Follicular B helper T cell activity is confined to CXCR5(hi)ICOS(hi) CD4 T cells and is independent of CD57 expression

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Follicular B helper T cell activity is confined to CXCR5(hi)ICOS(hi) CD4 T cells and is independent of CD57 expression
Creators Name:	Rasheed, A.U., Rahn, H.P., Sallusto, F., Lipp, M. and Mueller, G.
Abstract:	The generation of high-affinity antibody-secreting plasma cells critically depends on the presence of CD4 T cells during the germinal center (GC) reaction. GC T cells are so far incompletely characterized in terms of phenotype and function. Here, we show that human follicular B helper T (T(FH)) cells are characterized by high expression of the homeostatic chemokine receptor CXCR5 and the costimulatory molecule ICOS, but not CD57 expression. CXCR5(hi)ICOS(hi) CD4 T cells are the most potent inducers of IgG production that also secrete large amounts of the B cell-attracting chemokine CXCL13. CXCR5(hi)ICOS(hi) CD4 T cells differ from other tonsillar CD4 T cell subsets in their stimulatory activity, proliferative capacity and susceptibility to apoptosis. Large-scale gene expression analysis revealed that T(FH) cells are only distantly related to CXCR5(-) and CXCR5(+) central memory T (T(CM)) as well as effector memory T (T(EM)) cells present in the periphery. CXCR5(hi)ICOS(hi) CD4 T cells appear to be terminally differentiated T helper cells that express a unique set of transcription factors related to the Notch signaling pathway and thus differentiate independent of other T helper cell populations.See accompanying commentary: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200636334.
Keywords:	Chemokine receptors, Costimulatory molecules, Germinal center reaction, T cell subsets
Source:	European Journal of Immunology
ISSN:	0014-2980
Publisher:	Wiley
Volume:	36
Number:	7
Page Range:	1892-1903
Date:	July 2006
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.200636136
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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