title: Age-related loss of bone marrow pre-B- and immature B-lymphocytes in the autoimmune-prone flaky skin mutant mice.
abstract: Defective B-lymphopoiesis has been associated with development of auto-antibodies and auto-immunity in a number of autoimmune-prone strains of mice. The flaky skin (fsn) mutation results in development of chronic inflammation and auto-immunity. Associated with the development of auto-immunity is the hyperactivation of B-lymphocytes and production of auto-antibodies. We, therefore, undertook a detailed examination of B-lineage precursors in the bone marrow of fsn/fsn mice. We observed a rapid age-related loss of the pre-B and immature B cells. It was also noted that an accumulation of early precursor populations occurs coincident with the loss of Fr.D and Fr.E bone marrow B cell populations indicating a developmental block or accumulation of pro-B cells in 7 and 10 week old fsn/fsn mice. Our data suggests changes in the fsn/fsn bone-marrow microenvironment that results in senescence of B cell development.
authors.affiliation: Bioscience Research Institute of Southern Maine, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04104-9300, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Welner
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Swett
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pelsue
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007700:Kinetics; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice