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- Title
Predominant autoantibody production by early human B cell precursors.
- Authors
Wardemann, Hedda; Yurasov, Sergey; Schaefer, Anne; Young, James W; Meffre, Eric; Nussenzweig, Michel C
- Abstract
During B lymphocyte development, antibodies are assembled by random gene segment reassortment to produce a vast number of specificities. A potential disadvantage of this process is that some of the antibodies produced are self-reactive. We determined the prevalence of self-reactive antibody formation and its regulation in human B cells. A majority (55 to 75%) of all antibodies expressed by early immature B cells displayed self-reactivity, including polyreactive and anti-nuclear specificities. Most of these autoantibodies were removed from the population at two discrete checkpoints during B cell development. Inefficient checkpoint regulation would lead to substantial increases in circulating autoantibodies.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 2003, Vol 301, Issue 5638, p1374
- ISSN
1095-9203
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.1086907