B-cell response in solid organ transplantation

Abstract

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The transcriptional regulation of B-cell response to antigen stimulation is complex and involves an intricate network of dynamic signals from cytokines and transcription factors propagated from T-cell interaction. Long-term alloimmunity, in the setting of organ transplantation, is dependent on this B-cell response, which does not appear to be halted by current immunosuppressive regimens which are targeted at T cells. There is emerging evidence that shows that B cells have a diverse response to solid organ transplantation that extends beyond plasma cell antibody production. In this review, we discuss the mechanistic pathways of B-cell activation and differentiation as they relate to the transcriptional regulation of germinal center B cells, plasma cells, and memory B cells in the setting of solid organ transplantation.

Keywords

• B cells
• alloimmunity
• transcriptional (regulation)
• transplant
• rejection