Premium
Follicular dendritic cells and T cells: nurses and executioners in the germinal centre reaction
Author(s) -
Hollmann Christiane,
Gerdes Johannes
Publication year - 1999
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(199910)189:2<147::aid-path433>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - germinal center , follicular dendritic cells , immune system , biology , b cell , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , humoral immunity , b 1 cell , cell , antigen presenting cell , t cell , antibody , genetics
The humoral immune response constitutes an efficient system to protect the organism against diseases caused by invading pathogens. To guarantee a highly efficient defence, the humoral immune system has to be tightly regulated. Two cell subsets in particular, T cells and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), contribute to the success of these regulation processes. Whereas the particular role of T cells is the elimination of autoreactive clones, the main role of FDCs is to present unprocessed antigen and check B‐cell clones for higher affinity. B‐cell clones unsuited for improved humoral immune response will be specifically killed. Involvement of Fas‐mediated apoptosis might be an additional tool not only in T‐cell‐mediated regulation, but also in FDC–B cell interaction in the germinal centre. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.