title: Abnormalities of B cell phenotype, immunoglobulin gene expression and the emergence of autoimmunity in Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by specific pathologic features and the production of typical autoantibodies. In addition, characteristic changes in the distribution of peripheral B cell subsets and differences in use of immunoglobulin variable-region genes are also features of pSS. Comparison of B cells from the blood and parotid gland of patients with pSS with those of normal donors suggests that there is a depletion of memory B cells from the peripheral blood and an accumulation or retention of these antigen-experienced B cells in the parotids. Because disordered selection leads to considerable differences in the B cell repertoire in these patients, the delineation of its nature should provide important further clues to the pathogenesis of this autoimmune inflammatory disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Charité, Berlin, Germany. thomas.doemer@charite.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dörner
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Lipsky
mesh_terms: D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region