Memory B cells and tuberculosis

Publication date: Available online 2 February 2020Source: Veterinary Immunology and ImmunopathologyAuthor(s): Konstantin P. Lyashchenko, H. Martin Vordermeier, W. Ray WatersAbstractImmunological memory is a central feature of adaptive immunity. Memory B cells are generated upon stimulation with antigen presented by follicular dendritic cells in the peripheral lymphoid tissues. This process typically involves class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation and it can be dependent or independent on germinal centers or T cell help. The mature B cell memory pool is generally characterized by remarkable heterogeneity of functionally and phenotypically distinct sub-populations supporting multi-layer immune plasticity. Memory B cells found in human patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis include IgD + CD27+ and IgM + CD27+ subsets. In addition, expansion of atypical memory B cells characterized by the lack of CD27 expression and by inability to respond to antigen-induced re-activation is documented in human tuberculosis. These functionally impaired memory B cells are believed to have adverse effects on host immunity. Human and animal studies demonstrate recruitment of antigen-activated B cells to the infection sites and their presence in lung granulomas where proliferating B cells are organized into discrete clusters resembling germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs. Cattle studies show development of IgM+, IgG+, and IgA + memory B cells in M. bovis...
Source: Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research