Fc? receptor IIB (Fc?RIIB) maintains humoral tolerance in the human immune system in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Maintenance of immunological tolerance is crucial to prevent development of autoimmune disease. The production of autoantibodies is a hallmark of many autoimmune diseases and studies in mouse model systems suggest that inhibitory signaling molecules may be important checkpoints of humoral tolerance. By generating humanized mice with normal and functionally impaired Fc? receptor IIB (Fc?RIIB) variants, we show that the inhibitory Fc?-receptor is a checkpoint of humoral tolerance in the human immune system in vivo. Impaired human Fc?RIIB function resulted in the generation of higher levels of serum immunoglobulins, the production of different autoantibody specificities, and a higher proportion of human plasmablasts and plasma cells in vivo. Our results suggest that the inhibitory Fc?RIIB may be an important checkpoint of humoral tolerance in the human immune system.

SUBMITTER: Baerenwaldt A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3219118 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature