Summary

Clinically important broadly reactive B cells evolve during multiple infections, with B cells re-activated after secondary infection differing from B cells activated after a primary infection. Here we studied CD27highCD38high plasmablasts from patients with a primary or secondary dengue virus infection. Three transcriptionally and functionally distinct clusters were identified. The largest cluster 0/1 was plasma cell-related, with cells coding for serotype cross-reactive antibodies of the IgG1 isotype, consistent with memory B cell activation during an extrafollicular response. Cells in clusters 2 and 3 expressed low levels of antibody genes and high levels of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, EIF2 pathway, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Clusters 2 and 3 showed a transcriptional footprint of T cell help, in line with activation from naive B cells or memory B cells. Our results contribute to the understanding of the parallel B cell activation events that occur in humans after natural primary and secondary infection.

Overall design

DEG analysis from single-cell sorted Plasmablasts (CD19+IgD-CD27hiCD38hi) from 7 patients with primary or secondary dengue infection. Gene expression in plasmablasts from 2 dengue-infected patients (1 primary and 1 secondary).

Contributors

Angeline Rouers†, Katja Fink✉️

Contact

To be supplemented.