Expansion of IgG+ B-cells during mitogen stimulation for memory B-cell ELISpot analysis is influenced by size and composition of the B-cell pool.

ABSTRACT: The memory B-cell (MBC) ELISpot assay is the main technique used to measure antigen-specific MBCs as a readout of humoral immune memory. This assay relies on the ability of MBCs to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells (ASC) upon polyclonal stimulation. The total number of IgG+ ASCs generated by mitogen-stimulation is often used as a reference point; alternatively antigen-specific MBCs are expressed as a frequency of post-culture peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as a surrogate for absolute frequencies. Therefore, it is important to know whether IgG+ B-cells are uniformly expanded during the preceding mitogen-culture as a true reflection of MBC frequencies ex vivo. We systematically compared B-cell phenotype and proportions before and after mitogen stimulation in cultures of

SUBMITTER: Scholzen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4106867 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature