Marginal-zone B-cells of nonobese diabetic mice expand with diabetes onset, invade the pancreatic lymph nodes, and present autoantigen to diabetogenic T-cells

Abstract

OBJECTIVE-B-cells are important for disease pathogenesis in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of type 1 diabetes. Recent studies demonstrate that marginal-zone B-cells (MZBs), which connect innate with adaptive immune responses, are increased in NOD mice. However, beyond this, the contribution of different B-cell subsets to diabetes pathogenesis is poorly understood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-To better understand the role of different B-cell subsets in the etiology of type 1 diabetes, we have examined the MZB compartment in NOD mice, with respect to their number, distribution, and function. RESULTS-We demonstrate that splenic MZB numbers in female NOD mice undergo a marked, approxima..