{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:23:23Z","timestamp":1790814203201,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775779200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000646","name":"Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["JP25350894"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JP25350894"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000646","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008040","name":"Kao Corporation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["No"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008040","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Kirin Holdings","award":["No"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Type I interferon (IFN-I: IFN\u03b1\/\u03b2) production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) is critical for controlling viral infections. Visceral fat obesity is associated with severe outcomes in viral infections, but its effect on pDC-mediated IFN-I production in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unclear. This cross-sectional study evaluated cytokine production by blood pDCs in response to TLR7\/8 stimulation and analyzed its association with visceral fat area (VFA). IFN-I production was exclusively observed in pDCs following TLR7\/8 stimulation. The proportion of IFN\u03b1-positive pDCs (pDC-IFN\u03b1) was significantly lower in individuals with high VFA (above the median) and negatively correlated with VFA (r\u2009=\u2009\u22120.27, P\u2009&lt;\u20090.001). Logistic regression revealed that high VFA or low pDC-IFN\u03b1 levels (below the median) were independently associated with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, individuals with both high VFA and low pDC-IFN\u03b1 levels had significantly higher odds of infection compared to those with low VFA and high pDC-IFN\u03b1 levels. These findings suggest a potential relationship between VFA and impaired pDC function, which may influence susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Managing VFA and enhancing pDC responses might represent strategies to reduce infection risk in individuals with visceral fat obesity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0344870","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,10]],"date-time":"2026-04-10T17:42:00Z","timestamp":1775842920000},"page":"e0344870","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Association of visceral fat and plasmacytoid dendritic cell-derived interferon alpha with SARS-CoV-2 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