Login / Signup

Status of B-Lymphocyte Subsets and Their Homing Markers in Patients With Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis.

Shilpa SenguptaDeep GoswamiBidhan ChakrabortySurya Jyati ChaudhuriManab K GhoshMitali Chatterjee
Published in: Parasite immunology (2024)
In visceral leishmaniasis, the Type II helper T cell predominance results in B cell modulation and enhancement of anti-leishmanial IgG. However, information regarding its dermal sequel, post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), remains limited. Accordingly, this study aimed to elucidate the B cell-mediated antibody-dependent/independent immune profiles of PKDL patients. In the peripheral blood of PKDL patients, immunophenotyping of B cell subsets was performed by flow cytometry and by immunohistochemistry at lesional sites. The functionality of B cells was assessed in terms of skin IgG by immunofluorescence, while the circulating levels of B cell chemoattractants (CCL20, CXCL13, CCL17, CCL22, CCL19, CCL27, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11) were evaluated by a multiplex assay. In patients with PKDL as compared with healthy controls, there was a significant decrease in pan CD19 + B cells. However, within the CD19 + B cell population, there was a significantly raised proportion of switched memory B cells (CD19 + IgD - CD27 + ) and plasma cells (CD19 + IgD - CD38 + CD27 + ). This was corroborated at lesional sites where a higher expression of CD20 + B cells and CD138 + plasma cells was evident; they were Ki67 negative and demonstrated a raised IgG. The circulating levels of B cell chemoattractants were raised and correlated positively with lesional CD20 + B cells. The increased levels of B cell homing markers possibly accounted for their enhanced presence at the lesional sites. There was a high proportion of plasma cells, which accounted for the increased presence of IgG that possibly facilitated parasite persistence and disease progression.
Keyphrases