Fig. 1

Both myeloid DCs (mDCs) and plasmocytoid DCs (pDCs) produce IFN-α in response to self-nucleic acids antigens and self-nucleic acids in the form of immune complexes, respectively. IFN-α presents many immunological functions, including promotion of B cells differentiation, immunoglobulin switch, autoantibodies’ production and increased survival of activated B and T lymphocytes. IFN-α also activates mDCs and contribute to direct endothelial cell damage and promotes accelerated atherosclerosis (mDC myeloid dendritic cells, pDC plasmacytoid dendritic cells, Lymph B B lymphocytes, CTL cytotoxic T lymphocytes, IFN interferon