Journal
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 188, Issue 4, Pages 1578-1581Publisher
AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1102786
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Funding
- Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias of Spain [PI08/1618, PI11/02193]
- Consejeria de Industria de Andalucia (Spain) [CTS02840]
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IL-21 induces the differentiation of activated B lymphocytes into plasma cells (PC), but its direct effect on PC remains uncertain. This study analyzes the role of IL-21 on human in vivo-generated PC. IL-21R was clearly expressed on PC from the human tonsil, the lymph node, and the spleen (secondary lymphoid organs [SLO]) but barely on terminally mature bone marrow PC. IL-21 enhanced Ig secretion by isolated SLO PC but not bone marrow PC. Tonsillar T follicular helper (Tfh) lymphocytes are known to secrete IL-21. Purified Tfh cells induced a marked increase of Ig production by tonsillar PC, and this effect was impaired when endogenous IL-21 production was blocked. IL-21 provoked a rapid and transient phosphorylation of STAT3 in tonsillar PC. Tfh cells or exogenous IL-21 reduce tonsillar PC apoptosis and increases PC recovery but does not modify their nonproliferating status. These results suggest that IL-21 derived from Tfh cells acts as a survival factor for SLO PC in vivo. The Journal of Immunology, 2012, 188: 1578-1581.
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