Autoimmunity Cells Found in Healthy Adults

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The self-attacking cells to blame for autoimmune diseases could be on the loose in all of us.

Researchers found healthy adults without autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis may have anergic B cells – the self-attacking B cells behind autoimmune diseases -- that account for as many as 2.5 percent of the B cells in our blood stream. The difference, they found, is the anergic B cells in healthy people are maintained in an ‘off’ state.

Usually, study authors said, self-attacking B cells produced in the bone marrow are either rearranged as a normal cell, or destroyed while still in the bone marrow. However, a few manage to escape, entering the bloodstream. While the escaped cells did not seem to cause any harm in healthy people, study authors were able to stimulate them to produce trouble-making antibodies, which lead to autoimmune diseases.

More research is needed to fully understand the role of escapee B cells in the development of autoimmune diseases.

SOURCE: Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2008

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