Thymic B Cells Promote Germinal Center-Like Structures and the Expansion of Follicular Helper T Cells in Lupus-Prone Mice.

ABSTRACT: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the activation of autoreactive T and B cells, autoantibody production, and immune complex deposition in various organs. Previous evidence showed abnormal accumulation of B cells in the thymus of lupus-prone mice, but the role of this population in the progression of the disease remains mostly undefined. Here we analyzed the spatial distribution, function, and properties of this thymic B cell population in the BWF1 murine model of SLE. We found that in diseased animals, thymic B cells proliferate, and cluster in structures that resemble ectopic germinal centers. Moreover, we detected antibody-secreting cells in the thymus of diseased-BWF1 mice that produce anti-dsDNA IgG autoantibodies. We also found that thymic B

SUBMITTER: Hidalgo Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7199236 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature