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Characterization of the light chain-restricted clonal B cells in peripheral blood of HCV-positive patients

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Abstract

To investigate the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and B cell proliferation, we searched for the clonal B cells by flow cytometric analysis of the surface immunoglobulin kappa (κ):lambda (λ) light chain ratios of the circulating B (CD19+) cells in 240 HCV-positive patients and 150 negative controls with liver diseases. Clonal B cells with light chain restriction (κ:λ ratio >3:1 or <1:2) were analyzed for CD5 expression and the presence of monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) gene rearrangements and the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation. Clonal B cells were detected in 7 cases with HCV (2.9%), but was never detected in the controls (p < 0.05). Of the 7 cases, all had monoclonal IGH gene rearrangements and one had the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation. These HCV-related clonal B cells are not uniform in the intensity of CD5 expression and showed no increase in the frequencies of CD5+ population compared with non-clonal B cells. No “chronic lymphocytic leukemia-phenotype” cells were found. The loss of clonality was observed in 2 cases treated with interferon and in one case treated with splenectomy. The longitudinal study is required to determine whether these circulating clonal B cells progress to lymphoproliferative disorders in future or not.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Research on Hepatitis, Health and Labour Sciences Research Grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan. K.O., T.O., M.S., T.U., T.K., S.M., Y.T., E.O., R.I., R.S., M.H., K.O., K.Y., T.K., and K.Y participated in devising the study concept; M.S. and T.K. provided patient referrals; K.O. performed and T.U. assisted experiments; K.O. and T.O. designed the research and wrote the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan

    Korenori Ohtsubo, Satoshi Morishige, Yuka Takata, Eijiro Oku, Rie Imamura, Ritsuko Seki, Michitoshi Hashiguchi, Koichi Osaki, Kazuaki Yakushiji, Taisuke Kanaji, Kohji Yoshimoto & Takashi Okamura

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Michio Sata & Takumi Kawaguchi

  3. Department of Digestive Disease Information and Research, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Michio Sata & Takumi Kawaguchi

  4. Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan

    Michio Sata, Ritsuko Seki, Takato Ueno & Takashi Okamura

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  1. Korenori Ohtsubo
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  2. Michio Sata
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Correspondence to Korenori Ohtsubo.

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Ohtsubo, K., Sata, M., Kawaguchi, T. et al. Characterization of the light chain-restricted clonal B cells in peripheral blood of HCV-positive patients. Int J Hematol 89, 452–459 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-009-0301-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-009-0301-x

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