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B cells in autoimmune diseases: insights from analyses of immunoglobulin variable (Ig V) gene usage
- Source :
- Autoimmunity reviews. 6(6)
- Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- The role of B cells in autoimmune diseases has not been fully elucidated. It is also unclear whether breaking of B cell tolerance in patients with autoimmune diseases is due to underlying defects in the molecular mechanisms involved in the arrangement of antibody genes or deficiencies in the subsequent selective influences that shape the antibody repertoire. Analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) variable (V) gene usage is beginning to provide answers to some of these questions. Such analyses have identified some differences in the basic Ig V gene repertoire of patients with autoimmune diseases compared to healthy controls, even though none of these differences can be considered major. Defects in positive and negative selection, mutational targeting and, in some cases, receptor editing have also been detected. In addition, analysis of Ig V gene usage in target organs and tissues of patients with autoimmune diseases have clearly demonstrated that there is a highly compartmentalized clonal expansion of B cells driven by a limited number of antigens in these tissues. Great progress has been made in the structural and functional characterization of disease-associated antibodies, largely because of the development of the combinatorial library technique. Use of antibodies generated by this technique offers great promise in identifying B cell epitopes on known target antigens and in gaining greater insights into the pathogenic role of B cells in both B- and T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
- Subjects :
- T cell
T-Lymphocytes
Immunology
Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain
Immunoglobulin Variable Region
Somatic hypermutation
Biology
Article
Autoimmune Diseases
Antigen
medicine
Immunology and Allergy
Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain
Humans
B cell
Autoantibodies
Genetics
B-Lymphocytes
Genes, Immunoglobulin
Autoantibody
Receptor editing
Gene rearrangement
medicine.anatomical_structure
biology.protein
Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin
Antibody
Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
Antibody Diversity
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15689972
- Volume :
- 6
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Autoimmunity reviews
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....297c218b97263d8348021f3a67a299e5