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. 2019 Mar;81(3):e13090.
doi: 10.1111/aji.13090. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Serum Markers of B-cell Activation in Pregnancy During Late Gestation, Delivery, and the Postpartum Period

Jorge Lima  1   2 , Geraldine Cambridge  3 , Andreia Vilas-Boas  3 , Catarina Martins  2 , Luís-Miguel Borrego  2   4 , Maria Leandro  3
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Serum Markers of B-cell Activation in Pregnancy During Late Gestation, Delivery, and the Postpartum Period

Jorge Lima et al. Am J Reprod Immunol. .
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Abstract

Problem: B cells are vital for the normal evolution of pregnancy due to their humoral and possible regulatory activities. Our group and others have documented that circulating B-cell subsets undergo changes from normal late pregnancy to the postpartum period. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Therefore, this study examined the degree of B-cell activation in normal pregnancy by analyzing the levels of serum markers in healthy pregnant women during the third trimester of pregnancy, the day of delivery, and the postpartum period.

Method of study: A prospective study including pregnant and non-pregnant women attending routine care was undertaken at a hospital clinic. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected, along with peripheral blood samples. The serum levels of soluble CD23 (sCD23), B-cell-activating factor (BAFF), kappa (κ) and lambda (λ) free light chains (FLC), IgA, IgG, and IgM were quantified.

Results: Our study included 43 third trimester pregnant and 35 non-pregnant women. In the pregnant women, the median levels of sCD23, BAFF, IgG, and κ FLC were significantly higher during the postpartum period than during the third trimester of pregnancy. Compared to the non-pregnant women, the third trimester pregnant women had higher median BAFF levels and lower sCD23, IgA, IgG, and FLC levels.

Conclusion: Changes in serum markers of B-cell kinetics that occur during pregnancy often persist into the postpartum period and affect the secretion of immunoglobulins from different classes. Further studies are needed to clarify the biological significance of our observations.

Keywords: B lymphocytes; B-cell-activating factor; biomarkers; female; free light chains; immunoglobulins; pregnancy; soluble CD23.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Box (median ± interquartile ranges) and whiskers (10th and 90th percentiles) of the serum BAFF (A) and sCD23 (B) levels in the peripheral blood of non‐pregnant women (n = 35) and pregnant women (n = 43) during the third trimester of pregnancy, on the day of delivery within 15 min after placental expulsion, and during the postpartum period at least 6 wk after delivery. The gray area indicates the range of normal values. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or the Friedman test. *P‐value <0.05; **P‐value <0.01; ***P‐value <0.001
Figure 2
Figure 2
Box (median ± interquartile ranges) and whiskers (10th and 90th percentiles) of the total serum levels of (A) IgA, (B) IgG, and (C) IgM in the peripheral blood of non‐pregnant women (n = 35) and pregnant women (n = 43) during the third trimester of pregnancy, on the day of delivery within 15 min after placental expulsion, and during the postpartum period at least 6 wk after delivery. The gray area indicates the range of normal values. There was one missing value for IgA in the pregnant women group. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or the Friedman test. *P‐value <0.05; **P‐value <0.01; ***P‐value <0.001
Figure 3
Figure 3
Box (median ± interquartile ranges) and whiskers (10th and 90th percentiles) of the (A) κ FLC levels, (B) λ FLC levels, (C) and κ/λ FLC ratio in the peripheral blood of non‐pregnant women (n = 35) and pregnant women (n = 43) during the third trimester of pregnancy, on the day of delivery within 15 min after placental expulsion, and during the postpartum period at least 6 wk after delivery. The gray area indicates the range of normal values. Differences between groups were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) or the Friedman test. *P‐value <0.05; **P‐value <0.01; ***P‐value <0.001
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