Accumulation of self-reactive naïve and memory B cell reveals sequential defects in B cell tolerance checkpoints in Sjögren's syndrome

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 23;9(12):e114575. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114575. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by breach of self-tolerance towards nuclear antigens resulting in high affinity circulating autoantibodies. Although peripheral B cell disturbances have been described in SS, with predominance of naïve and reduction of memory B cells, the stage at which errors in B cell tolerance checkpoints accumulate in SS is unknown. Here we determined the frequency of self- and poly-reactive B cells in the circulating naïve and memory compartment of SS patients. Single CD27-IgD+ naïve, CD27+IgD+ memory unswitched and CD27+IgD- memory switched B cells were sorted by FACS from the peripheral blood of 7 SS patients. To detect the frequency of polyreactive and autoreactive clones, paired Ig VH and VL genes were amplified, cloned and expressed as recombinant monoclonal antibodies (rmAbs) displaying identical specificity of the original B cells. IgVH and VL gene usage and immunoreactivity of SS rmAbs were compared with those obtained from healthy donors (HD). From a total of 353 VH and 293 VL individual sequences, we obtained 114 rmAbs from circulating naïve (n = 66) and memory (n = 48) B cells of SS patients. Analysis of the Ig V gene repertoire did not show significant differences in SS vs. HD B cells. In SS patients, circulating naïve B cells (with germline VH and VL genes) displayed a significant accumulation of clones autoreactive against Hep-2 cells compared to HD (43.1% vs. 25%). Moreover, we demonstrated a progressive increase in the frequency of circulating anti-nuclear naïve (9.3%), memory unswitched (22.2%) and memory switched (27.3%) B cells in SS patients. Overall, these data provide novel evidence supporting the existence of both early and late defects in B cell tolerance checkpoints in patients with SS resulting in the accumulation of autoreactive naïve and memory B cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Antinuclear / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Separation
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region / genetics
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / genetics
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / immunology*
  • Tissue Donors

Substances

  • Antibodies, Antinuclear
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains
  • Immunoglobulin Variable Region