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Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (Natural Interferon- α/β-Producing Cells) Accumulate in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Lesions

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10)61689-6Get rights and content

Plasmacytoid dendritic cell (P-DC) precursors in peripheral blood produce large amounts of interferon (IFN)-α/β when triggered by viruses. However, when incubated with interleukin-3 and CD40 ligand, the same precursors differentiate into mature DCs that stimulate naïve CD4+ T cells to produce Th2 cytokines. We recently reported that P-DCs accumulate in nasal mucosa of experimentally induced allergic rhinitis, supporting a role for this DC subset in Th2-dominated inflammation. Here we examined whether P-DCs accumulate in cutaneous lesions of lupus erythematosus (LE), a disorder associated with increased IFN-α/β production. Our results showed that P-DCs were present in 14 out of 15 tissue specimens of cutaneous LE lesions, but not in normal skin. Importantly, the density of P-DCs in affected skin correlated well (rs= 0.79, P < 0.0005) with the high number of cells expressing the IFN-α/β-inducible protein MxA, suggesting that P-DCs produce IFN-α/β locally. Accumulation of P-DCs coincided also with the expression of l-selectin ligand peripheral lymph node addressin on dermal vascular endothelium, adding further support to the notion that these adhesion molecules are important in P-DC extravasation to peripheral tissue sites. Together, our findings suggested that P-DCs are an important source of IFN-α/β in cutaneous LE lesions and may therefore be of pathogenic importance.

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Supported by the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation, the Norwegian Cancer Society, the Research Council of Norway, and the Research Fund for Asthma and Allergy.

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