Journal
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 181, Issue 6, Pages 4043-4051Publisher
AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.6.4043
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Institutes of Health [AI-48120, AR-41032]
- Arthritis Foundation postdoctoral fellowship
Ask authors/readers for more resources
B lymphocytes can function independently as efficient APCs. However, our previous studies demonstrate that both dendritic cells and macrophages are necessary to propagate immune responses initiated by B cell APCs. This finding led us to identify a process in mice whereby Ag-specific B cells transfer Ag to other APCs. In this study, we report the ability and mechanism by which human B lymphocytes can transfer BCR-captured Ag to macrophages. The transfer of Ag involves direct contact between the two cells followed by the capture of B cell-derived membrane and/or intracellular components by the macrophage. These events are abrogated by blocking scavenger receptor A, a receptor involved in the exchange of membrane between APCs. Macrophages acquire greater amounts of Ag in the presence of specific B cells than in their absence. This mechanism allows B cells to amplify or edit the immune response to specific Ag by transferring BCR-captured Ag to other professional AM, thereby increasing the frequency of its presentation. Ag transfer may perpetuate chronic autoimmune responses to specific self-proteins and help explain the efficacy of B cell-directed therapies in human disease.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available