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The regulation of IgA B-cell differentiation
1Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
IgA B-cell differentiation is affected by several kinds of events. One key event, IgA B-cell switch differentiation, is a process that may be controlled by tissue-specific "switch" cells or an identifiable switching cytokine or lymphokine that operates in an IgA-specific fashion. Another event, or group of events is IgA B-cell terminal differentiation in B cells already switched to IgA. Such terminal differentiation may also be regulated in an IgA-specific fashion, at least insofar as class-nonspecific lymphokines can be presented to IgA B cells in a class-specific fashion by cells bearing IgA-Fc receptors. Emerging knowledge of the regulation of IgA B cells offers many opportunities to enhance or inhibit IgA B-cell development at several levels. In coming years this will prove important, not only in devising ways of protecting against mucosal pathogens, but also in modifying immunologic diseases that have their basis in mucosal immune system dysfunction.
IgA B-cell differentiation is affected by several kinds of events. One key event, IgA B-cell switch differentiation, is a process that may be controlled by tissue-specific "switch" cells or an identifiable switching cytokine or lymphokine that operates in an IgA-specific fashion. Another event, or group of events is IgA B-cell terminal differentiation in B cells already switched to IgA. Such terminal differentiation may also be regulated in an IgA-specific fashion, at least insofar as class-nonspecific lymphokines can be presented to IgA B cells in a class-specific fashion by cells bearing IgA-Fc receptors. Emerging knowledge of the regulation of IgA B cells offers many opportunities to enhance or inhibit IgA B-cell development at several levels. In coming years this will prove important, not only in devising ways of protecting against mucosal pathogens, but also in modifying immunologic diseases that have their basis in mucosal immune system dysfunction.