The role of B lymphocytes as antigen-presenting cells.

摘要: B lymphocytes are regarded as professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) despite their primary role in humoral immunity. Over the last two decades, studies designed to define of APCs have generated discrepant results, showing that either unnecessary or required for T cell priming and immunogenic tolerogenic cells. The reasons these discrepancies not clear. Here we review mechanisms regulating antigen presentation data derived from major conducted by different groups representing each school thought. In general it is clear process present specific nonspecific antigens differently. through receptor occurs with very high efficiency associated activation, resulting activation cognate contrast, minimized dissociated activation. As a result, inactivate recognize antigenic epitopes presented cells, they induce regulatory differentiation expansion. These serve ensure effective production high-affinity antigen-specific antibodies but minimize autoantibodies.