Effector and regulatory roles for B cells in HIV infection?

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling has been implicated in the genesis of HIV driven chronic immune activation and inflammation. In other inflammatory diseases, TLR driven B cell regulatory functions have been described, yet in HIV pathogenesis the focus has been on an antibody-dependent role for B cells. In this review, we discuss possible effector and regulatory functions exerted by (TLR) activated B cells during HIV infection.