Role of dendritic and follicular dendritic cells in HIV infection and pathogenesis

Dendritic cells (DCs) and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) play important roles in HIV-mediated pathogenesis. Recent studies have defined new DC subsets and shown that DCs in lymphoid mucosa can both harbor virus and stimulate its spread into CD4+ T cells. FDCs harbor unspliced HIV mRNA and immune complexed virus, but not actively infectious virus, yet these cells are a key regulated reservoir of virions.