Switched and unswitched memory B cells detected during SARS-CoV-2 convalescence correlate with limited symptom duration

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 28;16(1):e0244855. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244855. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the pandemic human respiratory illness COVID-19, is a global health emergency. While severe acute disease has been linked to an expansion of antibody-secreting plasmablasts, we sought to identify B cell responses that correlated with positive clinical outcomes in convalescent patients. We characterized the peripheral blood B cell immunophenotype and plasma antibody responses in 40 recovered non-hospitalized COVID-19 subjects that were enrolled as donors in a convalescent plasma treatment study. We observed a significant negative correlation between the frequency of peripheral blood memory B cells and the duration of symptoms for convalescent subjects. Memory B cell subsets in convalescent subjects were composed of classical CD24+ class-switched memory B cells, but also activated CD24-negative and natural unswitched CD27+ IgD+ IgM+ subsets. Memory B cell frequency was significantly correlated with both IgG1 and IgM responses to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) in most seropositive subjects. IgM+ memory, but not switched memory, directly correlated with virus-specific antibody responses, and remained stable over 3 months. Our findings suggest that the frequency of memory B cells is a critical indicator of disease resolution, and that IgM+ memory B cells may play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Antibody Formation
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • COVID-19 / immunology*
  • Convalescence
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / metabolism
  • Immunophenotyping / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Recovery of Function / immunology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M