IRF7 and tuberculosis: However, IFN-α-producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells seem to be of minor significance in TB patients (325, 327), and preclinical studies show that Mtb preferentially induces IFN-β through cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptors and IRF3 instead of IFN-α through endosomal toll-like receptors and IRF7 (79–81).