Maintenance of long-lived plasma cells and serological memory despite mature and memory B cell depletion during CD20 immunotherapy in mice

J Immunol. 2008 Jan 1;180(1):361-71. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.1.361.

Abstract

CD20 mAb-mediated B cell depletion is an effective treatment for B cell malignancies and some autoimmune diseases. However, the full effects of B cell depletion on natural, primary, and secondary Ab responses and the maintenance of Ag-specific serum Ig levels are largely unknown. The relationship between memory B cells, long-lived plasma cells, and long-lived humoral immunity also remains controversial. To address the roles of B cell subsets in the longevity of humoral responses, mature B cells were depleted in mice using CD20 mAb. Peritoneal B cell depletion reduced natural and Ag-induced IgM responses. Otherwise, CD20+ B cell depletion prevented humoral immune responses and class switching and depleted existing and adoptively transferred B cell memory. Nonetheless, B cell depletion did not affect serum Ig levels, Ag-specific Ab titers, or bone marrow Ab-secreting plasma cell numbers. Coblockade of LFA-1 and VLA-4 adhesion molecules temporarily depleted long-lived plasma cells from the bone marrow. CD20+ B cell depletion plus LFA-1/VLA-4 mAb treatment significantly prolonged Ag-specific plasma cell depletion from the bone marrow, with a significant decrease in Ag-specific serum IgG. Collectively, these results support previous claims that bone marrow plasma cells are intrinsically long-lived. Furthermore, these studies now demonstrate that mature and memory B cells are not required for maintaining bone marrow plasma cell numbers, but are required for repopulation of plasma cell-deficient bone marrow. Thereby, depleting mature and memory B cells does not have a dramatic negative effect on preexisting Ab levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / blood
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Antigens, CD20 / immunology*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / drug therapy
  • Autoimmune Diseases / therapy
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects*
  • B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Bone Marrow Cells / drug effects
  • Bone Marrow Cells / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Immunotherapy
  • Integrin alpha4beta1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Lymphocyte Depletion*
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / drug effects
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / drug therapy
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Plasma Cells / drug effects*
  • Plasma Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, CD20
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Integrin alpha4beta1
  • Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1