title: Induction of human plasmablasts during infection with antibiotic-resistant nosocomial bacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nosocomial pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii are a growing public health threat, due in part to their increasing resistance to antibiotics. Since some strains are resistant to all available antibiotics, novel therapies are urgently needed. Plasmablasts are short-lived B cells found in the blood that can be collected and harnessed to produce therapeutic antibodies. We set out to determine whether plasmablasts are induced during infection with A. baumannii and other nosocomial pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained blood samples from patients infected with antibiotic-resistant nosocomial pathogens, and analysed their plasmablast response by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a strong induction of plasmablasts in patients with antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii infection. Furthermore, plasmablasts were also induced in response to other drug-resistant nosocomial pathogens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that plasmablasts may be broadly harnessed to develop therapeutic antibodies to combat otherwise untreatable antibiotic-resistant infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Victor I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Band
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibegbu
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Surinder Pal
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cagle
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trible
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Crystal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Yun F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Colleen S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wrammert
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA david.weiss@emory.edu.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; antibody therapy; nosocomial infections