Expression of CD27 and CD23 on peripheral blood B lymphocytes in humans of different ages.

BACKGROUND: Due to the fact that the coexpression of CD23 and CD27 has been reported to occur in B lymphocytic leukaemic clones and that there is debate about CD23 expression on memory B cells, we evaluated the behaviour of naive B cells (CD23-/CD27-) and memory B cells (CD27+) in the peripheral blood of a large number of humans of all ages. B cells were also distinguished into B2 (CD5-) and B1-a cells (CD5+). METHODS: The cell surface expression of CD19, CD5, CD23 and CD27 was assessed on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 1,427 subjects of all ages undergoing peripheral blood immunophenotyping for a variety of reasons. RESULTS: The absolute number of B lymphocytes and the percentage of naive cells (CD23-/CD27-) decreased with age whereas there was an increase in memory cells (CD27+). A small subset of B cells co-expressing CD23 and CD27 was present in humans of all ages, although the majority of CD27+ cells were CD23-. The percentages and rate of increase with age of B1-a CD23+/CD27+ were slightly higher than those of B2 cell counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our data, age-associated changes in surface markers of B cells seem to be finely balanced and probably related to functional changes after antigen encounters, while the whole peripheral blood B-cell compartment undergoes a quantitative regression.