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Processing of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Matched Blood for Alveolar Macrophage and CD4+ T-cell Immunophenotyping and HIV Reservoir Assessment
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Published on: June 23, 2019

Changes in B cell immunophenotype in common variable immunodeficiency: cause or effect - is bronchiectasis indicative

P Bright1, S Grigoriadou, P Kamperidis

  • 1Immunology Department, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.

Clinical and Experimental Immunology
|January 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) involves B cell defects leading to infections. This study confirms B cell immunophenotype alterations are strongly linked to CVID, distinguishing it from other conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by defective immunoglobulin production and increased infection susceptibility.
  • The underlying pathology of CVID remains poorly understood, with incomplete penetrance even in familial cases.
  • The EUROclass system for CVID classification uses B cell immunophenotyping, but its validity is questioned regarding whether alterations are primary or secondary to complications/treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether B cell immunophenotype alterations are a direct consequence of CVID or potentially related to its complications and treatments.
  • To compare the B cell immunophenotype of CVID patients with disease control groups.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative study analyzing EUROclass B cell immunophenotyping.
  • Patient groups included CVID patients (n=30), bronchiectasis controls (n=11), granulomatous disease (Crohn's disease) controls (n=9), and neurological patients on immunoglobulin treatment (n=6).

Main Results:

  • B cell immunophenotype alterations were strongly associated with CVID, aligning with previous research.
  • Significant differences in B cell immunophenotype were observed between CVID patients and controls with granulomatous disease and those on immunoglobulin treatment.
  • Three bronchiectasis patients without known immunodeficiency exhibited altered B cell immunophenotypes, suggesting potential undiagnosed immunodeficiency or secondary effects of bronchiectasis.

Conclusions:

  • Altered B cell immunophenotype is a strong indicator of CVID.
  • Granulomatous disease and immunoglobulin treatment do not appear to cause the observed B cell immunophenotype alterations in the control groups.
  • The findings support the utility of B cell immunophenotyping in CVID diagnosis and highlight potential immunodeficiency in some bronchiectasis patients.

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