Interleukin-10 in Health and Disease

Hilgenberg E, Shen P, Dang VD, Ries S, Sakwa I, Fillatreau S, Ellen Hilgenberg, Ping Shen, Van Duc Dang, Stefanie Ries, Imme Sakwa, Simon Fillatreau, Hilgenberg, Ellen, Shen, Ping, Dang, Van Duc, Ries, Stefanie, Sakwa, Imme, Fillatreau, Simon

B cells are usually considered primarily for their unique capacity to produce antibodies after differentiation into plasma cells. In addition to their roles as antibody-producing cells, it has become apparent during the last 10 years that B cells also perform important functions in immunity through the production of cytokines. In particular, it was shown that B cells could negatively regulate immunity through provision of interleukin (IL)-10 during autoimmune and infectious diseases in mice. Here, we review data on the suppressive functions of B cells in mice with particular emphasis on the signals controlling the acquisition of such suppressive functions by B cells, the phenotype of the B cells involved in the negative regulation of immunity, and the processes targeted by this inhibitory circuit. Finally, we discuss the possibility that human B cells might also perform similar inhibitory functions through the provision of IL-10, and review data suggesting that such B cell-mediated regulatory activities might be impaired in patients with autoimmune diseases.