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Related Experiment Videos

B cell life span: a review

D A Fulcher1, A Basten

  • 1Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. davidf@westmed.wh.usyd.edu.au

Immunology and Cell Biology
|January 16, 1998
PubMed
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Most peripheral B cells (90%) have a long lifespan of 5-6 weeks. Newer methods reveal B cell renewal rates, resolving earlier measurement issues and clarifying B cell population stability.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • The lifespan of B cells has been debated since the 1970s.
  • Previous methods for measuring B cell turnover, like [3H]-thymidine labeling, caused physiological disruptions.
  • These disruptions potentially skewed results regarding B cell turnover rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review traditional and recent methodologies for assessing B cell lifespan.
  • To discuss factors influencing B cell population stability, including age and self-tolerance.
  • To resolve longstanding questions about B cell turnover kinetics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized bromodeoxyuridine labeling, overcoming limitations of older techniques.
  • Employed multiparameter flow cytometry to define B cell subpopulations.
  • Analyzed B cell renewal rates within distinct subpopulations.

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Main Results:

  • Approximately 85% of peripheral B cells are mature with a half-life of 5-6 weeks (first-order exponential kinetics).
  • The remaining B cells are short-lived, with lifespans of only several days.
  • Recent methods provide more accurate B cell renewal rate measurements.

Conclusions:

  • The mature B cell population is kinetically stable.
  • Age, self-tolerance, and randomness contribute to shaping this stable population.
  • Bromodeoxyuridine labeling and flow cytometry have largely resolved debates on B cell lifespan.