From the Guidelines
B Cell and Plasma Cell Comparison
B cells are not elevated compared to plasma cells in terms of antibody production, as plasma cells are the primary source of antibody production 1.
- Key Difference: Plasma cells do not express CD20 antigen, making them resistant to certain treatments like rituximab, whereas B cells do express CD20 antigen 1.
- Cell Development: B cells mature into plasma cells, which are specialized cells responsible for producing large amounts of antibodies, indicating that B cells are the precursors to plasma cells 1.
- Location and Function: Both B cells and plasma cells exist in the spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow, contributing to the immune response, but plasma cells are the main contributors to antibody production 1.
From the Research
B Cell and Plasma Cell Comparison
- B cells and plasma cells are both crucial components of the immune system, with B cells being responsible for protective antibody production after differentiation into antibody-secreting cells during humoral immune responses 2.
- Plasma cells, on the other hand, are specialized terminally differentiated B cells that synthesize and secrete antibodies to maintain humoral immunity 3.
- The relationship between B cells and plasma cells is complex, with B cells maturing and differentiating into plasma or memory cells, and both autophagic and mitochondrial functions undergoing significant changes during this process 2.
B Cell and Plasma Cell Differentiation
- B cells can differentiate into various subsets, including memory B cells and plasma cells, which drive infection- and vaccine-induced long-term antibody-mediated immunity 4.
- The differentiation of B cells into plasma cells can occur through different pathways, including the germinal center-dependent and -independent pathways 4, 5.
- Plasma cells can be further divided into short-lived and long-lived subsets, with long-lived plasma cells being responsible for refractory chronic conditions and emerging as important therapeutic targets 3.
B Cell and Plasma Cell Functions
- B cells have a unique role as antibody-producing cells, and they can also secrete cytokines to regulate immune responses mediated by T and innate cells 6.
- Plasma cells, on the other hand, are responsible for large-scale production and secretion of antibodies, and they can be distinguished by their cytokine expression pattern 6, 5.
- The functional and transcriptional diversity of antibody-secreting cells, including plasma cells, can be interrogated using single-cell analyses, which can provide insights into the contribution of individual cells to the polyclonal humoral response 5.