B cell profile, B‐cell activating factor concentration and IgG levels in human cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis

PARODI, CECILIA; BARRIO, ALEJANDRA; GARCÍA BUSTOS, MARÍA F.; GONZÁLEZ PRIETO, ANA G.; PIMENTEL, JULIA; BADANO, NOEL; ALBAREDA, MARÍA C.; CASTRO EIRO, MELISA E.; LAUCELLA, SUSANA A.; DE ELIZALDE DE BRACCO, MARÍA M.

PARASITE IMMUNOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2020

0141-9838

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate characteristics of B cells in human tegumentaryleismaniasis (TL) analysing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), most prevalentform and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML), aggressive form characterized by the destructionof the oral-nasal-pharyngeal cavities.Methods and results: By flow cytometry analysis, we found decreased percentagesof non?class-switched memory B cells in TL with the degree of the loss related toclinical severity. Using commercial ELISA, we reported high levels of B-cell activatingfactor (BAFF) and IgG preferentially in aggressive CL and markedly in ML togetherwith decreased BAFF receptors in the latter. We also found lower levels of BAFFafter clinical recovery suggesting a relation between BAFF and disease activity.Mucosal leishmaniasis history of therapeutic failure presented high levels of BAFFaccompanied by detectable concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-6 (assayed by commercialELISA and cytometric bead arrays respectively), cytokines involved in exaggeratedinflammatory responses and tissue damage in TL.Conclusion: We demonstrate B-cell disturbances in TL with the degree of the alterationsrelated to clinical severity. We suggest a relation between excess of BAFF anddisease activity and point towards a possible implication of BAFF in the inflammatoryphenomenon of ML.