Role of germinal center and CD39^highCD73⁺ B cells in the age-related tonsillar involution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The tonsils operate as a protection ring of mucosa at the gates of the upper aero-digestive tract. They show similarities with lymph nodes and participate as inductive organs of systemic and mucosal immunity. Based on the reduction of their size since puberty, they are thought to experience involution in adulthood. In this context, we have used tonsillar mononuclear cells (TMC) isolated from patients at different stages of life, to study the effect of ageing and the concomitant persistent inflammation on these immune cells.

Results

We found an age-dependent reduction in the proportion of germinal center B cell population (B_GC) and its T cell counterpart (T follicular helper germinal center cells, Tfh_GC). Also, we demonstrated an increment in

SUBMITTER: Pastor R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11010345 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature