| First Author | Park CS | Year | 2004 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 173 |
| Issue | 11 | Pages | 6676-83 |
| PubMed ID | 15557159 | Mgi Jnum | J:94357 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3512639 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.173.11.6676 |
| Citation | Park CS, et al. (2004) Follicular dendritic cells produce IL-15 that enhances germinal center B cell proliferation in membrane-bound form. J Immunol 173(11):6676-83 |
| abstractText | Factors that control the survival and proliferation of Ag-stimulated B cells within the germinal center (GC) are crucial for humoral immune responses with high affinity Abs against infectious agents. The follicular dendritic cell (FDC) is known as a key cellular component of the GC microenvironment for GC-B cell survival and proliferation. In this study, we report that IL-15 is produced by human FDC in vivo and by an FDC cell line, FDC/HK cells, in vitro. IL-15 is captured by IL-15Ralpha on the surface of FDC/HK cells. The surface IL-15 is functionally active and augments GC-B cell proliferation. Because GC-B cells have the signal-transducing components (IL-2/15Rbetagamma), but not a receptor for binding of soluble IL-15 (IL-15Ralpha), IL-15 signaling is possibly transduced by transpresentation from FDCs to GC-B cells via cell-cell contact. Together, these results suggest that IL-15 from FDC, in membrane-bound form, plays an important role in supporting GC-B cell proliferation, proposing a new target for immune modulation as well as treatment of B cell tumors of GC origin. |
