HLA-DRhigh/CD27high plasmablasts indicate active disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2010•ard.bmj.com
Objectives: Monitoring of peripheral B-cell subsets in patients with systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE) revealed an activity-related expansion of CD27++ CD20− CD19dim Ig-
secreting cells. A similar subset has also been identified 6–8 days after tetanus/diphtheria
vaccination in normal individuals and in patients with infectious disease. Methods: This
subset was analysed further focussing on the HLA-DR surface expression in a cohort of 25
patients with SLE. Results: This study revealed that 86%(range 59–97%) of CD27++ CD20 …
erythematosus (SLE) revealed an activity-related expansion of CD27++ CD20− CD19dim Ig-
secreting cells. A similar subset has also been identified 6–8 days after tetanus/diphtheria
vaccination in normal individuals and in patients with infectious disease. Methods: This
subset was analysed further focussing on the HLA-DR surface expression in a cohort of 25
patients with SLE. Results: This study revealed that 86%(range 59–97%) of CD27++ CD20 …
Objectives
Monitoring of peripheral B-cell subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) revealed an activity-related expansion of CD27++CD20−CD19dim Ig-secreting cells. A similar subset has also been identified 6–8 days after tetanus/diphtheria vaccination in normal individuals and in patients with infectious disease.
Methods
This subset was analysed further focussing on the HLA-DR surface expression in a cohort of 25 patients with SLE.
Results
This study revealed that 86% (range 59–97%) of CD27++CD20−CD19dim cells express high levels of HLA-DR, are also expanded in the bone marrow, and represent plasmablasts enriched with anti-dsDNA secreting cells. The remaining CD27++CD20−CD19dim cells were HLA-DRlow and represent mature plasma cells. Importantly, HLA-DRhigh plasmablasts showed a closer correlation with lupus activity and anti-dsDNA levels than the previously identified CD27++CD20−CD19dim cells.
Conclusion
HLA-DRhighCD27++CD20−CD19dim plasmablasts represent a more precise indicator of lupus activity and suggest that there is an overproduction or lack of negative selection of these cells in SLE.
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