B-cell antigen receptor signaling and autoimmunity

Abstract

A number of illnesses affecting joints or muscles are associated with antibodies to ‘self’ molecules and are classified as autoimmune rheumatic diseases. They include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, systemic sclerosis, Sjgren’s syndrome, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, myasthenia gravis, and a spectrum of related syndromes. Altered development and function of B cells may play a prominent role in the development and progression of autoimmune rheumatic disorders, with RA and SLE being the classic and most widely studied.