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The Role of B Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

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Multiple Sclerosis Immunology

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Abstract

B cells may have various roles in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), serving as a source of plasma cells that secrete autoreactive specific antibodies, but also as antigen-presenting cells for activation of encephalitogenic T cells. Data indicate that antibodies promote demyelination in MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of MS, while the role of B cells themselves in central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune disease is less clear. Like dendritic cells, B cells are professional antigen-presenting cells as defined by a constitutive expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and an antigen-specific B cell receptor (BCR, membrane-associated Immunoglobulin (Ig)). Compared to other antigen-presenting cell populations, antigen-specific B cells are very competent in presentation of protein antigen when their BCR recognizes the same antigen as the responding T cells. As processing and presentation of CNS protein antigen is required for initiation of CNS autoimmune disease (Slavin et al. 2001), B cells and, in particular, B cells specific for CNS autoantigen may have an important role as antigen-presenting cells for the activation of myelin-specific T cells in MS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München Klinikum rechts der Isar, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany

    Bernhard Hemmer, Markus C. Kowarik & Martin S. Weber

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  1. Bernhard Hemmer
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  2. Markus C. Kowarik
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  3. Martin S. Weber
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Correspondence to Bernhard Hemmer .

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  1. National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychia, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Yamamura

  2. Clinical Neurology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Bruno Gran

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Hemmer, B., Kowarik, M., Weber, M. (2013). The Role of B Cells in Multiple Sclerosis. In: Yamamura, T., Gran, B. (eds) Multiple Sclerosis Immunology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7953-6_5

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