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Sharon Bajda, Arturo Blazquez-Navarro, Björn Samans, Patrizia Wehler, Sviatlana Kaliszczyk, Leila Amini, Michael Schmueck‑Henneresse, Oliver Witzke, Ulf Dittmer, Timm Westhoff, Richard Viebahn, Petra Reinke, Oliver Thomusch, Christian Hugo, Sven Olek, Toralf Roch, Nina Babel

• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation can lead to serious complications in kidney transplant patients, including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Here, we have assessed the impact of EBV on B cell homeostasis at cellular and humoral level. In a multicenter study monitoring 540 kidney transplant patients during the first post-transplant year, EBV reactivation was detected in 109 patients. Thirteen soluble factors and B cell counts were analyzed in an \(EBV^{+}\) sub-cohort (N = 54) before, at peak and after EBV clearance and compared to a control group (N = 50). The B cell activating factor (BAFF) was significantly elevated among \(EBV^{+}\) patients. No additional soluble factors were associated with EBV. Importantly, in vitro experiments confirmed the proliferative effect of BAFF on EBV-infected B cells, simultaneously promoting EBV production. In contrast, elevated levels of BAFF in \(EBV^{+}\) patients did not lead to B cell expansion in vivo. Moreover, diminished positive inter-correlations of soluble factors and alterations of the bi-directional interplay between B cell and soluble factors were observed in \(EBV^{+}\) patients at peak and after clearance. Our data suggest that such alterations may counteract the proliferative effect of BAFF, preventing B cell expansion. The role of these alterations in lymphoma development should be analyzed in future studies.