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Differential responses of human B‐lymphocyte subpopulations to graded levels of CD40–CD154 interaction
Author(s) -
Néron Sonia,
Racine Claudia,
Roy Annie,
Guérin Matthieu
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2005.02244.x
Subject(s) - cd154 , cd19 , cd40 , biology , lymphocyte , immune system , b cell , immunology , cd38 , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , cytotoxic t cell , in vitro , genetics , stem cell , cd34
Summary Naïve and memory B‐lymphocyte populations are activated by CD154 interaction through cell‐surface CD40. This interaction plays an important role in the regulation of the humoral immune response, and increasing evidence indicates that fine variation in CD40 binding influences B lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells in murine models. Here we have investigated whether and how variations in the intensity of the CD40–CD154 interaction could contribute to differential regulation of human B‐lymphocyte populations. Proliferation and differentiation of B lymphocytes were monitored in response to graded levels of CD40 stimulation in the presence of interleukin (IL)‐2, IL‐4 and IL‐10. Our results show that the level of CD154 binding to CD40 on B lymphocytes can directly influence the evolution of CD19 + CD27 – and CD19 + CD27 + cell populations. Furthermore, proliferation, global expansion of CD19 + cells and emergence of CD38 ++ CD138 + cells, as well as immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM secretion, were affected by the level of exposure of B lymphocytes to CD154. These results suggest that the CD40–CD154 interaction is more like a rheostat than an on/off switch, and its variation of intensity may play a role in the regulation of B‐lymphocyte activation following the primary and/or secondary humoral immune response.