Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (610 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Specialized forms of antibody-producing b-lymphocytes. They synthesize and secrete immunoglobulin. They are found only in lymphoid organs and at sites of immune responses and normally do not circulate in the blood or lymph. (Rosen et al., Dictionary of Immunology, 1989, p169 and Abbas et al., Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 2d ed, p20)
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Cell, Plasma; Cells, Plasma; Plasma Cell; Plasmacytes; Plasmacyte.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- B-Lymphocytes
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 15,247 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Plasma Cells” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 1,944 of them (12.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 7,876 records.
Reviews account for 1,467 records (9.6%) and meta-analyses for 8. Randomized controlled trials number 38 (0.2%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 7,876 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,994 |
| 2010-2019 | 3,433 |
| 2020 onward | 1,944 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,467 | 9.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 8 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 38 | 0.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Plasma Cells"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenges and Opportunities for Consistent Classification of Human B Cell and Plasma Cell Populations | 2019 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 498 | cc by PMID 31681331 · DOI · PMC6813733 |
| IgA and the intestinal microbiota: the importance of being specific | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 424 | cc by PMID 31740744 · DOI · PMC6914667 |
| Contribution of plasma cells and B cells to hidradenitis suppurativa pathogenesis | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 174 | cc by PMID 32853177 · DOI · PMC7566715 |
| In vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screens identify new regulators of B cell activation and plasma cell differentiation | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 41603863 · DOI · PMC12850638 |
Challenges and Opportunities for Consistent Classification of Human B Cell and Plasma Cell Populations [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The increasingly recognized role of different types of B cells and plasma cells in protective and pathogenic immune responses combined with technological advances have generated a plethora of information regarding the heterogeneity of this human immune compartment.
- Closing excerpt
- It stands to reason that a unified approach will not only permit comparison of separate studies but also improve our ability to define deviations from normative values and to create a clean framework for the identification, functional significance, and disease association with new populations.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (178 words)
The increasingly recognized role of different types of B cells and plasma cells in protective and pathogenic immune responses combined with technological advances have generated a plethora of information regarding the heterogeneity of this human immune compartment. Unfortunately, the lack of a consistent classification of human B cells also creates significant imprecision on the adjudication of different phenotypes to well-defined populations. Additional confusion in the field stems from: the use of non-discriminatory, overlapping markers to define some populations, the extrapolation of mouse concepts to humans, and the assignation of functional significance to populations often defined by insufficient surface markers. In this review, we shall discuss the current understanding of human B cell heterogeneity and define major parental populations and associated subsets while discussing their functional significance. We shall also identify current challenges and opportunities. It stands to reason that a unified approach will not only permit comparison of separate studies but also improve our ability to define deviations from normative values and to create a clean framework for the identification, functional significance, and disease association with new populations.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31681331 · DOI · PMC6813733
IgA and the intestinal microbiota: the importance of being specific [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Secretory IgA has long been a divisive molecule.
- Closing excerpt
- On this basis we propose how IgA may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of beneficial interactions with the microbiota.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (146 words)
Secretory IgA has long been a divisive molecule. Some immunologists point to the mild phenotype of IgA deficiency to justify ignoring it, while some consider its abundance and evolutionary history as grounds for its importance. Further, there is extensive and growing disagreement over the relative importance of affinity-matured, T cell-dependent IgA vs. "natural" and T cell-independent IgA in both microbiota and infection control. As with all good arguments, there is good data supporting different opinions. Here we revisit longstanding questions in IgA biology. We start the discussion from the question of intestinal IgA antigen specificity and critical definitions regarding IgA induction, specificity, and function. These definitions must then be tessellated with the cellular and molecular pathways shaping IgA responses, and the mechanisms by which IgA functions. On this basis we propose how IgA may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of beneficial interactions with the microbiota.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31740744 · DOI · PMC6914667
Contribution of plasma cells and B cells to hidradenitis suppurativa pathogenesis [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic abscess formation and development of multiple draining sinus tracts in the groin, axillae, and perineum.
- Closing excerpt
- These data provide preclinical evidence to accelerate the path toward clinical trials targeting BTK and SYK signaling in moderate-to-severe HS.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (119 words)
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic abscess formation and development of multiple draining sinus tracts in the groin, axillae, and perineum. Using proteomic and transcriptomic approaches, we characterized the inflammatory responses in HS in depth, revealing immune responses centered on IFN-γ, IL-36, and TNF, with lesser contribution from IL-17A. We further identified B cells and plasma cells, with associated increases in immunoglobulin production and complement activation, as pivotal players in HS pathogenesis, with Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) pathway activation as a central signal transduction network in HS. These data provide preclinical evidence to accelerate the path toward clinical trials targeting BTK and SYK signaling in moderate-to-severe HS.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32853177 · DOI · PMC7566715
In vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screens identify new regulators of B cell activation and plasma cell differentiation [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Immune responses to pathogens lead to the generation of plasma cells through a complex interplay of B cells with their microenvironment in lymphoid organs.
- Closing excerpt
- Hence, our in vivo screening system identified novel regulators controlling B cell-mediated immune responses.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (167 words)
Immune responses to pathogens lead to the generation of plasma cells through a complex interplay of B cells with their microenvironment in lymphoid organs. To identify new regulators of B cell activation and plasmablast differentiation in the context of the splenic microenvironment, we established an in vivo system for pooled sgRNA CRISPR/Cas9 screens in immunized mice. To improve the infection efficiency of naïve B cells, we generated Cd23-Cre Rosa26LSL-EcoR/+ mice exhibiting increased expression of the ecotropic lentivirus receptor EcoR on naïve B cells. Upon adoptive B cell transfer and immunization of recipient mice, 379 sgRNAs, targeting genes with high expression in plasma cells, were analyzed for their effects on plasmablast generation. Gene hits, encoding 23 positive and 18 negative regulators of B cell activation, plasmablast differentiation, or homeostasis, were uniquely identified in these in vivo screens. Validated genes encoded proteins involved in cell adhesion, signal transduction, protein folding, iron transport, and enzymatic processes. Hence, our in vivo screening system identified novel regulators controlling B cell-mediated immune responses.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41603863 · DOI · PMC12850638
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The generation of antibody-secreting plasma cells [5]
- Research article Multiple myeloma [6]
- Research article Regulation of plasma-cell development [7]
- Research article Prognostic Significance of Tumor-Infiltrating B Cells and Plasma Cells in Human Cancer [8]
- Research article Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a consensus statement by the International Myeloma Working Group [9]
- Research article Plasma-cell homing [10]
References
- Sanz I, Wei C, Jenks SA, Cashman KS, Tipton C, Woodruff MC, et al.. Challenges and Opportunities for Consistent Classification of Human B Cell and Plasma Cell Populations. . 2019. PMID 31681331 · DOI · PMC6813733
- Pabst O, Slack E. IgA and the intestinal microbiota: the importance of being specific. . 2020. PMID 31740744 · DOI · PMC6914667
- Gudjonsson JE, Tsoi LC, Ma F, Billi AC, van Straalen KR, Vossen ARJV, et al.. Contribution of plasma cells and B cells to hidradenitis suppurativa pathogenesis. . 2020. PMID 32853177 · DOI · PMC7566715
- Calderón L, Schäfer M, Rončević M, Rauschmeier R, Jaritz M, Schwickert TA, et al.. In vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screens identify new regulators of B cell activation and plasma cell differentiation. . 2026. PMID 41603863 · DOI · PMC12850638
- Nutt SL, Hodgkin PD, Tarlinton DM, Corcoran LM. The generation of antibody-secreting plasma cells. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015. PMID 25698678 · DOI
- Kumar SK, Rajkumar V, Kyle RA, van Duin M, Sonneveld P, Mateos MV, et al.. Multiple myeloma. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017. PMID 28726797 · DOI
- Shapiro-Shelef M, Calame K. Regulation of plasma-cell development. Nat Rev Immunol. 2005. PMID 15738953 · DOI
- Wouters MCA, Nelson BH. Prognostic Significance of Tumor-Infiltrating B Cells and Plasma Cells in Human Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2018. PMID 30049748 · DOI
- Cavo M, Terpos E, Nanni C, Moreau P, Lentzsch S, Zweegman S, et al.. Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a consensus statement by the International Myeloma Working Group. Lancet Oncol. 2017. PMID 28368259 · DOI
- Kunkel EJ, Butcher EC. Plasma-cell homing. Nat Rev Immunol. 2003. PMID 14523388 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.