title: Peripheral immature B cells: modulators of autoimmunity.
abstract: B cells play an essential role in humoral immunity by producing antigen-specific antibodies. However, B cells also participate in cellular immune responses by presenting antigens, providing costimulation, and producing cytokines to activate and expand effectors and memory T cell populations. Recent identification of antibody-independent functions of B cells has reawakened interest in the many roles of B cells in normal immune responses as well as in autoimmune diseases. B cells interact with other immunocompetent cells during a tightly regulated immune activation process, acting as both effector and regulator. If this balance between effector and regulatory B cell functions is disrupted, harmful effects of immune activation such as autoimmunity can occur. In this review, we will discuss the role of human peripheral immature B cells in normal immune responses as a modulator of autoimmunity. We will also discuss abnormalities of these cells in pathogenesis of systemic autoimmunity with particular focus on systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jisoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: In-Je
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic / Q000379:methods; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: autoimmunity; immature B cells; systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis