Transitional B cells in humans: characterization and insight from B lymphocyte reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Transitional B cells have been recently identified in human peripheral blood. However, their precise role in human B cell differentiation has not been established. Therefore, besides characterizing them further in the blood of healthy adults and children and cord blood, we used the immune reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) model to define their role in human B cell development. Human transitional B cells are reliably identified as CD19(+) CD24(high) CD38(high) lymphocytes and represent approximately 4% of B cells in healthy adult peripheral blood. In contrast, they are abundant in cord blood (near 50% of B cells) and their percentage progressively decreases during infancy. Similarly, after HSCT, all B cells first appearing in peripheral blood are transitional B cells; afterwards, the transitional B cell percentage progressively decreases while the mature naïve B cell proportion rises. Our results now formally demonstrate that transitional B cells are necessary developmental intermediates for human mature B cell generation.
Marie-Cardine
Aude
A
Rouen University Hospital, Pediatric Immuno-hemato-oncology & Inserm U. 905, Rouen 76031 cedex, France.
Divay
Florence
F
Dutot
Ingrid
I
Green
Alexa
A
Perdrix
Anne
A
Boyer
Olivier
O
Contentin
Nathalie
N
Tilly
Hervé
H
Tron
François
F
Vannier
Jean-Pierre
JP
Jacquot
Serge
S
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD