Activated memory B cell subsets correlate with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus - Delineation by expression of CD27, IgD, and CD95

作者：Jacobi Annett M; Reiter Karin; Mackay Meggan; Aranow Cynthia; Hiepe Falk; Radbruch Andreas; Hansen Arne; Burmester Gerd R; Diamond Betty; Lipsky Peter E; Doerner Thomas

来源：Arthritis and Rheumatism, 2008, 58(6): 1762-1773.

DOI：10.1002/art.23498

Objective. Analysis of peripheral B cell subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has provided evidence of specific alterations, such as an expansion of CD27++ plasma cells/blasts and transitional B cells. However, memory B cells in lupus have not been thoroughly investigated, and only recently a CD27- memory B cell subset was identified in the peripheral blood of lupus patients. Focusing on CD27-B cells, this study aimed to identify abnormalities in peripheral B cell subsets in patients with SLE.,
Methods. Three independent cohorts of lupus patients were used to characterize CD27- memory B cells, using multiparameter flow cytometry and single-cell reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of heavy-chain transcripts.
Results. We identified a homogeneous subset of CD27-,IgD-,CD95+ memory B cells with an activated phenotype that was increased in patients with disease flares and that correlated with disease activity and serologic abnormalities. In contrast, the entire subset of CD27--,IgD- B cells was found to be heterogeneous, did not correlate significantly with lupus activity, and was also increased in patients with bacterial infections.
Conclusion. We conclude that CD95 is a useful marker to identify CD27- memory B cells with an activated phenotype, which might serve as a biomarker for lupus activity and as a target of further investigations aiming to elucidate the pathogenic potential of these cells and the mechanisms involved in the generation as well as regulation of this CD27-,IgD-,CD95+ memory B cell subset.

• 出版日期2008-6
• 单位河北医科大学