Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells. The central role of various DC subsets as bridges between innate and adaptive immunity has become more and more evident. However, the role of DC subsets in male reproductive tract remains largely unexplored, in particular distinct DC subsets (including myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs), their maturation stage, and tissue distribution, as well as state of health or disease. Furthermore, infection and inflammation of male genital tract are thought to be a primary etiological factor of male infertility. This review sheds some light on this complex and rapidly growing field. It summarized the recent findings and deals with the characterization and role of DCs in male reproductive tract, that is, testis, epididymis, prostate, seminal vesicle, semen, and foreskin, which might help to understand the immunopathological mechanisms of male infertility and design effective vaccines for male reproductive health.
Keywords: dendritic cells; epididymis; male infertility; prostate; semen; testis.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.