PDC and infection: Indeed, we have also detected a transient peak in IFN-α concentration in plasma in the acute phase of infection (data not shown), as previously found in SIV-infected Ind Rhs [45] and African green monkeys [25] at around day 10 p.i. This peak in IFN-α in plasma resulted from the intense stimulation of pDC by the high plasma viral load in vivo.