title: Pregnancy and malaria exposure are associated with changes in the B cell pool and in plasma eotaxin levels.
abstract: Pregnancy triggers immunological changes aimed to tolerate the fetus, but its impact on B lymphocytes is poorly understood. In addition, exposure to the Plasmodium parasite is associated with altered distribution of peripheral memory B cell (MBC) subsets. To study the combined impact of high malaria exposure and pregnancy in B cell subpopulations, we analyzed PBMCs from pregnant and nonpregnant individuals from a malaria-nonendemic country (Spain) and from a high malaria-endemic country (Papua New Guinea). In the malaria-naive cohorts, pregnancy was associated with a significant expansion of all switched (IgD(-)) MBC and a decrease of naive B cells. Malaria-exposed women had more atypical MBC and fewer marginal zone-like MBC, and their levels correlated with both Plasmodium vivax- and Plasmodium falciparum-specific plasma IgG levels. Classical but not atypical MBC were increased in P. falciparum infections. Moreover, active atypical MBC positively correlated with proinflammatory cytokine plasma concentrations and had lower surface IgG levels than the average. Decreased plasma eotaxin (CCL11) levels were associated with pregnancy and malaria exposure and also correlated with B cell subset frequencies. Additionally, active atypical and active classical MBC expressed higher levels of eotaxin receptor CCR3 than the other B cell subsets, suggesting a chemotactic effect of eotaxin on these B cell subsets. These findings are important to understand immunity to infections like malaria that result in negative outcomes for both the mother and the newborn and may have important implications on vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; pilar.requena@cresib.cat.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Requena
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia;
authors.forename: Alexandra J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Umbers
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea;
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ome
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea;
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wangnapi
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea; Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia;
authors.forename: Leanne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea;
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Samol
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea;
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosanas-Urgell
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Itziar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ubillos
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayor
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Hospital Clinic-August Pi i Sunyer, Centre for Biomedical Network Research in Rare Diseases, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Lazzari
authors.affiliation: Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, 76001000 Cali, Colombia;
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arévalo-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-Becerra
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; and.
authors.forename: Hernando
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: del Portillo
authors.affiliation: International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 110 067 Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Chetan E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Chitnis
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang 511, Papua New Guinea;
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Siba
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Azucena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardají
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia;
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia;
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogerson
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clinic-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
authors.forename: Carlota
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dobaño
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D054413:Chemokine CCL11 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007072:Immunoglobulin D / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D054397:Receptors, CCR3 / Q000097:blood; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C515456:CCL11 protein, human; C515350:CCR3 protein, human; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D007072:Immunoglobulin D; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016209:Interleukin-8; D054397:Receptors, CCR3