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Switched and unswitched memory B cells detected during SARS-CoV-2 convalescence correlate with limited symptom duration.
- Source :
-
PloS one [PLoS One] 2021 Jan 28; Vol. 16 (1), pp. e0244855. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jan 28 (Print Publication: 2021). - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the pandemic human respiratory illness COVID-19, is a global health emergency. While severe acute disease has been linked to an expansion of antibody-secreting plasmablasts, we sought to identify B cell responses that correlated with positive clinical outcomes in convalescent patients. We characterized the peripheral blood B cell immunophenotype and plasma antibody responses in 40 recovered non-hospitalized COVID-19 subjects that were enrolled as donors in a convalescent plasma treatment study. We observed a significant negative correlation between the frequency of peripheral blood memory B cells and the duration of symptoms for convalescent subjects. Memory B cell subsets in convalescent subjects were composed of classical CD24+ class-switched memory B cells, but also activated CD24-negative and natural unswitched CD27+ IgD+ IgM+ subsets. Memory B cell frequency was significantly correlated with both IgG1 and IgM responses to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) in most seropositive subjects. IgM+ memory, but not switched memory, directly correlated with virus-specific antibody responses, and remained stable over 3 months. Our findings suggest that the frequency of memory B cells is a critical indicator of disease resolution, and that IgM+ memory B cells may play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 immunity.<br />Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Antibodies, Neutralizing immunology
Antibodies, Viral immunology
Antibody Formation
B-Lymphocytes immunology
Convalescence
Disease Progression
Female
Humans
Immunity immunology
Immunoglobulin G immunology
Immunoglobulin M metabolism
Immunophenotyping methods
Male
Middle Aged
Recovery of Function immunology
SARS-CoV-2 immunology
SARS-CoV-2 isolation & purification
B-Lymphocyte Subsets immunology
COVID-19 immunology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1932-6203
- Volume :
- 16
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- PloS one
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 33507994
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244855