Phenotypic analysis of B-cells and plasma cells.
B-cells and antibody-secreting plasma cells are key players in protective immunity, but also in autoimmune disease. To understand their various functions in the initiation and maintenance of autoimmune pathology, a detailed dissection of their functional diversity is mandatory. This requires a detailed phenotypic classification of the diversity of B-cells. Here, technologies of immunocytometry and ELISpot are described in detail, and their value for phenotypic characterization of cells of the B lineage, as well as for preparative cell sorting, to further characterize them functionally and on the molecular level are described.
Mei
Henrik E
HE
German Rheumatism Research Centre, Berlin, Germany.
Yoshida
Taketoshi
T
Muehlinghaus
Gwendolin
G
Hiepe
Falk
F
Dörner
Thomas
T
Radbruch
Andreas
A
Hoyer
Bimba F
BF
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000502:physiology*