title: Dual immunoglobulin light chain B cells: Trojan horses of autoimmunity?
abstract: Receptor editing, a major mechanism of B cell tolerance, can also lead to allelic inclusion at the immunoglobulin light chain loci and the development of B cells that coexpress two different immunoglobulin light chains and, therefore, two antibody specificities. Most allelically included B cells express two κ chains, although rare dual-λ cells are also observed. Moreover, these cells typically coexpress an autoreactive and a nonautoreactive antibody. Thus, allelically included B cells could operate like 'Trojan horses': expression and function of the nonautoreactive antigen receptors might promote their maturation, activation, and terminal differentiation into effector cells that also express and secrete autoantibodies. Indeed, dual-κ B cells are greatly expanded into effector B cell subsets in some autoimmune mice, thus indicating they might play an important role in disease.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Department of Immunology, National Jewish Health and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO 80206, USA. Electronic address: pelandar@njhealth.org.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pelanda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell