Evaluation of B cell function in patients with HIV

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection profoundly impacts lymphocyte populations, including B cells.
• B cell dysfunction in HIV is linked to changes in circulating and tissue-resident B cell subsets.
• Accurate functional assessment of B cells requires precise identification and isolation of these subsets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe assays for phenotyping, fractionating, and functionally assessing B cells from HIV-infected individuals.
• To provide protocols for evaluating B cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
• To offer adaptable methods for both HIV research and studies involving healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of standard laboratory techniques for B cell analysis.
• Development of protocols for isolating and characterizing B cell subsets from PBMCs.
• Implementation of functional assays to evaluate B cell properties.

Main Results:

• Established assays effectively phenotype and fractionate B cell subsets in HIV-infected individuals.
• Functional properties of B cells from HIV patients can be reliably assessed using these methods.
• The described protocols are applicable to various disease settings and healthy controls.

Conclusions:

• The developed assays are essential tools for studying B cell abnormalities in HIV infection.
• These methods facilitate a deeper understanding of B cell dysfunction in the context of HIV.
• The protocols offer a versatile framework for B cell research across different immunological contexts.