B cells in Sjögren's syndrome: from pathophysiology to therapeutic target

Julie Mielle; Alice Tison; Divi Cornec; Laëtitia Le Pottier; Claire Daien; Jacques-Olivier Pers

doi:10.1093/rheumatology/key332

B cells in Sjögren's syndrome: from pathophysiology to therapeutic target

Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jun 18;60(6):2545-2560. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/key332.

Authors

Julie Mielle¹, Alice Tison^{2

3}, Divi Cornec^{2

3}, Laëtitia Le Pottier², Claire Daien¹, Jacques-Olivier Pers²

Affiliations

¹ Departement of Rheumatology, UMR5535, Inflammation and Cancer, University of Montpellier and Teaching hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
² UMR1227, Lymphocytes B et Autoimmunité, Université de Brest, Inserm, France.
³ Service de Rhumatologie, CHU de Brest, Brest, France.

PMID: 30770916
DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/key332

Abstract

Biological abnormalities associated with B lymphocytes are a hallmark of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Those patients present abnormal distribution of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood and B cells in exocrine glands. B cells produce auto-antibodies, cytokines and present antigens but can also suppressive functions. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge on B cells in primary Sjögren's syndrome patients, demonstrate their critical role in the immunopathology of the disease and describe the past and current trials targeting B cells.

Keywords: B cells; BAFF; autoreactivity; cytokines; ectopic germinal centers; epigenetics; immunotherapy; lymphoma; primary Sjögren’s syndrome; regulation.