Dendritic cell function in lupus: Independent contributors or victims of aberrant immune regulation

Dendritic cells (DCs) represent an important component of the immune system connecting the innate and adaptive immune responses. They are able to trigger strong immunity as well as tolerance against certain antigens, and therefore it is obvious that they have a central role in the expression of immunological diseases. However, because DCs are sparse, heterogeneous and plastic, their exact role in complex autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains not well defined. In this review, we make an attempt to summarize critically recent knowledge on the role of conventional DCs in the expression of autoimmunity and pathology in SLE.