Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition is a comprehensive reference to how B cells are generated, selected, activated and engaged in antibody production. All of these developmental and stimulatory processes are described in molecular, immunological, and genetic terms to give a clear understanding of complex phenotypes. Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition offers an integrated view of all aspects of B cells to produce a normal immune response as a constant, and the molecular basis of numerous diseases due to B cell abnormality. The new edition continues its success with updated research on microRNAs in B cell development and immunity, new developments in understanding lymphoma biology, and therapeutic targeting of B cells for clinical application. With updated research and continued comprehensive coverage of all aspects of B cell biology, Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition is the definitive resource, vital for researchers across molecular biology, immunology and genetics.

Alterations in B cell homeostasis drive pathogenesis of various immune mediated diseases. Breaks in peripheral tolerance allow autoreactive B cells to differentiate in to pathogenic auto-antibody secreting cells. B cells themselves may directly drive pathogenesis through antigen-presentation capabilities and secretion of pro-fibrotic factors. Lastly, the inability of B cells to mount effective responses against pathogens may trigger subsequent inflammatory or autoimmune reactions. In this work, we dissect various ways in which B cells contribute to pathogenesis of inflammatory disease by evaluating their role in three different immune mediated diseases. In chapter 2 we identify a potential regulatory role for B cells in the context of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease characterized by the pathogenic secretion of anti-nuclear antibodies. We found that CD52 is a B cell regulatory glycoprotein elevated on the surface of B cells in patients and acts to suppress B cell hyperactivity both through its surface expression and through the secretion of a soluble form that can bind receptor Siglec-10. In chapter 3 we describe a population of B cells that is significantly expanded in IgG4-RD, a fibroinflammatory condition characterized by infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells into tumefactive lesions and the development of storiform fibrosis. The expanded population of B cells was CD21-- and CXCR5+, expressing high levels of pathogenic B cell marker CD11c. Moreover, the frequency of this expanded population correlated with clinical parameters such as IgG4 titers. We observed a tremendous elevation of CXCL13, the ligand for CXCR5, strongly implicating the CXCR5-CXCL13 axis in recruiting B cells to affected tissue, making it a viable therapeutic target. Lastly, in chapter 4 we performed high-dimensional sequencing on B cells from sarcoidosis patients, a disease characterized by spontaneous granuloma formation. Although B cells have not been directly implicated in the inflammation, we observed a less diverse and less mutated B cell receptor repertoire; together, our findings point to the initiation of sarcoidosis after ineffective antibody mediated clearance of pathogen from affected organs. In total, this work sheds novel insights on the role of B cells-- from the initial stages of activation and germinal center recruitment, to the development of a diverse antibody repertoire-- in the context of poorly understood immune mediated conditions and contributes important knowledge for the advancement of better treatments for affected patients.

The Mosaic of Autoimmunity: The Novel Factors of Autoimmune Diseases describes the multifactorial origin and diversity of expression of autoimmune diseases in humans. The term implies that different combinations of factors in autoimmunity produce varying and unique clinical pictures in a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. Most of the factors involved in autoimmunity can be categorized into four groups: genetic, immune defects, hormonal and environmental factors. In this book, the environmental factors are reviewed, including infectious agents, vaccines as triggers of autoimmunity, smoking and its relationship with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel diseases. An entirely new syndrome, the autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA), is also included, along with other diseases that are now recognized as having an autoimmune etiopathogenesis.

This volume details our current understanding of the architecture and signaling capabilities of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) in health and disease. The first chapters review new insights into the assembly of BCR components and their organization on the cell surface. Subsequent contributions focus on the molecular interactions that connect the BCR with major intracellular signaling pathways such as Ca2+ mobilization, membrane phospholipid metabolism, nuclear translocation of NF-kB or the activation of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase and MAP kinases. These elements orchestrate cytoplasmic and nuclear responses as well as cytoskeleton dynamics for antigen internalization. Furthermore, a key mechanism of how B cells remember their cognate antigen is discussed in detail. Altogether, the discoveries presented provide a better understanding of B cell biology and help to explain some B cell-mediated pathogenicities, like autoimmune phenomena or the formation of B cell tumors, while also paving the way for eventually combating these diseases.

Immunological Concepts in Transfusion Medicine provides a thorough discussion of the immune aspects of blood component transfusion, with in-depth information on the intricacies of immune responses to blood components and the immune processes that may be initiated in response to blood exposure. Written to increase knowledge and awareness of immune challenges such as alloimmunization and transfusion-related acute lung injury, this title bridges current basic scientific discoveries and the potential effects seen in blood recipients. - Complies the knowledge and expertise of Dr. Robert Maitta, an expert in immune responses and antibody function/structure studies. - Helps clinicians in the daily practice of caring for patients in need of transfusion support, as well as physicians in training when considering utilizing blood transfusions in a limited scope or in the setting of massive transfusion. - Includes an immunology primer as an introduction to in-depth chapters covering allergic immune reactions to blood components, transfusion-related immunomodulation, fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia and neonatal neuthropenia, complications of haploidentical and mismatched HSC transplantation, chimeric antibody receptor therapies, and much more. - Consolidates today's available information on this timely topic into a single, convenient resource.

This second edition provides new and updated chapters useful for the study of Regulatory B cells. Organized in four sections, chapters detail basic methods for the isolation and immunophenotypical analysis of these cells, experimental approaches for the ex vivo generation/expansion of IL-10 producing B cells, molecular biology techniques for the analysis of IL-10 expression and production, and animal models mimicking pathologic settings. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include an introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Regulatory B Cells: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to be useful to the scientific community and serve to clarify some unsolved aspects of Regulatory B Cells research.

Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis provides extensive information regarding Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis (PM/DM), which is described as a heterogeneous disease complex. This book is divided into four sections: Part I (Clinical Features) covers the classification of PM/DM, details of the clinical presentation, and the disease's association with the other connective tissue disorders and malignancies. Part II (Etiology and Mechanisms) covers advances in the immunopathology and viral etiology of PM/DM along with a frequently recognized entity: inclusion body myositis. Part III (Diagnosis and Treatment) covers the histologic, muscle enzyme histochemical, electron microscopic, and resin histology features of PM/DM along with those electromyographic features that could help make a more accurate diagnosis. Part IV (Overview) summarizes the issues that may not have been clear and highlights differing and unsettled views or present available data. This text is directed to clinicians in private practice or in academic institutions concerned with PM/DM patients, including neurologists, rheumatologists, pediatricians, dermatologists, physiatrists, and neuromuscular investigators. This book is intended as well for neuromuscular pathologists who interpret muscle biopsy specimens and electromyographers who perform EMG studies to help determine the clinical diagnosis. Researchers in immunology and immunopathology of neuromuscular diseases will find discussions in this book invaluable.