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. 2009 Jul 16;94(8):1109–1123. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2009.005983

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Lymphoid tissue neogenesis and ectopic germinal center formation. Upper panels: (A) chronic inflammation is characterized by high levels of TNF, inducing stromal cells to produce CCL19 and CCL21 which attract B- and T- lymphocytes. (B) the interplay between CXCL13-producing stromal cells and increasing numbers of mLTα1β2 and TNF-expressing B lymphocytes, leads to the development of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) and subsequent formation of lymphoid follicles. (c) T cells provide specific help to antigen activated B cells via costimulatory cytokines and membrane receptors. Lower panels: immunohistochemical stainings on a well-organized lymphoid infiltrate in a minor salivary gland of a Sjögren’s syndrome patient. Highlighted is a B-cell follicle including a germinal center using Abs specific for B cells CD20, plasma cells CD138, predominantly follicular dendritic cells CD21 and the proliferation marker Ki67.