Thus, both in the spleen and in the LNs, pDC IFN production might be driven by their ability to recognize, and respond to, infection of the macrophage sentinels that filter the incoming body fluids and promote early but contained replication of intracellular pathogens in a manner that promotes protective innate immune responses and the downstream activation of adaptive immunity [139, 140]. This evidence concerns the gene IFNA1 and infection.