Polymeric IgA-secreting and mucosal homing pre-plasma cells in normal human peripheral blood

Clear identification of recently activated mucosal B cells in human blood would greatly facilitate study of mucosal vaccines, immune response to infection and the ongoing mucosal IgA response. We examined blood lymphocytes from normal, healthy individuals to identify IgA-secreting pre-plasma cells' (PPC) functional and phenotypic relevance to mucosal antibody production, in the absence of infection, disease or recent vaccination. PPC are the …