Dynamics of B cells in germinal centres

An analysis of B cell selection mechanisms in germinal centres

Affinity maturation of antibodies during immune responses is achieved by multiple rounds of somatic hypermutation and subsequent preferential selection of those B cells that express B cell receptors with improved binding characteristics for the antigen. The mechanism underlying B cell selection has not yet been defined. By employing an agent-based model, we show that for physiologically reasona...

Th17 Effector Cells Support B Cell Responses Outside of Germinal Centres

Th17 cells are pro-inflammatory CD4⁺T cells, which are important in immune responses against fungal pathogens and extracellular bacteria and have also been implicated in various autoimmune syndromes. However, their role in supporting B cell responses in these scenarios remains unclear, representing a significant lapse in our understanding of the role Th17 play in vaccine responses and the regul...

Does recycling in germinal centres exist?

A general criterion is formulated to decide if the recycling of B cells exists in germinal centre (GC) reactions. The criterion is independent of the selection and affinity maturation process and based solely on total centroblast population arguments. An experimental test is proposed to verify whether the criterion is fulfilled.

AID-Expressing Germinal Center B Cells

F18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in progressive transformation of germinal centres

FDG-PET/CT is a widely established imaging modality for staging, restaging and monitoring therapy response in lymphoma patients. Progressive transformation of germinal centres (PTGC) is a benign condition presenting characteristically as asymptomatic lymphadenopathy. This paper presents a case of a 53-year-old man with a history of Hodgkin's disease (HD) whose F(18) FDG-PET/CT scan showed high ...