B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response as opposed to the cell-mediated immune response that is governed by T cells. The abbreviation "B" comes from bursa of Fabricius that is an organ in birds in which avian B cells mature. The principal function of B cells is to make antibodies against soluble antigens. B cells are an essential component of the adaptive immune system.

B220

• B cell marker (B220). PMID: 12151637

BLAST-2 (EBVCS)

• an early cell surface marker of human B cell activation and expressed on both activated and lymphoblastoid cells. PMID: 2984280

Bu-1

• expressed on B cells as well as on a subset of macrophages. PMID: 2649381

CD19

• pan-B-cell marker. PMID: 9226174

CD20 (L26)

• cell membrane protein. PMID: 16285718
• pan B cell marker. PMID: 8839435
• well established as a B-cell marker of high specificity for use in paraffin-embedded tissues. PMID: 12360049
• expression of CD20 on B-cells closely parallels that of FMC7 antigen. PMID: 9579603
• an important therapeutic target in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). PMID: 16285718

CD22

• pan B-cell markers. PMID: 14608905, MID: 14582135

CD24

• B cell differentiation marker. PMID: 7658146, PMID: 7829271
• a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell surface molecule, has been identified as a B-cell marker that is lost during cell maturation. PMID: 7829271

CD27

• memory B-cell marker. PMID: 10782048, PMID: 12500291

CD57

• a marker for B-cell activation. PMID: 9394048

CD72

• expression is not restricted to B lineage cells in mouse strains expressing the CD72(b) allele; instead, a population of T lineage cells in these mice also expresses CD72. PMID: 8995186

CD79a, CD79b

• pan B-cell markers. PMID: 14608905, MID: 14582135
• marker for B-cell neoplasms, associated in the B-cell membrane with immunoglobulin. PMID: 7632952

CD86

• B-cell activation markers. PMID: 10495778

chB6

• expressed on chicken B cells throughout most of their development, as well as on some non-lymphoid cells. PMID: 8662088

D8/17

• a disease-specific B cell marker with a world-wide distribution. PMID: 12030895

FMC7

• a 105-kDa B cell restricted antigen which is expressed on about 50% of adult human peripheral blood B cells. PMID: 1697282
• delineates a subpopulation of B lymphocytes in normal blood. PMID: 6427340
• human B cell differentiation antigen. PMID: 1697282
• detects an antigen present on only a subset of circulating B lymphocytes. PMID: 11309819
• expression of CD20 on B-cells closely parallels that of FMC7 antigen. PMID: 9579603
• modulated CD23 expression. PMID: 11857591, PMID: 11309819

L26

• a highly effective pan B cell marker that can be detected in paraffin sections. PMID: 3263805

M17

• a mouse gene expressed specifically in normal germinal center (GC) B cells. PMID: 15677569
• germinal center-associated lymphoma (HGAL) gene is the human homolog of M17. PMID: 15677569

MUM-1

• B-cell proliferation/differentiation marker. PMID: 12920225

Pax-5 (BSAP)

• an pan-B and pan-pre-B-cell marker. PMID: 12360049
• a B-cell-specific transcription factor, the expression of which is detectable as early as the pro-B-cell stage and subsequently in all further stages of B-cell development until the plasma cell stage. PMID: 12360049

PC47H

• a B cell activation marker. PMID: 2474446
• a unique B-cell differentiation marker for study of B-cell activation and differentiation. PMID: 8258455