How opportunistic agents benefit from viral infections: the plasmacytoid dendritic cell connection.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) drive antiviral immunity through their rapid production of type I interferon (IFN-I). In this issue, Zuniga et al. (2008) report that both acute and persistent viral infections dramatically decrease pDC numbers and impair their capacity to produce IFN-I, leading to an enhanced susceptibility to opportunistic viruses.
Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. baranek@ciml.univ-mrs.fr
Thomas
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Baranek
Marc
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Dalod
D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
D007370:Interferon Type I