title: The role of B cells in acute and chronic infections.
abstract: The important role of B cells in protection against secondary viral infections has been recognized for a long time. Recent evidence suggests that B cells are also critically involved in protective immune reactions classically attributed to T cells. Specifically, antibodies have been documented to protect from many primary viral and parasitic infections and to be indispensable for the control of latent viral infections. Current vaccine strategies should take into account this pivotal role of antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Basel Institute for Immunology Grenzacherstrasse 487, 4005 Basel, Switzerland. bachmann@bii.ch
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopf
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D014612:Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines