Th17 effector cells support B cell responses outside of germinal centres

Patakas, A., Benson, R.A. , Withers, D.R., Conigliaro, P., McInnes, I.B. , Brewer, J.M. and Garside, P. (2012) Th17 effector cells support B cell responses outside of germinal centres. PLoS ONE, 7(11), e49715. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049715) (PMID:23161902) (PMCID:PMC3812864)

Abstract

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 regulation of autoimmunity. We employed T cell and B cell receptor transgenic mice specific for model antigens, and adoptive transfer approaches that allowed the tracking of cognate B and T cells in situ and ex vivo using immunological methods. We have found that T cells activated under Th17 polarising conditions have a greater capacity to provide cognate B cell help compared with Th1 polarised populations, supporting higher expansion of antigen specific B cells and enhanced antibody titres. This advantage is associated with the increased persistence of Th17 polarised cells in areas of the lymph nodes where they can provide help (i.e. the B cell follicles). Also the Th17 cells are characterised by their higher expression of ICOS, a costimulatory molecule important for B cell help. Surprisingly, contrary to published reports, Th17 cells were not detected inside germinal centres, although they were found in close proximity to cognate B cells in the follicle early in the genesis of the humoral immune response. These data indicate that, Th17 cells have a more significant role earlier in the initiation/development of the germinal centre response and/or germinal centre-independent events, consistent with their early effector status.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McInnes, Professor Iain and Garside, Professor Paul and Brewer, Professor James and Patakas, Dr Agapitos and Benson, Dr Robert and Conigliaro, Dr Paola
• Authors: Patakas, A., Benson, R.A., Withers, D.R., Conigliaro, P., McInnes, I.B., Brewer, J.M., and Garside, P.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Journal Name: PLoS ONE
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Published Online: 16 November 2012
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2012 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Condor PLoS ONE 7(11):e49715
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License