title: CD38, CD81 and BAFFR combined expression by transitional B cells distinguishes active from inactive systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: In view of its heterogeneous presentation and unpredictable course, clinical management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is difficult. There is a need for biomarkers and diagnostic aids to monitor SLE disease activity and severity prior to, during and after treatment. We undertook this study to search for unique phenotypic patterns in each peripheral blood (PB) B cell subset, capable of distinguishing SLE patients with inactive disease versus SLE patients with active disease versus controls by using an automated population separator (APS) visualization strategy. PB was collected from 41 SLE patients and 28 age- and gender-matched controls. We analyzed the cell surface markers (in a tube CD20/CD27/CD19/CD45/CD38/CD81/BAFFR combination) expression on PB B cell subsets using principal component analysis, implemented in the APS software tool. Overall, our analysis indicates that active SLE can be distinguished from inactive SLE on the basis of a single tube analysis, focused on the decreased expression of CD38, CD81 and BAFFR in transitional B cells. The cluster analysis of immunophenotypic profiles of B cell subsets highlighted disease-specific abnormalities on transitional B cells that emerge as promising surrogate markers for disease activity. Further validation is needed with larger samples and prospective follow-up of patients.
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal.|Coimbra College of Health Technology, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Rheumatology Department, University Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.|Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Inês
authors.affiliation: ImmunoMetabolic Pharmacology Group, Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: M Margarida
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Souto-Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: M Luísa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pais
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, University Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: José António Pereira
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Blood and Transplantation Center of Coimbra, Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, Coimbra, Portugal. artur.paiva@ipst.min-saude.pt.|Coimbra College of Health Technology, Coimbra, Portugal. artur.paiva@ipst.min-saude.pt.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000737:chemistry*; D060225:Tetraspanin 28 / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor; D015415:Biomarkers; C554798:CD81 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C435926:TNFRSF13C protein, human; D060225:Tetraspanin 28; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1
keywords: 3D automated population separator (APS) view; BAFFR; CD81 and CD38; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Transitional B cells