title: Pathophysiologic significance of B-cell clusters in chronically rejected grafts.
abstract: The role of antibodies in the pathogenesis of chronic rejection is increasingly acknowledged. In contrast, whether B-cell clusters, which have been recently identified in chronically rejected allografts, actively participate in the process or are only an epiphenomenon remain a matter of debate. Integrating recently published data, we put forward explanations that reconcile the conflicting conclusions of experimental and biopsy-based studies. Finally, we propose a unified model in which B-cell clusters as part of intragraft tertiary lymphoid tissue can play deleterious or regulatory roles and therefore actively modulate the kinetics of chronic rejection.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Thaunat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies