title: Activation of human B cells negatively regulates TGF-β1 production.
abstract: Accumulating evidence indicate that B cells can exhibit pro- or anti-inflammatory activities. Similar to interleukin (IL)-10-competent B cells, we recently showed that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-producing regulatory B cells limit the induction of autoimmune neuroinflammation in mice, making them potentially important in maintaining peripheral immune tolerance in central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
  
  
  
  In this study, we compared B cell production of TGF-β1 and IL-10, the two most studied regulatory cytokines, and the pro-inflammatory B cell-derived IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor cytokines under basal conditions and following polyclonal stimulation with dual B cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking and Toll-like receptor (TLR)9 engagement.
  
  
  
  We showed that resting TGF-β1-producing B cells fall within both the naïve (CD27-) and memory (CD27+) B cell compartments. We found no spontaneous B cell-derived IL-10, IL-6 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production. Human B cell activation with anti-Ig antibodies plus CPG-B leads to only modest IL-10 production by memory CD19+CD27+B cells while expression levels of IL-6 and TNF by both naive and memory B cells were strongly induced. Remarkably, stimulated B cells showed significantly reduced capacity to produce TGF-β1.
  
  
  
  These findings indicate that B cell activation may facilitate the development of excessive immune responses and autoimmunity by restricting B cell-derived TGF-β1 production by resting B cells and favoring in turns the proinflammatory actions of activated cytokine-producing B cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Molnarfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kristbjörg
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjarnadóttir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mahdia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benkhoucha
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Juillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Patrice.Lalive@hcuge.ch.|Unit of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. Patrice.Lalive@hcuge.ch.|Department of Genetic and Laboratory Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. Patrice.Lalive@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: Patrice H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lalive
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C508609:IL10 protein, human; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D016753:Interleukin-10
keywords: B cells; Human; Multiple sclerosis; Regulation; TGF-β1