Exploring innate type B cells in an animal model for autoimmune arthritis

B cells have a central role in the pathogenesis of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), an animal model of the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis. In this report, a specific subset of an innate type of B cells, B-1 B cells, have been studied for the involvement in CIA. The B-1 B cells were shown to produce small amounts of collagen-specific antibodies upon stimulation in vitro, suggesting that they play a minor role in the development of CIA. This report also includes how marginal zone B cells, another innate type of B cells with natural collagen-reactivity, can be identified in the medullary sinuses of lymph nodes of collagen-immunized mice, implying involvement in auto antigen trapping.