Alturaiki Wael, Mubarak Ayman, Mir Sajad Ahmad, Afridi Adnan, Premanathan Mariappan, Mickymaray Suresh, Vijayakumar Rajendran, Alsagaby Suliman A, Almalki Sami G, Alghofaili Fayez, Alnemare Ahmad K, Flanagan Brian F
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 Dec;28(12):7455-7459. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.08.044. Epub 2021 Aug 23.
B-cell activation factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) are members of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily of cytokines and can induce B cell activation, differentiation, and antibody production via interaction with their receptors, including transmembrane activator, calcium modulator, and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI), B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), and B-cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R). Herein, we assessed the plasma protein levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with asthma to determine whether their expression is correlated with total IgE production and examined the surface expression of BAFF/APRIL receptors on B cells. Blood samples were collected from 47 patients with controlled asthma symptoms and 20 healthy normal controls, and plasma levels of APRIL, BAFF, and total IgE protein were quantified by corresponding ELISA assays. Furthermore, lymphocytes were isolated and B cells were analyzed for the presence of BAFF-R, BCMA, and TACI receptors using flow cytometry. Our results showed that IgE, BAFF, and APRIL plasma levels were markedly increased in patients with asthma compared with healthy controls. Moreover, expression of BAFF-R and BCMA, but not that of TACI, was significantly increased in patients with asthma compared with healthy controls. Overall, the findings suggest BAFF and APRIL as key mediators of asthma, and determination of their plasma levels may be useful in monitoring asthma symptoms and treatment response.
B细胞活化因子(BAFF)和增殖诱导配体(APRIL)是细胞因子肿瘤坏死因子超家族的成员,可通过与包括跨膜激活剂、钙调节剂和亲环素配体相互作用分子(TACI)、B细胞成熟抗原(BCMA)和B细胞活化因子受体(BAFF-R)在内的受体相互作用,诱导B细胞活化、分化和抗体产生。在此,我们评估了哮喘患者血浆中BAFF和APRIL的蛋白水平,以确定它们的表达是否与总IgE产生相关,并检测了B细胞上BAFF/APRIL受体的表面表达。从47例哮喘症状得到控制的患者和20例健康正常对照者中采集血样,通过相应的酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)法对APRIL、BAFF和总IgE蛋白的血浆水平进行定量。此外,分离淋巴细胞,使用流式细胞术分析B细胞中BAFF-R、BCMA和TACI受体的存在情况。我们的结果显示,与健康对照相比,哮喘患者的IgE、BAFF和APRIL血浆水平显著升高。此外,与健康对照相比,哮喘患者中BAFF-R和BCMA的表达显著增加,但TACI的表达未增加。总体而言,这些发现表明BAFF和APRIL是哮喘的关键介质,测定它们的血浆水平可能有助于监测哮喘症状和治疗反应。