A Pivotal Role for the Natural Interferon α–producing Cells (Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells) in the Pathogenesis of Lupus

The human type I IFN gene family consists of 13 genes encoding IFN-α subtypes and one gene each for IFN-β and -ω. The type I IFN proteins show similarities with respect to both structure and function; for instance, they are typically produced by cells exposed to virus and interact with the same