title: Humoral immunity and long-lived plasma cells.
abstract: A selected fraction of plasmablasts enters the compartment of nondividing, long-lived plasma cells to maintain humoral antibody memory. In accord with a current model for lymphocyte homeostasis, the lifetime of long-lived plasma cells is probably regulated by competition for a limited number of survival niches present in splenic red pulp, bone marrow and inflamed tissue. Plasma cells secreting autoantibodies specific for some, but not all, self-antigens are probably 'allowed' to enter the compartment of long-lived plasma cells and provide antibody-mediated 'autoimmune memory' that is resistant to conventional therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department for Humoral Immunology, German Arthritis Research Centre, Berlin, Schumannstrasse 21/22, Berlin, Germany. manz@drfz.de
authors.forename: Rudolf A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Manz
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arce
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cassese
authors.forename: Anja E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hiepe
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radbruch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement; D002470:Cell Survival; D006706:Homeostasis; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies