[HTML][HTML] The mechanism of anti-CD20–mediated B cell depletion revealed by intravital imaging

F Montalvao, Z Garcia, S Celli, B Breart… - The Journal of …, 2013 - Am Soc Clin Investig
F Montalvao, Z Garcia, S Celli, B Breart, J Deguine, N Van Rooijen, P Bousso
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2013Am Soc Clin Investig
Anti-CD20 Ab therapy has proven successful for treating B cell malignancies and a number
of autoimmune diseases. However, how anti-CD20 Abs operate in vivo to mediate B cell
depletion is not fully understood. In particular, the anatomical location, the type of effector
cells, and the mechanism underlying anti-CD20 therapy remain uncertain. Here, we found
that the liver is a major site for B cell depletion and that recirculation accounts for the
decrease in B cell numbers observed in secondary lymphoid organs. Using intravital …
Anti-CD20 Ab therapy has proven successful for treating B cell malignancies and a number of autoimmune diseases. However, how anti-CD20 Abs operate in vivo to mediate B cell depletion is not fully understood. In particular, the anatomical location, the type of effector cells, and the mechanism underlying anti-CD20 therapy remain uncertain. Here, we found that the liver is a major site for B cell depletion and that recirculation accounts for the decrease in B cell numbers observed in secondary lymphoid organs. Using intravital imaging, we established that, upon anti-CD20 treatment, Kupffer cells (KCs) mediate the abrupt arrest and subsequent engulfment of B cells circulating in the liver sinusoids. KCs were also effective in depleting malignant B cells in a model of spontaneous lymphoma. Our results identify Ab-dependent cellular phagocytosis by KCs as a primary mechanism of anti-CD20 therapy and provide an experimental framework for optimizing the efficacy of therapeutic Abs.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation