title: Alterations on peripheral blood B cell subsets induced by allergic rhinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Here we evaluated whether allergic rhinitis to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus induces alterations on circulating B cell subsets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Circulating B cell subsets and isotype expression on antigen-experienced B cells from allergic patients under conventional pharmacological treatment (NO-SIT, n = 15) and under subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT, n = 33), and non-allergic subjects (NC, n = 25) were analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In allergic patients, we found a significant decrease in IgM(+) and IgG(+) memory B cells and an increase in IgA(+) memory B cells. Additionally, the numbers of circulating IgA(+) plasmablasts in allergic patients were also increased, while those cells expressing IgM were reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allergic patients have a disturbed B cell subsets distribution which seems to underlie rhinitis pathogenesis and remain unchanged after SCIT.
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Graça
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinho
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pais
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Segorbe-Luís
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D040002:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007073:Immunoglobulin E