Follicular Helper CD4+ T Cells in Human Neuroautoimmune Diseases and Their Animal Models

• Published in: Mediators of inflammation Vol. 2015; no. 2015; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Zhu, Jie, Jiang, Xinmei, Han, Jinming, Lin, Chenhong, Fan, Xueli, Jin, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2015; Hindawi Limited; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System - etiology; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Chemokines; Cytokines; Disease; DNA-Binding Proteins - physiology; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - etiology; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental - immunology; Humans; Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein - physiology; Interleukins - physiology; Lymphocyte receptors; Lymphocytes; Lymphoma; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Multiple Sclerosis - etiology; Multiple Sclerosis - immunology; Myasthenia Gravis - etiology; Myasthenia Gravis - immunology; Neuromyelitis Optica - etiology; Neuromyelitis Optica - immunology; Neurosciences; Pathogenesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; Receptors, CXCR5 - physiology; Review; Rodents; T cell receptors; Transcription factors; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
• ISSN: 0962-9351; 1466-1861; 1466-1861
• DOI: 10.1155/2015/638968

Follicular helper CD4+ T (TFH) cells play a fundamental role in humoral immunity deriving from their ability to provide help for germinal center (GC) formation, B cell differentiation into plasma cells and memory cells, and antibody production in secondary lymphoid tissues. TFH cells can be identified by a combination of markers, including the chemokine receptor CXCR5, costimulatory molecules ICOS and PD-1, transcription repressor Bcl-6, and cytokine IL-21. It is difficult and impossible to get access to secondary lymphoid tissues in humans, so studies are usually performed with human peripheral blood samples as circulating counterparts of tissue TFH cells. A balance of TFH cell generation and function is critical for protective antibody response, whereas overactivation of TFH cells or overexpression of TFH-associated molecules may result in autoimmune diseases. Emerging data have shown that TFH cells and TFH-associated molecules may be involved in the pathogenesis of neuroautoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO)/neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), and myasthenia gravis (MG). This review summarizes the features of TFH cells, including their development, function, and roles as well as TFH-associated molecules in neuroautoimmune diseases and their animal models.