How opportunistic agents benefit from viral infections: the plasmacytoid dendritic cell connection

Thomas Baranek; Marc Dalod

doi:10.1016/j.chom.2008.09.010

How opportunistic agents benefit from viral infections: the plasmacytoid dendritic cell connection

Cell Host Microbe. 2008 Oct 16;4(4):305-7. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2008.09.010.

Authors

Thomas Baranek¹, Marc Dalod

Affiliation

¹ Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. [email protected]

PMID: 18854232
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2008.09.010

Abstract

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.

Publication types

Comment
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Dendritic Cells / immunology*
Interferon Type I / biosynthesis*
Opportunistic Infections / immunology*
Virus Diseases / immunology*
Viruses / immunology*

Substances

Interferon Type I