Lopes-Carvalho Thiago, Kearney John F
Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Immunol Rev. 2004 Feb;197:192-205. doi: 10.1111/j.0105-2896.2004.0112.x.
It is now clear that functionally distinct subsets of mature peripheral B cells exist. Of these subsets, marginal zone (MZ) B cells in the spleen are strategically positioned at the blood-lymphoid interface and are programmed to initiate a fast and intense antibody response to blood-borne viral and bacterial agents. Their ability to respond vigorously to antigen and polyclonal activators make MZ B cells key players in the early response to pathogens in the bloodstream. The specialized functions of these innate-like lymphocytes bridge the gap between the early innate immune response and the slower adaptive antibody response, affected mainly by the more prolific follicular B cells. MZ B cells, like B1 cells, are important not only to combat infections but also in the maintenance of host homeostasis. Here we discuss some aspects of MZ B-cell selection and function in health and disease.
现在已经清楚，成熟外周B细胞存在功能上不同的亚群。在这些亚群中，脾脏边缘区（MZ）B细胞处于血液-淋巴界面的关键位置，其编程目的是对血源性病原体引发快速而强烈的抗体反应。它们对抗原和多克隆激活剂产生强烈反应的能力，使MZ B细胞成为血液中病原体早期反应的关键参与者。这些固有样淋巴细胞的特殊功能弥补了早期固有免疫反应与较慢的适应性抗体反应之间的差距，适应性抗体反应主要受数量更多的滤泡B细胞影响。与B1细胞一样，MZ B细胞不仅在对抗感染中很重要，而且在维持宿主内环境稳定方面也很重要。在此，我们讨论MZ B细胞在健康和疾病中的选择及功能的一些方面。
