Olivieri Giulio, Cotugno Nicola, Palma Paolo
Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy; PhD Program in Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, Molecular Medicine, and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Jan;153(1):12-27. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.10.009. Epub 2023 Oct 25.
Repetitive or persistent cellular stimulation in vivo has been associated with the development of a heterogeneous B-cell population that exhibits a distinctive phenotype and, in addition to classical B-cell markers, often expresses the transcription factor T-bet and myeloid marker CD11c. Research suggests that this atypical population consists of B cells with distinct B-cell receptor specificities capable of binding the antigens responsible for their development. The expansion of this population occurs in the presence of chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases where different nomenclatures have been used to describe them. However, as a result of the diverse contexts in which they have been investigated, these cells have remained largely enigmatic, with much ambiguity remaining regarding their phenotype and function in humoral immune response as well as their role in autoimmunity. Atypical B cells have garnered considerable interest because of their ability to produce specific antibodies and/or autoantibodies and because of their association with key disease manifestations. Although they have been widely described in the context of adults, little information is present for children. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to describe the characteristics of this population, suggest their function in pediatric immune-related diseases and chronic infections, and explore their potential therapeutic avenues.
体内重复性或持续性细胞刺激与异质性B细胞群体的发育有关，该群体表现出独特的表型，除了经典B细胞标志物外，还常表达转录因子T-bet和髓系标志物CD11c。研究表明，这种非典型群体由具有不同B细胞受体特异性的B细胞组成，这些受体能够结合导致其发育的抗原。该群体的扩增发生在慢性炎症和自身免疫性疾病的情况下，人们使用了不同的术语来描述它们。然而，由于研究背景的多样性，这些细胞在很大程度上仍然神秘莫测，关于它们在体液免疫反应中的表型和功能以及在自身免疫中的作用仍存在许多模糊之处。非典型B细胞因其产生特异性抗体和/或自身抗体的能力以及与关键疾病表现的关联而备受关注。尽管它们在成人背景下已被广泛描述，但关于儿童的信息却很少。因此，本叙述性综述的目的是描述该群体的特征，探讨它们在儿科免疫相关疾病和慢性感染中的功能，并探索其潜在的治疗途径。
