Cutting edge: IL-10 is essential for the generation of germinal center B cell responses and anti-plasmodium humoral immunity

JJ Guthmiller, AC Graham, RA Zander… - The Journal of …, 2017 - journals.aai.org
JJ Guthmiller, AC Graham, RA Zander, RL Pope, NS Butler
The Journal of Immunology, 2017journals.aai.org
IL-10 is a pleiotropic cytokine expressed during malaria, a disease characterized by short-
lived, parasite-specific Ab responses. The role of IL-10 in regulating B cell responses during
malaria is not known. In this study we report that IL-10 is essential for anti-Plasmodium
humoral immunity. We identify that germinal center (GC) B cell reactions, isotype-switched
Ab responses, parasite control, and host survival require B cell-intrinsic IL-10 signaling. IL-
10 also indirectly supports humoral immunity by suppressing excessive IFN-γ, which …
Abstract
IL-10 is a pleiotropic cytokine expressed during malaria, a disease characterized by short-lived, parasite-specific Ab responses. The role of IL-10 in regulating B cell responses during malaria is not known. In this study we report that IL-10 is essential for anti-Plasmodium humoral immunity. We identify that germinal center (GC) B cell reactions, isotype-switched Ab responses, parasite control, and host survival require B cell-intrinsic IL-10 signaling. IL-10 also indirectly supports humoral immunity by suppressing excessive IFN-γ, which induces T-bet expression in B cells. Genetic ablation of either IFN-γ signaling or T-bet expression in B cells substantially enhanced GC B cell responses and anti-Plasmodium Ab production. Together, our data show that B cell-intrinsic IL-10 enhances whereas B cell-intrinsic IFN-γ and T-bet suppress GC B cell responses and anti-Plasmodium humoral immunity. These data identify critical immunoregulatory circuits in B cells that may be targeted to promote long-lived humoral immunity and resistance to malaria.
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