Evidence of a functional B-cell immunodeficiency in adults who experience serogroup C meningococcal disease

Foster, Rachel A., Carlring, Jennifer, McKendrick, Michael W., Lees, Andrew, Borrow, Ray, Read, Robert C. and Heath, Andrew W. (2009) Evidence of a functional B-cell immunodeficiency in adults who experience serogroup C meningococcal disease. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 16 (5), 692-698. (doi:10.1128/CVI.00485-08).

Abstract

After adolescence, the incidence of meningococcal disease decreases with age as a result of the cumulative immunizing effect of repeated nasopharyngeal colonization. Nevertheless, some adults succumb to meningococcal disease, so we hypothesized that this is due to a subtle functional immunological defect. Peripheral blood lymphocytes derived from survivors of serogroup C meningococcal disease and from age- and sex-matched controls were incubated with a polyclonal B-cell activator containing anti-immunoglobulin D (alpha-delta-dex) employed to mimic antigen-specific stimuli encountered during immune responses to bacterial polysaccharides, with and without T-cell activation (using anti-CD3/anti-CD28). Subsequent proliferation and activation of T and B lymphocytes were measured. In patients, T-cell responses to polyclonal stimuli and the delivery of T-cell help to B cells were unimpaired. Levels of B-cell proliferation in response to alpha-delta-dex stimulation alone were low in all samples but were significantly lower in patients than in controls, and these differences were more pronounced with the addition of T-cell help. The data are consistent with the presence of a subtle immunodeficiency in adults who have exhibited susceptibility to meningococcal disease. This defect is manifested as an impaired B-cell response to T-cell-independent type 2 antigens analogous to bacterial capsular polysaccharide.

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Contributors

Author: Robert C. Read

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