title: Toll-like receptors--sentries in the B-cell response.
abstract: Toll-like receptors (TLR) play a central role in the initiation of the innate immune response to pathogens. Upon recognition of molecular motifs specific for microbial molecules TLR mediate pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and enhance antigen presentation; in B cells they further promote expansion, class switch recombination and immunoglobulin secretion. As a result of their adjuvant properties, TLR ligands have become an integral component of antimicrobial vaccines. In spite of this, little is known of the direct effects of TLR engagement on B-lymphocyte function. The scope of this review is to outline the differences in TLR expression and reactivity in murine and human B-cell subsets and to provide an overview of the currently available literature. We will further discuss the possible roles of TLR in regulating B-cell effector functions and shaping antibody-mediated defence against microbial pathogens in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. bekeredjian-ding@uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bekeredjian-Ding
authors.forename: Gaetan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jego
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D017578:Immunoglobulin Class Switching; D056747:Immunomodulation; D051379:Mice; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051193:Toll-Like Receptors