Correlation analysis between frequencies of circulating antigen-specific IgG-bearing memory B cells and serum titers of antigen-specific IgG.
Recent studies in mice have indicated that the long-lasting specific antibody responses seen after vaccination are probably due to the existence of long-lived plasma cells. Therefore, because the maintenance of humoral immunity does not necessarily reflect continuous restimulation of long-lived memory B cells, the question arises as to what degree antibody immunity, as determined by measuring serum immunoglobulin titers against a particular antigen, and memory B cell immunity, as determined by counting circulating memory B cells with specificity for that same antigen, correlate. Here, using a new assay combining two-step immunomagnetic enrichment with multiparameter flow cytometry to detect, enumerate and characterize antigen-specific memory B cells, we show for tetanus toxin C-fragment in blood of normal tetanus toxoid vaccinized donors, and for wasp venom phospholipase A1B in blood of wasp venom-allergic donors undergoing an immune therapy with wasp venom, that there is no statistically significant linear correlation between the frequencies of circulating antigen-specific IgG-bearing memory B cells and the serum titers of antigen-specific IgG. This lack of a statistically significant linear correlation is in accordance with the idea that B memory cells and plasma cells represent independently controlled forms of immunological memory.
Leyendeckers
H
H
Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
Odendahl
M
M
Löhndorf
A
A
Irsch
J
J
Spangfort
M
M
Miltenyi
S
S
Hunzelmann
N
N
Assenmacher
M
M
Radbruch
A
A
Schmitz
J
J
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008245:Lysophospholipase / Q000276:immunology; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000276:immunology; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000276:immunology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D010741:Phospholipases A; D008245:Lysophospholipase