Follicular dendritic cells: origin, function, and different disease-associated patterns

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 937 - 950
• Main Authors: Rezk, Sherif A., MD, Nathwani, Bharat N., MD, Zhao, Xiaohui, MD, Weiss, Lawrence M., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma; Animals; Antigen Presentation - immunology; Bone marrow; Castleman's disease; Dendritic Cells, Follicular - immunology; Follicular dendritic cells; Germinal center; Humans; Immune system; Lymphocytes; Lymphoproliferative Disorders - immunology; Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma; Pathology; Proteins; Studies; Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma; Follicular dendritic cells; Castleman's disease; Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma; Germinal center
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2012.10.005

Summary Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) are a specialized type of antigen-presenting dendritic cells that are largely restricted to lymphoid follicles. They form dense three-dimensional meshwork patterns within benign follicles, which maintain the follicular architecture. The FDC function is to bind and retain antigens by linking to complement and immune complexes and then present these antigens to germinal center B cells that start the secondary immune response. FDCs aid in the rescue of bound B cells from apoptosis, and induce the differentiation of B cells into long-term memory B cell clones or plasma cells. We will discuss the different patterns of the FDC meshwork observed in different types of reactive and neoplastic disorders, which may be due to underlying different roles that FDCs may play in these disorders and whether changes in the architecture of the FDC meshwork can be useful in routine diagnostic practice or have a prognostic value.