ABSTRACT
B lymphocytes are key players in all facets of adaptive immune responses and are responsible for the production of IgE antibodies, initiators of allergic hypersensitivity reactions. Recent evidence indicates that B cells may be a crucial player in allergic and inflammatory airway pathology, directly populating upper and lower airway tissues. This review examines human and animal studies that directly demonstrated the presence of B lymphocytes in airway tissues and elaborates on their function as antibody-secreting cells, antigen-presenting cells and producers of inflammatory and regulatory cytokines. B lymphocytes appear to contribute to multiple facets of immune homeostasis in inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower airways.
Subject(s)
B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Inflammation , Lung Diseases , Animals , Antibody-Producing Cells/immunology , Antigen-Presenting Cells/immunology , B-Lymphocytes/cytology , B-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Humans , Inflammation/immunology , Inflammation/physiopathology , Lung Diseases/immunology , Lung Diseases/physiopathology , MiceABSTRACT
We examine the possibility of using two- and three-phase systems suitable as standards for which the ellipsometric parameter ? remains insensitive to variations in the angle of incidence. These standards avoid propagation of errors in the angle of incidence with respect to the measured standard ? value. Different materials (dielectrics, metals, and semiconductors), adequate for the above purpose, are considered in different structure combinations, and their optical response are analyzed.
