title: Do B cells play a role in the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis?
abstract: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common cause of chronic arthritis in childhood and adolescents and encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases. The role of B cells (BC) in autoimmune diseases has been put in a new perspective due to the promising results of BC depleting therapies in RA. Experiments in mouse models have shed new light on the Ab-independent role of BC in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We discuss whether BC play a role in the pathogenesis of JIA appraising the question for an immunological basis of BC directed therapy.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Rheumatology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. morbach_h@kinderklinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morbach
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Girschick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice