B-Cell Subset Representation Predicts SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Response in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Transplantation Science
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) face significant health risks due to chronic immunosuppression.
• Assessing individual immune competence in SOTRs is challenging but crucial for risk stratification and medical decision-making.
• Novel biomarkers are needed to predict immune responses in immunosuppressed populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify B-cell compartment characteristics that predict immune competence in SOTRs.
• To correlate B-cell phenotypes and antibody repertoire diversity with serologic responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
• To establish B-cell-based predictors for improved immune monitoring in transplant patients.

Main Methods:

• Integrated analysis of B-cell phenotypes, serology, and antibody repertoires in SOTRs and healthy controls.
• Utilized K-means clustering to categorize SOTRs based on B-cell populations.
• Correlation analysis to link B-cell features with vaccine-induced antibody responses.

Main Results:

• Identified three distinct B-cell compartment groups in SOTRs, correlating with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine serology.
• Group 1 SOTRs exhibited naive B-cell dominance and responses similar to controls; Group 2 showed expanded memory B cells with variable responses; Group 3 had lymphopenia and poor responses.
• Antibody repertoire analysis revealed reduced clonal diversity in SOTRs, irrespective of memory B-cell levels, indicating impaired B-cell maturation.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated a measurable hierarchy of B-cell impairment in SOTRs.
• Findings suggest B-cell profiling can rapidly assess immune competence in immunocompromised individuals.
• Highlights potential for targeted immune monitoring and therapeutic interventions in transplant recipients.