title: Alteration of naïve and memory B-cell subset in chronic graft-versus-host disease patients after treatment with mesenchymal stromal cells.
abstract: Although mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess immunomodulatory properties and exhibit promising efficacy against chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), little is known about the immune changes by which MSCs ameliorate cGVHD in vivo. Recent studies have suggested that B lymphocytes might play an important role in the pathogenesis of cGVHD. In this study, we investigated changes in the numbers, phenotypes, and subpopulations of B lymphocytes in cGVHD patients who showed a complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or no response (NR) after MSC treatment. We found that the frequencies and numbers of CD27+ memory and pre-germinal center B lymphocytes were significantly increased in the CR and PR cGVHD patients after MSC treatment but decreased in the NR patients. A further analysis of CR/PR cGVHD patients showed that MSC treatment led to a decrease in the plasma levels of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and increased expression of the BAFF receptor (BAFF-R) on peripheral B lymphocytes but no changes in plasma BAFF levels or BAFF-R expression on B lymphocytes in NR patients. Overall, our findings imply that MSCs might exert therapeutic effects in cGVHD patients, accompanied by alteration of naïve and memory B-cell subsets, modulating plasma BAFF levels and BAFF-R expression on B lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qifa
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dijing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Haiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Longshan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiuli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Muyun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ruifeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Center for Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering, Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Ministry of Education, Medical Science Experimentation Center, and Department of Biochemistry, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Science and Cell-Gene Therapy Translational Medicine Research Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China; Organ Transplant Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China xiangp@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Andy Peng
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: B cell-activating factor; B-cell homeostasis; Chronic graft-versus-host disease; Mesenchymal stromal cells