CD2+/CD14+ monocytes rapidly differentiate into CD83+ dendritic cells

✍ Scribed by Tiziana Di Pucchio; Caterina Lapenta; Stefano Maria Santini; Mariantonia Logozzi; Stefania Parlato; Filippo Belardelli

• Book ID: 102279319
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 284 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-2980
• DOI: 10.1002/immu.200310010

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Since denditric cells (DC) represent the main players linking innate and adaptive immunity, their prompt generation from blood cells would be instrumental for an efficient immune response to infections. Consistent with this, CD2^+^ monocytes were found to express the DC maturation marker CD83, along with acquisition of high antigen‐presenting activity, after a surprisingly short time in culture. This rapid process is associated with expression of IFN‐α/β genes and secretion of low levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Exposure of monocytes to IFN‐α, but not to IL‐4, induced persistence of CD2^+^/CD83^+^ cells, which were fully competent in stimulating primary responses by naive T cells. These results unravel the natural pathway by which infection‐induced signals rapidly transform pre‐armed monocytes into active DC.