Germinal center B cells constitute a predominant physiological source of IL-4: Implication for Th2 development in vivo

被引:48
作者
Johansson-Lindbom, B [1 ]
Borrebaeck, CAK [1 ]
机构
[1] Lund Univ, Dept Immunotechnol, S-22007 Lund, Sweden
关键词
D O I
10.4049/jimmunol.168.7.3165
中图分类号
R392 [医学免疫学]; Q939.91 [免疫学];
学科分类号
100102 ;
摘要
Protective immunity depends upon the capability of the immune system to properly adapt the response to the nature of an infectious agent. CD4+ Th cells are implicated in this orchestration by secreting a polarized pattern of cytokines. Although Th2 development in animal models and in human cells in vitro to a large extent depends on IL-4, the nature of the cells that provide the initial IL-4 in vivo is still elusive. In this report, we describe the anatomical localization as well as the identity of IL-4-producing cells in human tonsil, a representative secondary lymphoid organ. We demonstrate that IL-4 production is a normal and intrinsic feature of germinal center (GC) B cells. We also show that expression of IL-4 is highly confined to the GCs, in which the B cells constitute the prevalent cellular source. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis of colon mucosa reveals a strikingly similar pattern of IL-4-expressing cells compared with tonsils, demonstrating that IL-4 production from GC B cells is not a unique feature of the upper respiratory tract. Our results show that GCs provide the most appropriate microenvironment for IL-4-dependent Th2 polarization in vivo and imply a critical role for GC B cells in this differentiation process.
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页码:3165 / 3172
页数:8
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