PURPOSE: This panel was optimized primarily to determine the frequency and immunophenotype of antibody secreting cells (ASC), historically called plasma B cells [PCs, reviewed in Refs. ( 1-3)]. The panel can also be used to determine the frequency and phenotype of other B cell subsets including memory B cells and naïve B cells, which occur in various anatomic niches, but particularly in the circulation (Table 1). The panel has been tested on various human tissues from healthy subjects, and has been shown to be applicable to fresh and cryopreserved peripheral blood, spleen, bone marrow, and tonsil cells; we have observed active antibody secretion from thawed cells. We continue to apply the panel to a variety of tissues and donors to build on our understanding of humoral immunity and the cells that contribute to long‐lasting vaccine responses. Analysis of rare cells can be difficult, and our aim is to encourage better data in the analysis of ASC.

CELL TYPE: Fresh or cryopreserved PBMC, bone marrow, spleen, or tonsil cells

MACHINE: BD SORP Fortessa