The HIB19 antibody reacts with human CD19, a 95 kDa glycoprotein which acts as a co-receptor, along with CD21, CD81 and CD225, in support of the functional B cell receptor (BCR). This complex provides antigen-specific recognition and subsequent activation of B cells to proliferate and differentiate into antibody-secreting cells (plasma cells) or memory B cells, which are crucial for secondary antigen encounter. CD19 is a lineage-differentiation marker, as its expression is detectable at the earliest B cell stages, through development, and is finally lost upon transition to mature plasma cells.The HIB19 antibody is widely used as a phenotypic marker for CD19 expression on B cells, as well as on dendritic cell subsets.