| Summary: | Abstract B cells are generally considered to regulate immune responses positively because they differentiate into plasma cells and produce antigen‐specific antibodies. However, specific B‐cell subsets have been reported to regulate immune responses negatively and have been termed regulatory B cells. Accumulating evidence has shown that regulatory B cells play an important role in a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Among several regulatory B‐cell subsets, IL‐10–producing regulatory B cells are the most widely investigated. This review focused on the role of regulatory B cells in autoimmune and inflammatory skin diseases. The frequency of IL‐10–producing B cells in the peripheral blood from patients with systemic sclerosis was decreased compared to healthy controls. In addition, the function of regulatory B cells was impaired in patients with systemic sclerosis. As for systemic lupus erythematosus, the frequency of regulatory B cells was increased in the peripheral blood, while their regulatory function was impaired. In inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, the number of IL‐10–producing B cells was decreased compared to healthy controls. Similarly, patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma showed decreased number of IL‐10–producing B cells. Taken together, regulatory B cells would play important roles in suppressing the disease onset, whose dysfunction might lead to worsening the disease symptoms. Revealing the mechanisms of human regulatory B cells in skin diseases could lead to the development of novel therapies targeting regulatory B cells.
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