Receptor selection in B and T lymphocytes.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of immunologic mechanisms without primary data or systematic search methodology (mechanism-based reasoning).
PubMed 10837051 · doi:10.1146/annurev.immunol.18.1.19
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes concepts of receptor selection in T and B lymphocytes based on literature available up to the year 2000. It contrasts receptor selection—in which V(D)J recombination is regulated to alter or fix antigen receptor specificity—with classic clonal selection, discussing its roles across lymphocyte differentiation stages, including allelic exclusion, positive selection, and receptor editing in T cells and B-1 B cells.
What was found
The abstract provides no quantitative metrics or empirical numbers. It conceptually details how the immune system uncouples antigen receptor fate from cellular fate via V(D)J recombination regulation, thereby modifying receptor specificity to improve self/non-self discrimination.
Why it matters
It provides a mechanistic framework showing that receptor editing and selection operate alongside clonal deletion to refine immune repertoire diversity and self-tolerance.
Limits
As a narrative review, the abstract provides no primary data, sample sizes, quantitative estimates, or formal systematic search strategy. The discussed mechanisms reflect expert synthesis rather than new experimental testing.
Cited by
- supports B cells generate unique antibodies through random somatic recombination and selection processes before releasing antibodies into the bloodstream.