B Cell Trophic Factors and B Cell Antagonism in Autoimmune Disease

Theofilopoulos, Stohl

• Publisher: S. Karger
• Year: 2004
• ISBN:
  9783318011654
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Immunology

The understanding of B cell biology has increased and expanded enormously in the last three decades. It is now known that B cells, in addition to just differentiating into antibody-secreting cells, serve many other vital functions. For example, their roles as antigen-presenting cells and cytokine-producing cells as well as effector cells and regulatory cells are well appreciated now. Indeed, the pathologic role of B cells in many autoimmune disorders may be largely autoantibody-independent. Today, the B cell is of considerable interest not only to immunologists but also to mainstream clinicians and scientists. The current volume covers the latest information on the functions of B cells in normal and disease states, and their therapeutic antagonism. Chapters cover cutting-edge topics from the basic to the clinical, including B cells in infection and autoimmunity, CD19-CD21 signal transduction complex, marginal zone B cell physiology and disease, B cell growth and differentiation, their role in rheumatoid arthritis, SLE treatment, the BAFF/APRIL system and B lymphocyte malignancies. This book is recommended reading for cellular and molecular immunologists as well as for rheumatologists, hematologists and clinical immunologists, and all those interested in human diseases in which B cells play an important contributory role.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Foreword
• Determinations of B Cell Fate in Immunity and Autoimmunity
• Regulatory Roles for Cytokine-Producing B Cells in Infection and Autoimmune Disease
• The CD19-CD21 Signal Transduction Complex of B Lymphocytes Regulates the Balance between Health and Autoimmune Disease: Systemic Sclerosis as a Model System
• Marginal Zone B Cell Physiology and Disease
• Dendritic Cells Control B Cell Growth and Differentiation
• The Biology of CD20 and Its Potential as a Target for mAb Therapy
• B Lymphocyte Depletion in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Targeting of CD20
• Treatment of SLE with Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody
• The Biochemistry and Biology of BAFF, APRIL and Their Receptors
• The BAFF/APRIL System: An Important Player in Systemic Rheumatic Diseases
• Human B Lymphocyte Malignancies: Exploitation of BLyS and APRIL and Their Receptors
• BlySfulness Does Not Equal Blissfulness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Therapeutic Role for BLyS Antagonists
• Author Index
• Subject Index