce some B cells to become plasma cells. Frequencies of antigen-specific plasma B cells and levels of circulating antibody in individuals over a decade after vaccination agreed with predictions made from these experiments. N. L. Bernasconi, E. Traggiai, A. Lanzavecchia, Maintenance of serological memory by polyclonal activation of human memory B cells. Science 298 , 2199-2202 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text]