Reduced memory B cells in patients with hyper IgE syndrome

• Title in English: Reduced memory B cells in patients with hyper IgE syndromeClin Immunol
• Authors: SPECKMANN C.; ENDERS A.; WOELLNER C.; THIEL D.; RENSING-EHL A.; SCHLESIER M.; ROHR J.; JAKOB T.; OSWALD E.; KOPP M.V.; SANAL O.; LITZMAN Jiří; PLEBANI A.; PIETROGRANDE M.C.; FRANCO J.L.; ESPANOL T.; GRIMBACHER B.; EHL S.
• Year of publication: 2008
• Type: Article in Periodical
• Magazine / Source: Clin Immunol
• MU Faculty or unit: Faculty of Medicine
• Field: Immunology
• Keywords: Hyper IgE syndrome; B cells; STAT-3; Memory cells
• Description: Dominant-negative mutations in STAT-3 have recently been found in the majority of patients with sporadic or autosomal-dominant hyper IgE syndrome (HIES). Since STAT-3 plays a role in B cell development and differentiation, we analyzed memory B cells in 20 patients with HIES, 17 of which had STAT-3 mutations. All but four patients had reduced non-switched and/or class-switched memory B cells. No reduction in these B cell populations was found in 16 atopic dermatitis patients with IgE levels above 1000 KU/L. There was no correlation between the reduction of memory B cells and the ability to produce specific antibodies. Moreover, there was no correlation between the percentage of memory B cells and the infection history. Analysis of memory B cells can be useful in distinguishing patients with suspected HIES from patients with atopic disease, but probably fails to identify patients who are at high risk of infection.