Regulatory roles for cytokine-producing B cells in infection and autoimmune disease.
Recent experiments have revealed that B cells can regulate the course of immune responses to pathogens and autoantigens by antibody-independent mechanisms. One antibody-independent function of B cells is to produce cytokines. In this review we describe the identification of IL-10-producing 'regulatory' B cells as well as IFNgamma-producing 'effector' Bel cells and IL-4-producing 'effector' Be2 cells. We discuss the roles of antigen, pathogen-derived molecules and T cell and dendritic cell-derived factors in regulating the differentiation of mature B cells into cytokine-producing effector B cells. We also review the recent experiments showing that B cell-derived cytokines play pathologic as well as protective roles in immune responses to autoantigens, and demonstrate that cytokine-producing B cells play unexpectedly complex and potentially opposing roles in autoimmune disease.
Lund
Frances E
FE
Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, USA. flund@trudeauinstitute.org
Garvy
Beth A
BA
Randall
Troy D
TD
Harris
David P
DP
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma