CLEC4C and viral infectious disease: pDCs are characterized as Lin− MHC-II+ CD123 (IL3R)+ CD4+ CD303(BDCA-2)+ CD304(BDCA4; Neuropilin-1)+ and are mostly known for their ability to quickly produce large amounts of the Type I interferons (IFNs), IFN-α, and IFN-β, following viral infection, implicating pDCs as an important contributor during the early phase of anti-viral response (2, 22, 23).