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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Feb 4.
Published in final edited form as: Trends Mol Med. 2010 Feb 4;16(2):47–57. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2009.12.005

Figure 3. Activated dendritic cells induce inflammation upon exposure to apoptotic and necrotic debris.

Figure 3

Dendritic cells from patients with SLE are activated by T cell co-stimulatory molecules (i.e. CD40L), inflammatory cytokines, and nucleic acid-containing immune complexes. Activated DCs produce increased amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-6, IFN-α) that amplify the immune response. Apoptotic material is not recognized as anti-inflammatory and contributes to DC activation.