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Germinal centre cell kinetics
Author(s) -
Hollowood Kevin,
Goodlad John R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199807)185:3<229::aid-path86>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - germinal center , immune system , antigen , biology , immunology , autoimmunity , pathological , b cell , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , medicine , pathology
The germinal centre is a fundamental component of the humoral immune response, representing a unique microenvironment where antigen‐activated B lymphocytes undergo clonal expansion, mutate their immunoglobulin, and are subject to a stringent selection process based on their antigen affinity. This review highlights recent advances in the understanding of the cell kinetic process of activation, proliferation, differentiation, and death of germinal centre cells, which are beginning to provide important insights into the regulation of this highly complex reaction. Their definition may have considerable pathological import given the involvement of the germinal centre in non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas and recent evidence suggesting that abnormal germinal centre reactions may be involved in the pathogenesis of Hodgkin's disease and some autoimmune diseases. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.