The expansion of human T-bet^highCD21^low B cells is T cell dependent

Accumulation of human CD21^low B cells in peripheral blood is a hallmark of chronic activation of the adaptive immune system in certain infections and autoimmune disorders. The molecular pathways underpinning the development, function, and fate of these CD21^low B cells remain incompletely characterized. Here, combined transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses supported a prominent role for the transcription factor T-bet in the transcriptional regulation of these T-bet^highCD21^low B cells. Investigating essential signals for generating these cells in vitro established that B cell receptor (BCR)/interferon-γ receptor (IFNγR) costimulation induced the highest levels of T-bet expression and enabled their differentiation during cell cultures with Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand or CD40L/interleukin-21 (IL-21) stimulation. Low proportions of CD21^low B cells in peripheral blood from patients with defined inborn errors of immunity (IEI), because of mutations affecting canonical NF-κB, CD40, and IL-21 receptor or IL-12/IFNγ/IFNγ receptor/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) signaling, substantiated the essential roles of BCR- and certain T cell–derived signals in the in vivo expansion of T-bet^highCD21^low B cells. Disturbed TLR signaling due to MyD88 or IRAK4 deficiency was not associated with reduced CD21^low B cell proportions. The expansion of human T-bet^highCD21^low B cells correlated with an expansion of circulating T follicular helper 1 (cTfh1) and T peripheral helper (Tph) cells, identifying potential sources of CD40L, IL-21, and IFNγ signals. Thus, we identified important pathways to target autoreactive T-bet^highCD21^low B cells in human autoimmune conditions, where these cells are linked to pathogenesis and disease progression.