| First Author | Wollenberg I | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 187 |
| Issue | 9 | Pages | 4553-60 |
| PubMed ID | 21984700 | Mgi Jnum | J:179644 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5302792 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.1101328 |
| Citation | Wollenberg I, et al. (2011) Regulation of the germinal center reaction by Foxp3+ follicular regulatory T cells. J Immunol 187(9):4553-60 |
| abstractText | Follicular helper T (T(FH)) cells participate in humoral responses providing selection signals to germinal center B cells. Recently, expression of CXCR5, PD-1, and the transcription factor Bcl-6 has allowed the identification of T(FH) cells. We found that a proportion of follicular T cells, with phenotypic characteristics of T(FH) cells and expressing Foxp3, are recruited during the course of a germinal center (GC) reaction. These Foxp3(+) cells derive from natural regulatory T cells. To establish the in vivo physiologic importance of Foxp3(+) follicular T cells, we used CXCR5-deficient Foxp3(+) cells, which do not have access to the follicular region. Adoptive cell transfers of CXCR5-deficient Foxp3(+) cells have shown that Foxp3(+) follicular T cells are important regulators of the GC reaction following immunization with a thymus-dependent Ag. Our in vivo data show that Foxp3(+) follicular T cells can limit the magnitude of the GC reaction and also the amount of secreted Ag-specific IgM, IgG1, IgG2b, and IgA. Therefore, Foxp3(+) follicular regulatory T cells appear to combine characteristics of T(FH) and regulatory T cells for the control of humoral immune responses. |
