title: Unraveling effector functions of B cells during infection: the hidden world beyond antibody production.
abstract: Antibodies made by B cells are critically important for immune protection to a variety of infectious agents. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that B cells do more than make antibodies and that B cells can both enhance and suppress immune responses. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that B cells modulate cellular immune responses by antibody dependent and independent mechanisms. Although we have a good understanding of the roles played by antibody- secreting effector B cells during immune responses, we know very little about the Ab independent "effector" functions of B cells in either health or disease. Given the recent data suggesting that B cells may contribute to autoimmune disease pathogenesis via an antibody independent mechanism and the increasing use of B cell depletion therapy in autoimmune patients, investigators are beginning to reassess the multiple roles for B cells during immune responses. In this article, we review data describing how B cells mediate protection to pathogens independently of antibody production. In particular, we will focus on the role that B cells play in facilitating dendritic cell and T cell interactions in lymph nodes, the importance of antigen-presenting B cells in sustaining effector T cell and T follicular helper responses to pathogens and the relevance of cytokine-producing effector and regulatory B cells in immune responses.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, Dept. of Microbiology, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170, USA.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballesteros-Tato
authors.forename: Ravi S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wojciechowski
authors.forename: Frances E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology*; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines