Long-term protective immunity depends on proper initiation of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Autoimmune disorders and certain infections can cause disease through modulation of APCs and thereby affecting the outcome of these diseases. This work aimed to investigate the behaviour of different APC subsets during conditions known to cause improper immune responses.

In Paper I, the effects of an anti-inflammatory compound called Rabeximod, intended for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were investigated on different subsets of APCs. The results showed that Rabeximod affected the differentiation and behaviour of inflammatory subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages while no effects were observed on anti-inflammatory subsets. Our findings suggest that Rabeximod acts by inhibiting the functionality of inflammatory subsets of APCs.

In Paper II, the effects of different malaria derived stimuli such as hemozoin (Hz) and infected red-blood cells (iRBCs) on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) were investigated. Both stimuli triggered activation and migration of MoDCs. MoDCs exposed to iRBCs induced allogeneic T-cell proliferation while those exposed to Hz did not. These results indicate that different malaria derived stimuli may differently affect DCs and that this could lead to improper and inefficient T-cell activation.

In Paper III, innate aspects of malarial immunity were compared in children from two sympatric ethnic groups. We observed decreased activation of APCs and severely supressed TLR responses in Dogon children as compared to Fulani. This may indicate an important role for TLR and APC activation in the Fulani, known to be better protected against malaria than the Dogon.

In summary, detailed knowledge of APC activation will be helpful in the understanding of specific effector immune responses. This could in turn, improve treatment of inflammatory disorders as well as the generation of efficient vaccines against infectious diseases.