Ex vivo analysis of human memory B lymphocytes specific for A and B influenza hemagglutinin by polychromatic flow-cytometry

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 15;8(8):e70620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070620. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Understanding the impact that human memory B-cells (MBC), primed by previous infections or vaccination, exert on neutralizing antibody responses against drifted influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is key to design best protective vaccines. A major obstacle to these studies is the lack of practical tools to analyze HA-specific MBCs in human PBMCs ex vivo. We report here an efficient method to identify MBCs carrying HA-specific BCR in frozen PBMC samples. By using fluorochrome-tagged recombinant HA baits, and vaccine antigens from mismatched influenza strains to block BCR-independent binding, we developed a protocol suitable for quantitative, functional and molecular analysis of single MBCs specific for HA from up to two different influenza strains in the same tube. This approach will permit to identify the naive and MBC precursors of plasmablasts and novel MBCs appearing in the blood following infection or vaccination, thus clarifying the actual contribution of pre-existing MBCs in antibody responses against novel influenza viruses. Finally, this protocol can allow applying high throughput deep sequencing to analyze changes in the repertoire of HA⁺ B-cells in longitudinal samples from large cohorts of vaccinees and infected subjects with the ultimate goal of understanding the in vivo B-cell dynamics driving the evolution of broadly cross-protective antibody responses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / biosynthesis
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Separation / methods
  • Cross Reactions
  • Flow Cytometry / methods
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / chemistry*
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / immunology
  • Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / chemistry*
  • Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / immunology
  • Influenza B virus / chemistry*
  • Influenza B virus / immunology
  • Influenza Vaccines / chemistry
  • Influenza Vaccines / immunology
  • Influenza, Human / immunology*
  • Influenza, Human / virology
  • Protein Binding
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / biosynthesis
  • Single-Domain Antibodies / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
  • Influenza Vaccines
  • Single-Domain Antibodies

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics srl (Siena Italy) and partially supported by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007 2013] under Grant Agreement No: 280873 ADITEC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.