BAFF from Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Improves Their B-Cell Viability-Supporting Properties

Dallos, Tomáš; Krivošíková, M.; Chorązy-Massalska, M.; Warnawin, E.; Záňová, E.; Rudnicka, W.; Radzikowska, A.; Maśliński, W.

doi:10.14712/fb2009055050166

Folia Biologica > Archive > 2009, Vol. 55 > Issue 5 > BAFF from Bone Marrow-Derived…

Fol. Biol. 2009, 55, 166-176

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2009055050166

BAFF from Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Improves Their B-Cell Viability-Supporting Properties

Tomáš Dallos^1,2, M. Krivošíková^2,3, M. Chorązy-Massalska², E. Warnawin², E. Záňová^2,4, W. Rudnicka², A. Radzikowska², W. Maśliński²

¹2nd Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
²Department of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Institute of Rheumatology, Warsaw, Poland
³Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
⁴National Institute of Rheumatic Diseases, Piešťany, Slovak Republic

Received January 2008
Accepted May 2009

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) represent a unique cell type with anti-proliferative effects on activated T and B cells. Based on our observation of differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis bone marrow B cells we hypothesized that rheumatoid arthritis bone marrow MSCs may enhance B-cell survival. We aimed to compare the effect of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis bone marrow-derived MSCs (rheumatoid arthritis MSCs, osteoarthritis MSCs) on the survival of healthy donor purified B cells. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis MSCs were isolated from patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, and cultured in vitro for 2–5 passages. Washed cells were co-cultured with CD20⁺ B cells for 30-90 hours. Cell survival was analysed using 7-amino-actinomycin D labelling by flow cytometry. Expression of mRNA and protein was determined by RT-PCR and flow cytomery. Co-culture with both rheumatoid arthritis MSCs and osteoarthritis MSCs significantly enhanced B-cell survival, the effect being more prominent in rheumatoid arthritis MSCs. Both types of MSCs displayed expression of B cell-activating factor mRNA and protein. Blocking B cell-activating factor signalling from MSCs by specific anti-B cell-activating factor and anti-B cell-activating factor receptor antibodies weakly reversed the effect of MSCs on B-cell survival mainly in rheumatoid arthritis MSCs. MSC interaction with B cells provides stimuli for B-cell survival and therefore may contribute to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. MSC-derived factors other than B cell-activating factor are likely to contribute to this effect. This feature is more prominent in rheumatoid arthritis MSCs, possibly due to the B cell-activating factor.