Plasma cells are not restricted to the CD27+ phenotype: characterization of CD27-CD43+ antibody-secreting cells

Kris Covens; Bert Verbinnen; Britt G de Jong; Leen Moens; Greet Wuyts; Geert Verheyen; Kris Nys; Jonathan Cremer; Stijn Smulders; Rik Schrijvers; Andreas Weinhäusel; Séverine Vermeire; Patrick Verschueren; Ellen De Langhe; Jacques J M van Dongen; Menno C van Zelm; Xavier Bossuyt

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1165936

Plasma cells are not restricted to the CD27+ phenotype: characterization of CD27-CD43+ antibody-secreting cells

Front Immunol. 2023 Jul 10:14:1165936. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1165936. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kris Covens^{1

2}, Bert Verbinnen^{1

3}, Britt G de Jong^{4

5}, Leen Moens^{1

6}, Greet Wuyts¹, Geert Verheyen³, Kris Nys⁷, Jonathan Cremer⁸, Stijn Smulders¹, Rik Schrijvers⁸, Andreas Weinhäusel⁹, Séverine Vermeire⁷, Patrick Verschueren¹⁰, Ellen De Langhe¹⁰, Jacques J M van Dongen^{4

11

12

13}, Menno C van Zelm^{4

14}, Xavier Bossuyt^{1

15}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology Research Group, Leuven, Belgium.
² Biocartis, Research and Development, Mechelen, Belgium.
³ Biomedical Laboratory Technology, Radius, Life Sciences and Chemistry, Thomas More Kempen, Geel, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Periodontology, ACTA, University of Amsterdam and VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Inborn Errors of Immunity, Leuven, Belgium.
⁷ Gastroenterology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Leuven, Belgium.
⁹ AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Center for Health and Bioresources, Molecular Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁰ Department of Rheumatology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
¹¹ Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, Netherlands.
¹² Centro de Investigación del Cáncer-Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CIC-IBMCC, USAL-CSIC-FICUS), Salamanca, Spain.
¹³ Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca (USAL), Salamanca, Spain.
¹⁴ Department of Immunology and Pathology, Central Clinical School, Monash University and Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

Circulating antibody-secreting cells are present in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals reflecting the continued activity of the humoral immune system. Antibody-secreting cells typically express CD27. Here we describe and characterize a small population of antibody-secreting class switched CD19+CD43+ B cells that lack expression of CD27 in the peripheral blood of healthy subjects. In this study, we characterized CD27-CD43+ cells. We demonstrate that class-switched CD27-CD43+ B cells possess characteristics of conventional plasmablasts as they spontaneously secrete antibodies, are morphologically similar to antibody-secreting cells, show downregulation of B cell differentiation markers, and have a gene expression profile related to conventional plasmablasts. Despite these similarities, we observed differences in IgA and IgG subclass distribution, expression of homing markers, replication history, frequency of somatic hypermutation, immunoglobulin repertoire, gene expression related to Toll-like receptors, cytokines, and cytokine receptors, and antibody response to vaccination. Their frequency is altered in immune-mediated disorders.

Conclusion: we characterized CD27-CD43+ cells as antibody-secreting cells with differences in function and homing potential as compared to conventional CD27+ antibody-secreting cells.

Keywords: B lymphocyte; CD27; CD43; antibody secreting cells; plasmablast; somatic hypermutation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibody-Producing Cells
B-Lymphocytes*
Immunoglobulin G
Phenotype
Plasma Cells*

Substances

Immunoglobulin G

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a research grant from the Research Council of the KU Leuven (GOA/13/013). KC and BV were supported through a grant from the Flemish Institute for Innovation through Science and Technology.