Figure 3.

Immunological consequences of developing B-cell receptors (BCR) that recognize their own BCR epitopes. Non-self-reactive B cells, ex-self-reactive B cells and B cells that encode natural autoantibodies may also be an origin of mutated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (M-CLL) cells if these cells previously acquire BCRs that recognize their own BCR in the bone marrow. When they enter a normal immune response they may acquire self reactivity during the somatic hypermutation process. However, persistent receptor editing and anergy induced by their ‘special BCR’ with autonomous signalling capacity may correct their recently acquired self-reactive BCR during somatic hypermutation within the germinal centre.