Skip to main content

Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Sarantopoulos, S; Stevenson, KE; Kim, HT; Washel, WS; Bhuiya, NS; Cutler, CS; Alyea, EP; Ho, VT; Soiffer, RJ; Antin, JH; Ritz, J
Published in: Blood
February 17, 2011

Investigation of the effects of rituximab (anti-CD20) on B-cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) and B cells would better define the significance of B-cell homeostasis in chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) pathophysiology. We studied 20 cGVHD patients at a median of 25 months after rituximab treatment when most patients had recovered total B-cell numbers. A total of 55% of patients had stable/improved cGVHD, and total B-cell numbers in these patients were significantly higher compared with rituximab-unresponsive patients. Although total B-cell number did not differ significantly between cGVHD groups before rituximab, there was a proportional increase in B-cell precursors in patients who later had stable/improved cGVHD. After rituximab, BAFF levels increased in all patients. Coincident with B-cell recovery in the stable/improved group, BAFF/B-cell ratios and CD27(+) B-cell frequencies decreased significantly. The peripheral B-cell pool in stable/improved cGVHD patients was largely composed of naive IgD(+) B cells. By contrast, rituximab-unresponsive cGVHD patients had persistent elevation of BAFF and a predominance of circulating B cells possessing an activated BAFF-R(Lo)CD20(Lo) cell surface phenotype. Thus, naive B-cell reconstitution and decreased BAFF/B-cell ratios were associated with clinical response after rituximab in cGVHD. Our findings begin to delineate B-cell homeostatic mechanisms important for human immune tolerance.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Blood

DOI

EISSN

1528-0020

Publication Date

February 17, 2011

Volume

117

Issue

7

Start / End Page

2275 / 2283

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Rituximab
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Immunology
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Humans
  • Homeostasis
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Sarantopoulos, S., Stevenson, K. E., Kim, H. T., Washel, W. S., Bhuiya, N. S., Cutler, C. S., … Ritz, J. (2011). Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease. Blood, 117(7), 2275–2283. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2010-10-307819
Sarantopoulos, Stefanie, Kristen E. Stevenson, Haesook T. Kim, Whitney S. Washel, Nazmim S. Bhuiya, Corey S. Cutler, Edwin P. Alyea, et al. “Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease.Blood 117, no. 7 (February 17, 2011): 2275–83. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2010-10-307819.
Sarantopoulos S, Stevenson KE, Kim HT, Washel WS, Bhuiya NS, Cutler CS, et al. Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease. Blood. 2011 Feb 17;117(7):2275–83.
Sarantopoulos, Stefanie, et al. “Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease.Blood, vol. 117, no. 7, Feb. 2011, pp. 2275–83. Pubmed, doi:10.1182/blood-2010-10-307819.
Sarantopoulos S, Stevenson KE, Kim HT, Washel WS, Bhuiya NS, Cutler CS, Alyea EP, Ho VT, Soiffer RJ, Antin JH, Ritz J. Recovery of B-cell homeostasis after rituximab in chronic graft-versus-host disease. Blood. 2011 Feb 17;117(7):2275–2283.

Published In

Blood

DOI

EISSN

1528-0020

Publication Date

February 17, 2011

Volume

117

Issue

7

Start / End Page

2275 / 2283

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Rituximab
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Immunology
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Humans
  • Homeostasis