title: Limited Effector Memory B-Cell Response to Envelope Glycoprotein B During Primary Human Cytomegalovirus Infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following primary human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, the production of antibodies against envelope glycoprotein B (gB) is delayed, compared with production of antibodies against tegument proteins, and this likely reduces the control of HCMV dissemination.
  
  
  METHODS
  The frequency and the phenotype of gB-specific and tegument protein-specific B cells were studied in a cohort of pregnant women with primary HCMV infection. Healthy adults who had chronic HCMV infection or were recently immunized with tetanus toxoid (TT) were included as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary HCMV infection was associated with high and similar frequencies of gB-specific and tegument protein-specific B cells following primary HCMV infection. During primary infection, tegument protein-specific B cells expressed an activated (CD21(low)) memory B-cell (MBC) phenotype. Activated MBCs were also induced by TT booster immunization, indicating that the expansion of this subset is part of the physiological B-cell response to protein antigens. In contrast, gB-specific B cells had a predominant classical (CD21(+)) MBC phenotype during both primary and chronic infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The delayed production of gB-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) during primary HCMV infection is associated with a limited induction of MBCs with effector potential. This novel mechanism by which HCMV may interfere with the production of neutralizing antibodies could represent a target for therapeutic immunization.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dauby
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.affiliation: ImmuneHealth, Gosselies.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kummert
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.affiliation: ImmuneHealth, Gosselies.
authors.forename: Edwige
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haelterman
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology.
authors.forename: Marie-Luce
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Delforge
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasme Hospital, ULB, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Donner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mach
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) ImmuneHealth, Gosselies.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchant
mesh_terms: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus
keywords: activated memory B cells; cytomegalovirus; glycoprotein B; neutralizing antibodies; primary infection