B Cells are Selectively Associated with Thymic Cortical but not Medullary Pathology in NZB Mice.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2001
First Page
393
Last Page
400
JAX Source
J Autoimmun 2001 Jun; 16(4):393-400.
Abstract
Abnormal expansion of autoantibody-synthesizing B cells and self-reactive T cells, which most likely escape negative selection within the thymus, have both been characterized and reasoned to play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity in NZB mice. Support for this thesis has been our observation that NZB mice have severe cortical and medullary thymic microarchitectural defects. As a means to dissect the roles of T and B cells in the induction of such abnormalities, B cell-deficient NZB mice were bred by backcrossing the Igh6(null)allele on to the NZB background (NZB-&mgr;MT mice). Such mice showed undetectable levels of autoantibodies. NZB-&mgr;MT mice, as compared to wild-type NZB mice, had lower absolute numbers of CD4(+)T cells. Furthermore, thymic abnormalities in NZB-&mgr;MT mice were restricted to the medulla. These data suggest that, while B cells may play a role in thymic cortical abnormalities, the medullary abnormalities are induced by other mechanisms. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.
Recommended Citation
Taguchi N,
Hashimoto Y,
Hsu T,
Ansari AA,
Shultz L,
Dorshkind K,
Ikehara S,
Naiki M,
Gershwin ME.
B Cells are Selectively Associated with Thymic Cortical but not Medullary Pathology in NZB Mice. J Autoimmun 2001 Jun; 16(4):393-400.