Figure 7. Stochastic autoimmunity due to somatic mutations in immunoregulatory genes.

A nonautoreactive B cell gives rise to anti-nuclear B cells in the GC. Most such B cells are censored by self-tolerance mechanisms unless they acquire additional critical somatic mutations that alter or ablate the function of immunoregulatory genes involved in self-tolerance. Somatic mutations in immuneregulatory genes could arise in an AID-dependent and/or independent manner.