About this Research Topic
B-cells play an important role in the prevention of infections, not only via the production of antibodies but also through their ability to act as antigen-presenting cells and produce cytokines. It is not surprising then that patients with very low or absent circulating B cells are particularly predisposed to infections, including atypical and opportunistic ones. The best examples are patients with agammaglobulinemia (X-linked or Autosomal Recessive), Good’s syndrome, activated PI3K Delta Syndrome (APDS), those that have undergone B-cell-depleting therapy, and certain patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). E.g., a higher predisposition and/or poorer outcomes to SARS-CoV-2, norovirus, enterovirus, and Campylobacter infections have been previously documented in these patients.
The goal of this Research Topic is to identify common clinical and etiopathogenetic characteristics in patients with very low or absent circulating B cells and advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Focusing on patients at the more severe end of the spectrum of humoral immune defects will allow us to obtain a better insight into the role of humoral immunity in the prevention of infectious complications. This Research Topic will also aim to inform decision-making on the use of B cell-depleting therapies, e.g., circulating B-cell levels may theoretically be used to risk-stratify patients and thus prevent infections.
This Research Topic will focus on infectious complications in patients with very low or absent circulating B-cells, and their underlying etiopathogenetic mechanisms.
Manuscripts addressing the following topics are going to be preferentially included:
• Original research on the role of B-cells and humoral immunity in the protection from infections.
• Original research, case series, and case reports on infectious complications in patients with very low or absent circulating B-cells, e.g., those with agammaglobulinemia (X-linked or Autosomal Recessive), Good’s syndrome, APDS, who have previously undergone B-cell-depleting therapy, and certain patients with CVID.
• Reviews, perspective, hypothesis, and theory articles on the above topics.
The goal of this Research Topic is to identify common clinical and etiopathogenetic characteristics in patients with very low or absent circulating B cells and advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Focusing on patients at the more severe end of the spectrum of humoral immune defects will allow us to obtain a better insight into the role of humoral immunity in the prevention of infectious complications. This Research Topic will also aim to inform decision-making on the use of B cell-depleting therapies, e.g., circulating B-cell levels may theoretically be used to risk-stratify patients and thus prevent infections.
This Research Topic will focus on infectious complications in patients with very low or absent circulating B-cells, and their underlying etiopathogenetic mechanisms.
Manuscripts addressing the following topics are going to be preferentially included:
• Original research on the role of B-cells and humoral immunity in the protection from infections.
• Original research, case series, and case reports on infectious complications in patients with very low or absent circulating B-cells, e.g., those with agammaglobulinemia (X-linked or Autosomal Recessive), Good’s syndrome, APDS, who have previously undergone B-cell-depleting therapy, and certain patients with CVID.
• Reviews, perspective, hypothesis, and theory articles on the above topics.
Keywords: humoral immunity, B cells, B cell alymphocytosis, circulating B cells, peripheral B cells, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, XLA, Autosomal Recessive agammaglobulinemia, Good’s syndrome, rituximab
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
