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 Printable version |
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells and dermatological disorders: focus on their role in autoimmunity and cancer |
European Journal of Dermatology. Volume 20, Number 1, 16-23, January-February 2010, Review article
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 Free Article
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Author(s) : Julie Charles, Laurence Chaperot, Dimitri Salameire, Jérémy Di Domizio, Caroline Aspord, Rémy Gressin, Marie-Christine Jacob, Marie-Jeanne Richard, Jean-Claude Beani, Joel Plumas, Marie-Thérèse Leccia |
Summary : Dendritic cells (DC), considered as immunological sentinels of the organism since they are antigen presenting cells, create the link between innate and adaptive immunity. DC include myeloid dendritic cells (MDC) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC). The presence of PDC, cells capable of producing large quantities of interferon alpha (IFN-α) in response to pathogenic agents or danger signals, seems to be closely related to pathological conditions. PDC have been observed in inflammatory immunoallergic dermatological disorders, in malignant cutaneous tumours and in cutaneous lesions of infectious origin. They seem to play a crucial role in the initiation of the pathological processes of autoimmune diseases such as lupus or psoriasis. Their function within a tumour context is not as well known and is controversial. They could have a tolerogenic role towards tumour cells in the absence of an activator but they also have the capacity to become activated in response to Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands and could therefore be useful for therapeutic purposes. |
Keywords : interferon alpha, lupus, melanoma, plasmacytoid dendritic cell, psoriasis, toll-like receptor ligand |
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