Figure 8. BDCA-1⁺ cells are more immunostimulatory.

(A) Post-sort dot plot of dermal cells from normal skin into BDCA-1⁺ and CD163⁺ populations (red, left and right panels, respectively) compared with isotype (blue). (B) Positive control (monocyte-derived mature DC) for MLR on day 8 after sorting at a 1:100 stimulator/responder ratio. Gate contains CD3⁺ proliferating T cells with left-shifted CFSE. (C) Using BDCA-1⁺ sorted cells as stimulators (1:10 ratio), 9.1% of the T cells proliferated; using CD163⁺ cells (1:10 ratio), 2.1% of live T cells proliferated. Background proliferation of T cells alone without stimulation was 1.0%. (D) After cells had been sorted and cultured for 2 days with cytokines to induce maturation, there was a marked increase in the T cell stimulatory capacity of BDCA-1⁺ cells (25.2%, 1:100 ratio) versus CD163 (2.2%, 1:250 ratio). Representative graphs from 3 experiments.