Brief Report: HIV-1 Infection Results in Increased Frequency of Active and Inflammatory SlanDCs that Produce High Level of IL-1β.

HIV infection is marked by phenotypic and functional alterations of immune cells. Different studies have shown both numerical and functional deterioration of dendritic cells in HIV-1-infected patients. In this study, we report an increase of inflammatory 6-sulfo LacNAc dendritic cells (slanDCs) that are more activated and produce higher amounts of interleukin (IL)-1β during HIV-1 infection as compared with healthy controls. IL-1β plays a regulatory role in chronic inflammatory disorders. Therefore, our findings might reveal a compensatory regulatory function of slanDCs during HIV-1 infection.