Monitoring of dynamic changes in Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH)-specific B cells in KLH-vaccinated cancer patients

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 7:7:43486. doi: 10.1038/srep43486.

Abstract

Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) is used as an immunogenic neo-antigen for various clinical applications and during vaccine development. For advanced monitoring of KLH-based interventions, we developed a flow cytometry-based assay for the ex vivo detection, phenotyping and isolation of KLH-specific B cells. As proof-of-principle, we analyzed 10 melanoma patients exposed to KLH during anti-cancer dendritic cell vaccination. Our assay demonstrated sensitive and specific detection of KLH-specific B cells in peripheral blood and KLH-specific B cell frequencies strongly correlated with anti-KLH serum antibody titers. Profiling of B cell subsets over the vaccination course revealed that KLH-specific B cells matured from naïve to class-switched memory B cells, confirming the prototypic B cell response to a neo-antigen. We conclude that flow-cytometric detection and in-depth phenotyping of KLH-specific B cells is specific, sensitive, and scalable. Our findings provide novel opportunities to monitor KLH-specific immune responses and serve as a blueprint for the development of new flow-cytometric protocols.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / chemistry*
  • Antibodies / blood
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / classification
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Tracking / methods
  • Dendritic Cells / chemistry
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / transplantation*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Hemocyanins / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Melanoma / therapy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / immunology
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • Skin Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Vaccination / methods

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antibodies
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Hemocyanins
  • keyhole-limpet hemocyanin