title: Rotavirus-specific B cells induced by recent infection in adults and children predominantly express the intestinal homing receptor alpha4beta7.
abstract: In vivo replication of rotaviruses is generally limited to enterocytes. Because of this restriction, most blood circulating rotavirus-specific B cells are hypothesized to originate in Peyer's patches and should express the intestinal homing receptor alpha4beta7. To test this hypothesis in humans, we used a flow cytometry assay that identifies antigen-activated (IgD-) B cells (CD19+) that express surface rotavirus-specific immunoglobulin. With this assay we could detect rotavirus-specific B cells in both children and adults with an acute rotavirus (RV) infection. Staining with an anti-alpha4beta7 monoclonal antibody, we could determine that B cells that express rotavirus-specific surface immunoglobulin predominantly express alpha4beta7. The response of rotavirus-specific antibody-secreting cells in the peripheral blood of children and adults with acute rotavirus infection was also studied by ELISPOT. The antibody-secreting cells of children were mainly of the IgM isotype, while the antibody-secreting cells of adults were predominantly of the IgA and IgG isotype. alpha4beta7+ and alpha4beta7- subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were purified using paramagnetic beads and then tested in the ELISPOT assay. Rotavirus-specific antibody-secreting cells were predominantly present in the alpha4beta7+ subpopulation. The flow cytometry assay we have described will permit future studies to characterize the phenotype of virus-specific B cells and could be useful in the study of the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of RV vaccines and the identification of markers of protective immunity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Genetica Humana Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jaimes
authors.forename: Isabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cajiao
authors.forename: Olga L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pothier
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kohli
authors.forename: Eugene C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Butcher
authors.forename: Harry B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Franco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000502:physiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D016023:Integrins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016023:Integrins; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; C071777:integrin alpha4beta7