title: Killer B lymphocytes: the evidence and the potential.
abstract: Immune regulation plays a critical role in controlling potentially dangerous inflammation and maintaining health. The Fas ligand/Fas receptor axis has been studied extensively as a mechanism of killing T cells and other cells during infections, autoimmunity, and cancer. FasL expression has been primarily attributed to activated T cells and NK cells. Evidence has emerged that B lymphocytes can express FasL and other death-inducing ligands, and can mediate cell death under many circumstances. Among B cell subsets, the expression of both Fas ligand and IL-10 is highest on the CD5(+) B cell population, suggesting that CD5(+) B cells may have a specialized regulatory function. The relevance of killer B cells to normal immune regulation, disease pathogenesis, and inflammation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA. sklundy@umich.edu
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lundy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000276:immunology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D053222:Fas Ligand Protein