Frontiers in Immunology (Oct 2022)

B cells from anti-thyroid antibody positive, infertile women show hyper-reactivity to BCR stimulation

  • Timea Serény-Litvai,
  • Timea Serény-Litvai,
  • Timea Serény-Litvai,
  • Anna Bajnok,
  • Anna Bajnok,
  • Viktoria Temesfoi,
  • Viktoria Temesfoi,
  • Viktoria Temesfoi,
  • Jasper Nörenberg,
  • Jasper Nörenberg,
  • Greta Pham-Dobor,
  • Ambrus Kaposi,
  • Akos Varnagy,
  • Akos Varnagy,
  • Kalman Kovacs,
  • Kalman Kovacs,
  • Sandor Pentek,
  • Sandor Pentek,
  • Tamas Koszegi,
  • Tamas Koszegi,
  • Tamas Koszegi,
  • Emese Mezosi,
  • Emese Mezosi,
  • Timea Berki,
  • Timea Berki

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1039166
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Anti-thyroid antibody (ATA) positivity affects 1 out of 9 women in childbearing age and presents a significant risk for infertility. Emerging evidence indicates that alterations in the B cell receptor induced calcium (Ca2+) signaling could be key in the development of autoimmunity. We aimed to investigate the Ca2+ flux response of B lymphocyte subsets to BCR stimulation in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and related infertility. We collected peripheral blood samples from ATA+, infertile, euthyroid patients (HIE), hypothyroid, ATA+ patients before (H1) and after levothyroxine treatment (H2), and age-matched healthy controls (HC). All B cell subsets of ATA+, infertile, euthyroid patients showed elevated basal Ca2+ level and hyper-responsivity to BCR ligation compared to the other groups, which could reflect altered systemic immune function. The Ca2+ flux of hypothyroid patients was similar to healthy controls. The levothyroxine-treated patients had decreased prevalence of CD25+ B cells and lower basal Ca2+ level compared to pre-treatment. Our results support the role of altered Ca2+ flux of B cells in the early phase of thyroid autoimmunity and infertility.

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