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Abstract Background Allergic asthma is a type I allergic reaction mediated by serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE). B cell-mediated humoral immune response to allergens in the pathophysiology of allergic asthma have not been thoroughly elucidated. Peripheral helper T cells (Tph) and follicular helper T cells (Tfh) promote B cell differentiation and antibody production in inflamed tissues. Objective To investigate the roles of B cell subsets, Tph cell subsets and Tfh cell subsets in allergic immune responses. Methods Circulating B cell subsets, Tph cell subsets and Tfh cell subsets in 33 children with allergic asthma and 17 healthy children were analyzed using multicolor flow cytometry. The level of serum total IgE was also assessed. Results Our study found that CD27 + CD38 + plasmablasts and CD24 hi CD38 hi transitional B cells increased and were correlated with serum total IgE level, CD27 − naive B cells and CD24 hi CD27 + B cells decreased in children with allergic asthma. CXCR5 − Tph, CXCR5 − ICOS + Tph, CXCR5 − ICOS + PD-1 + Tph, CXCR5 + ICOS + Tfh and CXCR5 + ICOS + PD-1 + Tfh increased in children with allergic asthma. Further analysis showed increased Tph2, Tph17, Tfh2 and Tfh17 subtypes while decreased Tph1 and Tfh1 subtypes in children with allergic asthma. Most interestingly, Tph2 or Tfh2 subtypes had a positive correlation with serum total IgE level. Conclusion Overall, these results provide insight into the allergens elicited B, Tph or Tfh cell response and identify heretofore unappreciated CD24 hi CD38 hi transitional B cells, CD24 hi CD27 + B cells, CXCR5 − Tph, CXCR5 − ICOS + PD-1 + Tph, Tph2 subtypes and Tfh2 subtypes response to allergens.
Zhu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.