Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

B cells are thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody- (ANCA-) associated vasculitis (AAV). ANCAs have been proposed to cause vasculitis by activating primed neutrophils to damage small blood vessels. We studied a cohort of AAV patients of which a majo...

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Main Authors: Evelina Elmér, Sofia Smargianaki, Åsa Pettersson, Lillemor Skattum, Sophie Ohlsson, Thomas Hellmark, Åsa C. M. Johansson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Journal of Immunology Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8209737
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author Evelina Elmér
Sofia Smargianaki
Åsa Pettersson
Lillemor Skattum
Sophie Ohlsson
Thomas Hellmark
Åsa C. M. Johansson
author_facet Evelina Elmér
Sofia Smargianaki
Åsa Pettersson
Lillemor Skattum
Sophie Ohlsson
Thomas Hellmark
Åsa C. M. Johansson
author_sort Evelina Elmér
collection DOAJ
description B cells are thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody- (ANCA-) associated vasculitis (AAV). ANCAs have been proposed to cause vasculitis by activating primed neutrophils to damage small blood vessels. We studied a cohort of AAV patients of which a majority were in remission and diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Using flow cytometry, the frequencies of CD19+ B cells and subsets in peripheral blood from 106 patients with AAV and 134 healthy controls were assessed. B cells were divided into naive, preswitch memory, switched memory, and exhausted memory cells. Naive and switched memory cells were further subdivided into transitional cells and plasmablasts, respectively. In addition, serum concentrations of immunoglobulin A, G, and M were measured and clinical data were retrieved. AAV patients displayed, in relation to healthy controls, a decreased frequency of B cells of lymphocytes (5.1% vs. 8.3%) and total B cell number. For the subsets, a decrease in percentage of transitional B cells (0.7% vs. 4.4%) and expansions of switched memory B cells (22.3% vs. 16.5%) and plasmablasts (0.9% vs. 0.3%) were seen. A higher proportion of B cells was activated (CD95+) in patients (20.6% vs. 10.3%), and immunoglobulin levels were largely unaltered. No differences in B cell frequencies between patients in active disease and remission were observed. Patients in remission with a tendency to relapse had, compared to nonrelapsing patients, decreased frequencies of B cells (3.5% vs. 6.5%) and transitional B cells (0.1% vs. 1.1%) and an increased frequency of activated exhausted memory B cells (30.8% vs. 22.3%). AAV patients exhibit specific changes in frequencies of CD19+ B cells and their subsets in peripheral blood. These alterations could contribute to the autoantibody-driven inflammatory process in AAV.
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spelling doaj-art-dbab7619cb3949da94d64ae32baa16002025-08-20T02:21:17ZengWileyJournal of Immunology Research2314-88612314-71562020-01-01202010.1155/2020/82097378209737Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated VasculitisEvelina Elmér0Sofia Smargianaki1Åsa Pettersson2Lillemor Skattum3Sophie Ohlsson4Thomas Hellmark5Åsa C. M. Johansson6Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, and Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Region Skåne, Lund, SwedenLund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, and Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Region Skåne, Lund, SwedenLund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Nephrology, Lund, SwedenClinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Region Skåne, and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenLund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Nephrology, Lund, SwedenLund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Nephrology, Lund, SwedenLund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, and Clinical Genetics and Pathology, Region Skåne, Lund, SwedenB cells are thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody- (ANCA-) associated vasculitis (AAV). ANCAs have been proposed to cause vasculitis by activating primed neutrophils to damage small blood vessels. We studied a cohort of AAV patients of which a majority were in remission and diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Using flow cytometry, the frequencies of CD19+ B cells and subsets in peripheral blood from 106 patients with AAV and 134 healthy controls were assessed. B cells were divided into naive, preswitch memory, switched memory, and exhausted memory cells. Naive and switched memory cells were further subdivided into transitional cells and plasmablasts, respectively. In addition, serum concentrations of immunoglobulin A, G, and M were measured and clinical data were retrieved. AAV patients displayed, in relation to healthy controls, a decreased frequency of B cells of lymphocytes (5.1% vs. 8.3%) and total B cell number. For the subsets, a decrease in percentage of transitional B cells (0.7% vs. 4.4%) and expansions of switched memory B cells (22.3% vs. 16.5%) and plasmablasts (0.9% vs. 0.3%) were seen. A higher proportion of B cells was activated (CD95+) in patients (20.6% vs. 10.3%), and immunoglobulin levels were largely unaltered. No differences in B cell frequencies between patients in active disease and remission were observed. Patients in remission with a tendency to relapse had, compared to nonrelapsing patients, decreased frequencies of B cells (3.5% vs. 6.5%) and transitional B cells (0.1% vs. 1.1%) and an increased frequency of activated exhausted memory B cells (30.8% vs. 22.3%). AAV patients exhibit specific changes in frequencies of CD19+ B cells and their subsets in peripheral blood. These alterations could contribute to the autoantibody-driven inflammatory process in AAV.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8209737
spellingShingle Evelina Elmér
Sofia Smargianaki
Åsa Pettersson
Lillemor Skattum
Sophie Ohlsson
Thomas Hellmark
Åsa C. M. Johansson
Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Journal of Immunology Research
title Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
title_full Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
title_fullStr Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
title_full_unstemmed Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
title_short Increased Frequencies of Switched Memory B Cells and Plasmablasts in Peripheral Blood from Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
title_sort increased frequencies of switched memory b cells and plasmablasts in peripheral blood from patients with anca associated vasculitis
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8209737
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