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Updated: Jul 27, 2026
Generation of Human CD40-activated B cells
Published on: October 16, 2009
Human CD38hiCD138⁺ plasma cells can be generated in vitro from CD40-activated switched-memory B lymphocytes
Rayelle Itoua Maïga1, Guillaume Bonnaure1, Josiane Tremblay Rochette1
1Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-Informatics, Laval University, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6 ; Hema-Quebec's Department of Research and Development, 1070 Avenue des Sciences-de-la-Vie, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 5C3.
Insights
This study reveals that in vitro generated plasma cells are diverse, with CD39-expressing cells acting as precursors to bone marrow plasma cells. These findings are crucial for understanding antibody production and long-term immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Long-lived plasma cells are essential for sustained antibody production and protective immunity.
- CD40-CD154 and CD27-CD70 interactions facilitate human B lymphocyte differentiation into plasma cells.
- Understanding B cell differentiation pathways is key to developing effective vaccines and immunotherapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the capacity of CD40-CD154 and CD27-CD70 interactions in driving switched-memory B lymphocytes differentiation into plasma cells.
- To investigate the expression profiles of CD31 and CD39 during in vitro B cell differentiation and compare them to in vivo plasma cells.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and expansion of human peripheral blood B lymphocytes.
- In vitro differentiation of B lymphocytes using CD70 or CD154 interactions for 14 days.
- Flow cytometry analysis of CD31 and CD39 expression on differentiated B cells and plasma cells from blood and bone marrow.
Main Results:
- Expanded B lymphocytes constitutively expressed CD39.
- CD31 expression emerged during in vitro differentiation, specifically on CD38(hi) cells.
- In vitro generated CD38(hi)CD138(+) plasma cells exhibited higher CD31 expression than CD38(hi)CD138(-) cells.
- In vivo and de novo generated plasma cells showed similar CD31 profiles but lower CD39 expression compared to in vitro generated cells.
Conclusions:
- In vitro generated plasma cells are heterogeneous, with CD39(+) cells serving as precursors to bone marrow plasma cells.
- CD31 expression is a marker of differentiated plasma cells, while CD39 expression may indicate a precursor state.
- These findings provide insights into the distinct characteristics of in vitro and in vivo generated plasma cells, relevant for immunological studies.
Abstract:
B lymphocyte differentiation into long-lived plasma cells is the keystone event for the production of long-term protective antibodies. CD40-CD154 and CD27-CD70 interactions are involved in human B lymphocyte differentiation into CD38(hi)CD138(+) cells in vivo as well as in vitro. In this study, we have compared these interactions in their capacity to drive switched-memory B lymphocytes differentiation into CD38(hi)CD138(+) plasma cells. The targeted B lymphocytes were isolated from human peripheral blood, expanded for 19 days, and then submitted to CD70 or CD154 interactions for 14 days. The expanded B lymphocytes were constitutively expressing CD39, whereas CD31's expression was noticed only following the in vitro differentiation step (day 5) and was exclusively present on the CD38(hi) cell population. Furthermore, the generated CD38(hi)CD138(+) cells showed a higher proportion of CD31(+) cells than the CD38(hi)CD138(-) cells. Besides, analyses done with human blood and bone marrow plasma cells showed that in vivo and de novo generated CD38(hi)CD138(+) cells have a similar CD31 expression profile but are distinct according to their reduced CD39 expression level. Overall, we have evidences that in vitro generated plasma cells are heterogeneous and appear as CD39(+) precursors to the ones present in bone marrow niches.
