title: Maintenance of serological memory by polyclonal activation of human memory B cells.
abstract: Production of antibodies can last for a lifetime, through mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Here, we show that human memory B lymphocytes proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells in response to polyclonal stimuli, such as bystander T cell help and CpG DNA. Furthermore, plasma cells secreting antibodies to recall antigens are produced in vivo at levels proportional to the frequency of specific memory B cells, even several years after antigenic stimulation. Although antigen boosting leads to a transient increase in specific antibody levels, ongoing polyclonal activation of memory B cells offers a means to maintain serological memory for a human lifetime.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Via Vela 6, CH 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nadia L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Traggiai
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzavecchia
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000917:Antibody Formation; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000276:immunology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D019409:Interleukin-15; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; C015772:CpG dinucleotide