The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia,
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Dec;70(24):4771-84. doi: 10.1007/s00018-013-1420-3. Epub 2013 Jul 14.
The germinal center (GC) reaction is critical for humoral immunity, but also contributes adversely to a variety of autoimmune diseases. While the major protective function of GCs is mediated by plasma cells and memory B cells, follicular helper T (TFH) cells represent a specialized T cell subset that provides essential help to the antigen-specific B cells in the form of membrane-bound ligands and secreted factors such as IL-21. Recent studies have revealed that TFH cells are capable of considerable functional diversity as well as possessing the ability to form memory cells. The molecular basis of this plasticity and heterogeneity is only now emerging. It has also become apparent that several other populations of follicular T cells exist, including natural killer T cells and regulatory T cells. In this review we will discuss the function of follicular T cells and interaction of these populations within the GC response.
生发中心（GC）反应对体液免疫至关重要，但也会对多种自身免疫性疾病产生不利影响。虽然 GC 的主要保护功能是由浆细胞和记忆 B 细胞介导的，但滤泡辅助 T（TFH）细胞代表了一种特殊的 T 细胞亚群，它以膜结合配体和分泌因子（如 IL-21）的形式为抗原特异性 B 细胞提供必需的帮助。最近的研究表明，TFH 细胞具有相当大的功能多样性，并具有形成记忆细胞的能力。这种可塑性和异质性的分子基础才刚刚显现出来。现在也很明显，存在几种其他滤泡 T 细胞群体，包括自然杀伤 T 细胞和调节性 T 细胞。在这篇综述中，我们将讨论滤泡 T 细胞的功能以及这些群体在 GC 反应中的相互作用。
