1. Significant differences in B-cell subpopulations characterize patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease–associated dysgammaglobulinemia
by Zoya Kuzmina, Hildegard T. Greinix, Roman Weigl, Ulrike Körmöczi, Arno Rottal, Sophie Frantal, Sandra Eder, and Winfried F. Pickl
Blood
Volume 117(7):
February 17, 2011
©2011 by American Society of Hematology

2. Flow cytometric gating algorithm demonstrating circulating B-cell subpopulations in patients with cGVHD.
Flow cytometric gating algorithm demonstrating circulating B-cell subpopulations in patients with cGVHD. Whole blood was analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry, and CD19+ B cells were further stained in various combinations for CD21, CD27, CD38, CD10, IgM, and IgD. Immature, transitional, naive, non–class-switched and class-switched memory B cells were enumerated, which were different between healthy donors and patients with cGVHD.
Zoya Kuzmina et al. Blood 2011;117:
©2011 by American Society of Hematology

3. CD19+ B cells and BAFF/B cell ratio in cGVHD patients with dysgammaglobulinemia.
CD19+ B cells and BAFF/B cell ratio in cGVHD patients with dysgammaglobulinemia. (A) cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia have a significant CD19+ B-cell deficiency. “Hyper Ig” represents cGVHD patients with IgG more than 1600 mg/dL, “Hypo Ig” with IgG less than 700 mg/dL, and “Normal Ig” with IgG 700 to 1600 mg/dL. Lines indicate the range of CD19+ B cells in healthy persons. Data are shown as box plots. (B) Significant elevation of BAFF/B-cell ratios (nanograms per 1 × 103 B cells) in patients with cGVHD and dysgammaglobulinemia. Data are shown as box plots. ○ represents outliers.
Zoya Kuzmina et al. Blood 2011;117:
©2011 by American Society of Hematology

4. Most pronounced distortion of B-cell homeostasis in cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia.
Most pronounced distortion of B-cell homeostasis in cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia. (A) Percentages of CD19+CD21low immature B cells are significantly elevated in cGVHD patients and mainly in the cohort with hypogammaglobulinemia. Lines indicate the range of CD19+CD21low immature B cells in healthy persons (2%–7%). Data are shown as box plots. (B) CD19+CD21int-highCD38highIgMhigh transitional B cells are significantly higher in cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia compared with the normogammaglobulinemia cohort. The line indicates the normal upper range of these cells in healthy persons. Data are shown as box plots. ○ represents outliers. (C) Significantly lower absolute numbers of CD19+CD10−CD27−CD21high naive B cells in cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia compared with the hypergammaglobulinemia and normogammaglobulinemia cohort. We observed a mean percentage of 85 in cGVHD patients compared with 50% of CD19+CD10−CD27−CD21high naive B cells in healthy persons. Data are shown as box plots. (D) CD19+CD27+IgD+ non–class-switched memory B cells are significantly lower in cGVHD patients with hypogammaglobulinemia compared with the hypergammaglobulinemia and normogammaglobulinemia cohort. Data are shown as box plots.
Zoya Kuzmina et al. Blood 2011;117:
©2011 by American Society of Hematology