In the present study, we have analyzed the pattern of cytokines expressed by two independent dendritic cell (DC) subpopulations generated in vitro from human cord blood CD34+ progenitors cultured with granulocyte-macrophage CSF and TNF-α. Molecularly, we confirmed the phenotypic differences discriminating the two subsets: E-cadherin mRNA was only detected in CD1a+-derived DC, whereas CD68 and factor XIIIa mRNAs were observed exclusively in CD14+-derived DC. Semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR analysis revealed that both DC subpopulations spontaneously expressed IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12 (p35 and p40), IL-15, IL-18, TNF-α, TGF-β, macrophage CSF, and granulocyte-macrophage CSF, but not IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IFN-γ transcripts. Both subpopulations were shown to secrete IL-12 after CD40 triggering. Interestingly, only the CD14+-derived DC secreted IL-10 after CD40 activation, strengthening the notion that the two DC subpopulations indeed represent two independent pathways of DC development. Furthermore, both DC subpopulations expressed IL-13 mRNA and protein following activation with PMA-ionomycin, but not with CD40 ligand, in contrast to IL-12 and IL-10, revealing the existence of different pathways for DC activation. Finally, we confirmed the expression of IL-7, IL-10, and IL-13 mRNA by CD4+ CD11c+ CD3− DC isolated ex vivo from tonsillar germinal centers. Thus, CD14+-derived DC expressing IL-10 and factor XIIIa seemed more closely related to germinal center dendritic cells GCDC than to Langerhans cells.