Abstract.
It has become clear that the autoreactive B cells are a part of the normal naïve B cell repertoire in the periphery, despite the fact that they undergo a series of checkpoints, which include receptor editing (revision), clonal deletion, and anergy. However, most of those B cells reactive against self antigen remain functionally naïve for autoantibody production by differential peripheral checkpoints. Therefore, the presence of autoreactive B cells does not always signify disease. Regulation of their activation and effector functions will determine the ultimate outcome. Although autoreactive B cell tolerance is well maintained in the healthy individual, the existence of pathogenic autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases indicates that these tolerogenic checkpoints are broken. Recent studies have demonstrated that autoreactive B cells are regulated by a composite of factors, such as genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers such as bacterial and viral infections as well as other immune cells. Interestingly, Toll-like receptors, previously considered as pattern-recognition receptors to detect and sense pathogens, may also have a potential to recognize self antigens and regulate autoreactive B cells for activation. Understanding the mechanisms of autoreactive B cell regulation and activation may help in identifying novel targets for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- AutoAb:
-
autoantibody
- BCR:
-
B cell antigen receptor
- GC:
-
germinal center
- RA:
-
rheumatoid arthritis
- pDCs:
-
plasmacytoid dendritic cells
- RF:
-
rheumatoid factor
- SLE:
-
systemic lupus erythematosus
- snRNP:
-
small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle
- TLRs:
-
Toll-like receptors
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Ding, C., Yan, J. Regulation of autoreactive B cells: checkpoints and activation. Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. 55, 83–89 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-007-0011-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00005-007-0011-0