Complex interactions between B cells and dendritic cells.

摘要

The effect of CD40 on B-cell function has been controversial. While signaling through CD40 is generally believed to have pro-inflammatory effects on B lymphocytes, leading to enhanced antigen presentation and cytokine production, some groups have found that CD40-activation can induce regulatory features in B cells.3"5 As exemplified by the results of Maddur et al,2 the type, strength, and duration of the activation stimulus has a crucial impact on the function of human B lymphocytes.2'6 Similarly, we found striking functional differences between B cells that were stimulated by CD40L compared with B cells that were stimulated by CD40L and cytosine guanine dinucleotide (CpG).