Common Variable Immunodeficiency: Role of B-cell selection identified

Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common symptomatic primary immunodeficiency in humans. Patients suffer from recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract but many of them also develop more severe symptoms such as granulomas, lymphomas and autoimmune diseases. An international team of researchers led by MedUni Vienna has now discovered why some CVID patients develop an autoimmune disease and others do not. The results of the study were published in the journal Cell Reports. Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by a lack of antibodies (IgG, IgA and sometimes IgM). As well as being susceptible to infections, people with CVID are at higher risk of developing an autoimmune disease. B lymphocytes (B cells) are considered key players in this malfunction of the immune system, in which the body's own structures are attacked: autoreactive B cells need to be censored during B-cell development in order to prevent autoimmunity.