A Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells-Type I Interferon Axis Is Critically Implicated in
the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
#MMPMID26110387
Kim JM
; Park SH
; Kim HY
; Kwok SK
Int J Mol Sci
2015[Jun]; 16
(6
): 14158-70
PMID26110387
show ga
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease that is
characterized by the generation of immune responses to various nuclear
components. Impaired clearance of apoptotic cells and loss of tolerance to
self-antigens are involved both in the initiation and in the propagation of the
disease. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key factors in the balance between
autoimmunity and tolerance and play a role linking innate and adaptive immunity.
DCs, particularly plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), are the main source of type I
interferon (IFN) cytokines, which contribute to the immunopathogenesis of SLE.
There is accumulating evidence that pDCs and type I IFN cytokines take the
leading part in the development of SLE. In this review, we discuss recent data
regarding the role of pDCs and type I IFN cytokines in the pathogenesis of SLE
and the potential for employing therapies targeting against aberrant regulation
of the pDC-type I IFN axis for treating SLE.