Effector and regulatory B cells: modulators of CD4+ T cell immunity.
B cells are essential for humoral immunity, but the role that they have in regulating CD4(+) T cell responses remains controversial. However, new data showing that the transient depletion of B cells potently influences the induction, maintenance and reactivation of CD4(+) T cells, with the recent identification of antibody-independent functions of B cells, have reinvigorated interest in the many roles of B cells in both infectious and autoimmune diseases. In this Review, we discuss recent data showing how effector and regulatory B cells modulate CD4(+) T cell responses to pathogens and autoantigens.
Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14642, USA. frances_lund@urmc.rochester.edu
Frances E
FE
Lund
Troy D
TD
Randall
D000818:Animals; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*