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Hébert V, Maho-Vaillant M, Golinski ML, Petit M, Riou G, Boyer O, Musette P, Calbo S, Joly P. Modifications of the BAFF/BAFF-Receptor Axis in Patients With Pemphigus Treated With Rituximab Versus Standard Corticosteroid Regimen. Front Immunol 2021; 12:666022. [PMID: 34054835 PMCID: PMC8160507 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.666022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of the B-cell-depleting agent rituximab has been reported in immune diseases but relapses are frequent, suggesting the need for repeated infusions. The B-cell activating factor (BAFF) is an important factor for B cell survival, class switch recombination and selection of autoreactive B cells, as well as maintaining long-lived plasma cells. It has been hypothesized that relapses after rituximab might be due to the increase of serum BAFF levels. From the Ritux3 trial, we showed that baseline serum BAFF levels were higher in pemphigus patients than in healthy donors (308 ± 13 pg/mL versus 252 ± 28 pg/mL, p=0.037) and in patients with early relapse compared who didn't (368 ± 92 vs 297 ± 118 pg/mL, p=0.036). Rituximab and high doses of CS alone have different effects on the BAFF/BAFF-R axis. Rituximab led to an increase of BAFF levels associated to a decreased mRNA (Day 0: 12.3 ± 7.6 AU vs Month 36: 3.3 ± 4.3 AU, p=0.01) and mean fluorescence intensity of BAFF-R in non-autoreactive (Day 0: 3232 vs Month 36: 1527, mean difference: 1705, 95%CI: 624 to 2786; p=0.002) as well as on reappearing autoreactive DSG-specific B cells (Day 0: 3873 vs Month 36: 2688, mean difference: 1185, 95%CI: -380 to 2750; p=0.20). Starting high doses of corticosteroids allowed a transitory decrease of serum BAFF levels that re-increased after doses tapering whereas it did not modify BAFF-R expression in autoreactive and non-autoreactive B cells. Our results suggest that the activation of autoreactive B cells at the onset of pemphigus is likely to be related to the presence of high BAFF serum levels and that the decreased BAFF-R expression after rituximab might be responsible for the delayed generation of memory B cells, resulting in a rather long period of mild pemphigus activity after rituximab therapy. Conversely, the incomplete B cell depletion and persistent BAFF-R expression associated with high BAFF serum levels might explain the high number of relapses in patients treated with CS alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Hébert
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France.,Department of Dermatology, French Reference Center for Auto Immune Blistering Diseases, Rouen University Hospital, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Maud Maho-Vaillant
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France.,Department of Dermatology, French Reference Center for Auto Immune Blistering Diseases, Rouen University Hospital, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Marie-Laure Golinski
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France.,Department of Dermatology, French Reference Center for Auto Immune Blistering Diseases, Rouen University Hospital, Normandie University, Rouen, France
| | - Marie Petit
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France
| | - Gaëtan Riou
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France
| | - Olivier Boyer
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France
| | - Philippe Musette
- Paris Sorbonne North University INSERM UMR 1125 and Dermatology Department Avicenne University Hospital, Bobigny, France
| | - Sébastien Calbo
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France
| | - Pascal Joly
- Normandie University, UNIROUEN, Inserm, U1234, FOCIS Center of Excellence PAn'THER, Rouen University Hospital, Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Rouen, France.,Department of Dermatology, French Reference Center for Auto Immune Blistering Diseases, Rouen University Hospital, Normandie University, Rouen, France
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Aradottir Pind AA, Molina Estupiñan JL, Magnusdottir GJ, Del Giudice G, Jonsdottir I, Bjarnarson SP. LT-K63 Enhances B Cell Activation and Survival Factors in Neonatal Mice That Translates Into Long-Lived Humoral Immunity. Front Immunol 2020; 11:527310. [PMID: 33193301 PMCID: PMC7644473 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.527310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adjuvants enhance magnitude and duration of immune responses induced by vaccines. In this study we assessed in neonatal mice if and how the adjuvant LT-K63 given with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Pnc1-TT, could affect the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily members, known to be involved in the initiation and maintenance of antibody responses; B cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R) and B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and their ligands, BAFF, and a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL). Initially we assessed the maturation status of different B cell populations and their expression of BAFF-R and BCMA. Neonatal mice had dramatically fewer B cells than adult mice and the composition of different subsets within the B cell pool differed greatly. Proportionally newly formed B cells were most abundant, but they had diminished BAFF-R expression which could explain low proportions of marginal zone and follicular B cells observed. Limited BCMA expression was also detected in neonatal pre-plasmablasts/plasmablasts. LT-K63 enhanced vaccine-induced BAFF-R expression in splenic marginal zone, follicular and newly formed B cells, leading to increased plasmablast/plasma cells, and their enhanced expression of BCMA in spleen and bone marrow. Additionally, the induction of BAFF and APRIL expression occurred early in neonatal mice immunized with Pnc1-TT either with or without LT-K63. However, BAFF+ and APRIL+ cells in spleens were maintained at a higher level in mice that received the adjuvant. Furthermore, the early increase of APRIL+ cells in bone marrow was more profound in mice immunized with vaccine and adjuvant. Finally, we assessed, for the first time in neonatal mice, accessory cells of the plasma cell niche in bone marrow and their secretion of APRIL. We found that LT-K63 enhanced the frequency and APRIL expression of eosinophils, macrophages, and megakaryocytes, which likely contributed to plasma cell survival, even though APRIL+ cells showed a fast decline. All this was associated with enhanced, sustained vaccine-specific antibody-secreting cells in bone marrow and persisting vaccine-specific serum antibodies. Our study sheds light on the mechanisms behind the adjuvanticity of LT-K63 and identifies molecular pathways that should be triggered by vaccine adjuvants to induce sustained humoral immunity in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audur Anna Aradottir Pind
- Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jenny Lorena Molina Estupiñan
- Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Gudbjorg Julia Magnusdottir
- Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Ingileif Jonsdottir
- Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Stefania P Bjarnarson
- Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.,Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
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Eibel H, Winkler T, Ceredig R. Editorial: Making Science Fun - A Tribute to Our Colleague and Friend, Prof. Antonius G. Rolink (1953-2017). Front Immunol 2019; 9:2915. [PMID: 30619279 PMCID: PMC6306044 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Eibel
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Winkler
- Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Zentrum für Molekulare Medizin, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rhodri Ceredig
- Discipline of Physiology, College of Medicine and Nursing Health Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
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Abstract
The BAFF-receptor (BAFFR) is encoded by the TNFRSF13C gene and is one of the main pro-survival receptors in B cells. Its function is impressively documented in humans by a homozygous deletion within exon 2, which leads to an almost complete block of B cell development at the stage of immature/transitional B cells. The resulting immunodeficiency is characterized by B-lymphopenia, agammaglobulinemia, and impaired humoral immune responses. However, different from mutations affecting pathway components coupled to B cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling, BAFFR-deficient B cells can still develop into IgA-secreting plasma cells. Therefore, BAFFR deficiency in humans is characterized by very few circulating B cells, very low IgM and IgG serum concentrations but normal or high IgA levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian R Smulski
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Eibel
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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