TY - JOUR
T1 - Germinal centers in human lymph nodes contain reactivated memory B cells
AU - Bende, Richard J.
AU - Van Maldegem, Febe
AU - Triesscheijn, Martijn
AU - Wormhoudt, Thera A.M.
AU - Guijt, Richard
AU - Van Noesel, Carel J.M.
PY - 2007/10/29
Y1 - 2007/10/29
N2 - To reveal migration trails of antigen-responsive B cells in lymphoid tissue, we analyzed immunoglobulin (Ig)M-VH and IgG-VH transcripts of germinal center (GC) samples microdissected from three reactive human lymph nodes. Single B cell clones were found in multiple GCs, one clone even in as many as 19 GCs. In several GCs, IgM and IgG variants of the same clonal origin were identified. The offspring of individual hypermutated IgG memory clones were traced in multiple GCs, indicating repeated engagement of memory B cells in GC reactions. These findings imply that recurring somatic hypermutation progressively drives the Ig repertoire of memory B cells to higher affinities and infer that transforming genetic hits in non-Ig genes during lymphomagenesis do not have to arise during a single GC passage, but can be collected during successive recall responses. JEM
AB - To reveal migration trails of antigen-responsive B cells in lymphoid tissue, we analyzed immunoglobulin (Ig)M-VH and IgG-VH transcripts of germinal center (GC) samples microdissected from three reactive human lymph nodes. Single B cell clones were found in multiple GCs, one clone even in as many as 19 GCs. In several GCs, IgM and IgG variants of the same clonal origin were identified. The offspring of individual hypermutated IgG memory clones were traced in multiple GCs, indicating repeated engagement of memory B cells in GC reactions. These findings imply that recurring somatic hypermutation progressively drives the Ig repertoire of memory B cells to higher affinities and infer that transforming genetic hits in non-Ig genes during lymphomagenesis do not have to arise during a single GC passage, but can be collected during successive recall responses. JEM
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=35748981215&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20071006
DO - https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20071006
M3 - Article
C2 - 17938234
SN - 0022-1007
VL - 204
SP - 2655
EP - 2665
JO - Journal of Experimental Medicine
JF - Journal of Experimental Medicine
IS - 11
ER -