Functionally impaired plasmacytoid dendritic cells and non-haematopoietic sources of type I interferon characterize human autoimmunity

Abstract

Type I interferon drives autoimmune pathology in SLE and has been assumed to come predominantly from plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). Here, the authors show that prior to the onset of SLE, pDCs lose multiple immunogenic functions and, instead, non-hematopoietic cells such as keratinocytes are a major source of type I interferons.