Antibody-independent B cell functions play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. In this study, B cell antigen presentation and costimulation in MS were studied. Peripheral blood B cells of MS patients showed increased expression of co-stimulatory CD86 and CD80 molecules compared with healthy controls (HC). In MS cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 12-fold and 2-fold increases in CD86+ and CD80+ B cells, respectively, were evidenced compared with peripheral blood. Further, B cells from MS patients induced pro-inflammatory T cells in response to myelin basic protein (MBP), in contrast to B cells of HC. Immunomodulatory treatment restored B cell co-stimulatory molecule expression and caused significantly reduced B cell induced T cell responses. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of B cells from MS patients to induce autoreactive proinflammatory T cell responses. Immunomodulatory therapy abrogated this effect, emphasizing the importance of B cell antigen presentation and costimulation in MS pathology.
They must because MS is responding to B cell depletion.
This study says that B cells are antigen presenting cells...however there other ideas, ProfG thinks you are getting rid of EBV.