title: Splenic lymph follicles generate immunoglobulin M-producing B cells in primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reveal the site of immunoglobulin (Ig)M production in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) we performed immunohistochemical analysis on spleens collected from patients with PBC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Splenic tissue samples were collected at the time of the autopsy from patients with hepatic failure. Immunostaining for IgM, CD21 and CXCL13 were performed using the splenic tissue samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The samples from five out of eight cases with PBC but not in eight cases of chronic hepatitis C virus infection showed accumulation of IgM positive cells in CD21 positive lymph follicles. The CXCL13 positive cells also accumulated in the center of the lymph follicles where the IgM positive cells accumulated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results suggest that excess IgM is produced from the spleen of PBC. Furthermore, it was suggested that CXCL13 positive follicular dendritic cells possibly contribute to this process.
authors.affiliation: The Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University Mizonokuchi Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuneyama
authors.forename: Hanae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsunashima
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Negishi
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moritoki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
keywords: immunoglobulin M; immunoglobulin M memory B cell; lymph follicle; primary biliary cirrhosis; spleen