Properties and functions of naive and memory B cells in human peripheral blood

Abstract

B lymphocytes are of important immunological component in immune system which are capable of mediating effective humoral immune response. According to developmental stages and functional differences, there are mainly three subsets of B cells in human peripheral blood including naive mature B cells, memory B cells and plasma cells. Memory B cells can be further divided into IgM memory B cells and switched memory B cells. However, recent studies indicate that B-cell subsets are more complicated than previously thought. Therefore, further understanding should be focused on the origin,development and specific function of B-cell subsets in human, which will be a great benefit to the development of therapeutic strategies to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as to the design of effective and safe vaccines. Key words: Naive mature B cell; IgM memory B cell; Switched memory B cell; Plasma cell