Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity worldwide and is described as a complex disease involving several different cell types and their molecular products. Recent studies have revealed that atherosclerosis arises from a systemic inflammatory process, including the accumulation and activities of various immune cells. However, the immune system is a complicated network made up of many cell types, hundreds of bioactive cytokines, and millions of different antigens, making it challenging to readily define the associated mechanism of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, we previously reported a potential persistent inflammatory process underlying atherosclerosis development, centered on a pathological humoral immune response between commensal microbes and activated subpopulations of substantial B cells in the vicinity of the arterial adventitia. Accumulating evidence has indicated the importance of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis development. Commensal microbiota are considered important regulators of immunity and metabolism and also to be possible antigenic sources for atherosclerosis development. However, the interplay between gut microbiota and metabolism with regard to the modulation of atherosclerosis-associated immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we review the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may influence atherogenesis, with particular focus on humoral immunity and B cells, especially the gut-immune-B2 cell axis. Graphical abstract Under high-fat and high-calorie conditions, signals driven by the intestinal microbiota via the TLR signaling pathway cause B2 cells in the spleen to become functionally active and activated B2 cells then modify responses such as antibody production (generation of active antibodies IgG and IgG3), thereby contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. On the other hand, intestinal microbiota also resulted in recruitment and ectopic activation of B2 cells via the TLR signaling pathway in perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), and, subsequently, an increase in circulating IgG and IgG3 led to the enhanced disease development. This is a potential link between microbiota alterations and B cells in the context of atherosclerosis.
Keywords: Atherosclerosis; B2 cells; Commensal microbiota; Inflammation.