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Abstract: Dendritic cells are a heterogeneous population of bone marrow derived leucocytes that play a crucial role in both pathogen recognition and the initiation of primary T cell immune responses. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), also known as natural interferon-producing cells, comprise one of two major human dendritic cell subsets that strongly influences immune balance. pDCs remain a poorly characterized subset. Several studies have suggested the existence of a close phenotypic and functional relationship between B-cells and pDCs. The surface reactivity of a panel of 96 monoclonal antibodies submitted to the ninth Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens workshop (HLDA9) B cell section was analyzed using pDCs as target cells. The results showed that eight of the mAbs reacted positively on pDCs: CD86, CD229, CD319, CD305, CD184, CD84, CD85g and FcɛRIa, confirming previously published reports. Interestingly, this study also revealed the expression of eight surface molecules not previously described on pDCs, including CD352(NTBA), CD272(BTLA), CD357(GITR), CD48, CD270(HVEM), Galectin-3, CD148, and CD361. The present report summarizes the expression of these molecules on freshly isolated pDCs. Significantly, we have identified several new molecules expressed by these intriguing cells, ones we believe will open new avenues for the study of pDC functionality and their role in human health and diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The SLAM (CD150) family receptors are leukocyte cell-surface glycoproteins involved in leukocyte activation. These molecules and their adaptor protein SAP contribute to the effective germinal center formation, generation of high-affinity antibody-secreting plasma cells, and memory B cells, thereby facilitating long-term humoral immune response. Multi-color flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the expression of CD48 (SLAMF2), CD84 (SLAMF5), CD150 (SLAM or SLAMF1), CD229 (Ly9 or SLAMF3), CD244 (2B4 or SLAMF4), CD319 (CRACC, CS1, or SLAMF7), and CD352 (NTB-A or SLAMF6) on human cell lines and B-cell subsets. The following subsets were assessed: pro-B, pre-B, immature-B, and mature-B cells from bone marrow; transitional and B1/B2 subsets from peripheral blood; and naïve, pre-germinal center, germinal center, memory, plasmablasts, and plasma cells from tonsil and spleen. All receptors were expressed on B cells, with the exception of CD244. SLAM family molecules were widely distributed during B-cell development, maturation and terminal differentiation into plasmablasts and plasma cells, but their expression among various B-cell subsets differed significantly. Such heterogeneous expression patterns suggest that SLAM molecules play an essential and non-redundant role in the control of humoral immune responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: B cells not only play a pivotal role in humoral immunity, but also are involved in a broad spectrum of immune responses, including antigen presentation and T-cell function regulation. The identification of cell-surface CD molecules derived from a series of Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens (HLDA) Workshops has been instrumental to the discovery and functional characterization of human B-cell populations. Moreover, many events regulating B-cell development, activation, and effector functions are orchestrated by these cell-surface molecules. During the Ninth HLDA Workshop (HLDA9) eighteen new CDs were allocated to cell-surface molecules expressed on B cells: CD210a (IL10RA), CD215 (IL15RA), CD270 (TNFRSF14), CD307a (FCRL1), CD307b (FCRL2), CD307c (FCRL3), CD307d (FCRL4), CD351 (FCAMR), CD352 (SLAMF6), CD353 (SLAMF8), CD354 (TREM1), CD355 (CRTAM), CD357 (TNFRSF18), CD358 (TNFRSF21), CD360 (IL21RA), CD361 (EVI2B), CD362 (SDC2), and CD363 (S1PR1). Here we present their expression patterns on leukocytes, including T lymphocytes, NK cells, granulocytes, monocytes, plasmacytoid and monocyte-derived dendritic cells, and several B-cell subsets. These new CD molecules are expressed on B cells at various stages of differentiation; from bone marrow precursor pro-B cells to plasma cells. Three of them, CD307a, CD307b and CD307d, exhibit a B-cell restricted expression pattern, whereas the rest are also present on other leukocytes. In this paper we also review the structural characteristics, expression, and function of these new CD molecules. The availability of monoclonal antibodies directed against novel B cell-surface molecules will have broad implications not only for B-cell biology, but also for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]