Antigen-presentation properties of plasmacytoid dendritic cells

Abstract

One of the remaining enigmas of the dendritic cell (DC) network is the potential contribution of plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) to antigen presentation. Although the antigen-presentation capacity of conventional DCs (cDCs) is clearly defined, pDCs are generally attributed as having little, if any, antigen-presentation function. Instead, pDCs are regarded as immunomodulating cells, capable of directing the immune response through their secretion of large amounts of type I interferons. In this review, we examine the evidence for a potential role of pDC in antigen capture, processing, and presentation to T cells at sites of infection and in the lymph nodes.