Review
Cells of the synovium in rheumatoid arthritis. B cells
Centre for Rheumatology Research, Department of Medicine, University College London, Cleveland Street, London, W1T 4JF, UK
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007, 9:205 doi:10.1186/ar2125
Published: 5 March 2007Abstract
There is significant evidence arising from experimental models that autoantibodies play a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis. In addition to autoantibody production, B cells efficiently present antigen to T cells, produce soluble factors, including cytokines and chemokines, and form B cell aggregates in the target organ of rheumatoid arthritis. In this review we analyze the multifaceted role that B cells play in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and discuss how this information can be used to guide more specific targeting of B cells for the therapy of this disease.
