Enterovirus-Infected β-Cells Induce Distinct Response Patterns in BDCA1(+) and BDCA3(+) Human Dendritic Cells

Enteroviruses often cause mild disease, yet are also linked to development of autoimmune diabetes. Dendritic cells (DCs) shape both innate and adaptive immune responses, including anti-viral responses. How different human DC subsets shape anti-viral responses, whether they have complementary or overlapping functions and how this relates to autoimmune responses is largely unknown. We used enterovirus-infected β-cells and freshly isolated human myeloid DC (mDC) subsets as a model for autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Our data show that both the BDCA1(+) and BDCA3(+) mDC subsets engulf mock- as well as virus-infected β-cells, albeit BDCA1(+) mDCs are more efficient. Uptake of enterovirus-infected, but not mock-infected cells, activated both DC subsets as indicated by the induction of co-stimulatory molecules and secretion of type I and type III interferons. Both subsets produced similar amounts of interferon-α, yet the BDCA3(+) DC were superior in IFN-λ production. The BDCA1(+) mDCs more strongly upregulated PD-L1, and were superior in IL-12 and IL-10 production as compared to the BDCA3(+) DC. Despite lack of IL-12 production by the BDCA3+ DC, both BDCA1(+) and BDCA3(+) DCs activated T cells in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction towards a Th1-type reactivity while suppressing Th2-associated cytokines.