APRIL-dependent lifelong plasmacyte maintenance and immunoglobulin production in humans

Background: Interactions between the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand superfamily and TNF receptor superfamily play critical roles in B-cell development and maturation. A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), a member of the TNF ligand superfamily, is secreted from myeloid cells and known to induce the differentiation of memory B cells to plasmacytes.

Objective: We sought to elucidate the role of APRIL in B-cell differentiation and immunoglobulin production through the analysis of complete APRIL deficiency in human.

Methods: We performed whole exome sequencing in a patient with adult common variable immunodeficiency. His parents were in a consanguineous marriage. TNFSF13 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed in the primary cells and plasma from the patient and in cDNA-transfected cells and supernatants of the cultures in vitro. Immunologic analysis was performed by using flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-moDCs) were cocultured with memory B cells from healthy controls to examine in vitro plasmacyte differentiation.

Results: We identified a homozygous frameshift mutation in TNFSF13, the gene encoding APRIL, in the patient. APRIL mRNA and protein were completely absent in the monocytes and iPSC-moDCs of the patient. In contrast to the results of previous animal model studies, the patient showed hypogammaglobulinemia with a markedly reduced level of plasmacytes in peripheral blood and a clearly increased level of circulating marginal zone B cells. Although iPSC-moDC-induced in vitro plasmacyte differentiation was reduced in the patient, recombinant APRIL supplementation corrected this abnormality.

Conclusion: The first APRIL deficiency in an adult patient with common variable immunodeficiency revealed the role of APRIL in lifelong maintenance of plasmacytes and immunoglobulin production in humans.