Distinct behavior of human Langerhans cells and inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells at tight junctions in patients with atopic dermatitis - 02/10/14
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Abstract |
Background |
The stratum corneum and tight junctions (TJs) form physical barriers in the epidermis. Dendrites of activated Langerhans cells (LCs) extend beyond the TJs to capture external antigens in mice. LCs and inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells (IDECs) are observed in the skin of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).
Objective |
We sought to investigate the characteristics of LCs and IDECs and the distribution of their antigen capture receptors in relation to TJs in normal and AD skin.
Methods |
We characterized the interactions of LCs and IDECs with TJs and the expression patterns of langerin and FcεRI by using whole-mount epidermal sheets from healthy subjects and patients with AD, ichthyosis vulgaris, and psoriasis vulgaris.
Results |
As in mouse skin, activated LCs penetrate TJs in human skin. The number of LCs with TJ penetration increased approximately 5-fold in erythematous lesional skin of patients with AD but not in nonlesional skin of patients with AD or lesions of patients with ichthyosis vulgaris or psoriasis. In contrast, IDECs localized in the lower part of the epidermis, and their dendrites extended horizontally without penetration through TJs. Although langerin accumulated on the tips of dendrites of activated LCs, FcεRI was expressed diffusely on the cell surfaces on LCs and IDECs in lesional skin from patients with AD.
Conclusions |
These findings highlight interesting differences between LCs and IDECs in epidermis of patients with AD, where LCs, but not IDECs, extend dendrites through the TJs, likely to capture antigens from outside the TJ barrier with a polarized distribution of langerin but not FcεRI. These behavioral differences between skin dendritic cells might reflect an important pathophysiology of AD.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Key words : Langerhans cell, inflammatory dendritic epidermal cell, tight junction, stratum corneum, atopic dermatitis, langerin, FcεRI
Abbreviations used : AD, Biotin-SH, 3D, DC, IDEC, IV, LC, SC, TJ, ZO-1
Plan
Supported in parts by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and “Promotion of Environmental Improvement for Independence of Young Researchers” program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; a Health Labour Sciences Research Grant for Research on Allergic Diseases and Immunology from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; Research Grants for Life Sciences and Medicine from Keio University Medical Science Fund; a Keio University Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young medical Scientists; the Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research; and a Research Grant from the Cosmetology Research Foundation. |
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Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: A. Kubo has been supported by a Research Grant from the Cosmetology Research Foundation; the Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research; Research Grants for Life Sciences and Medicine from Keio University Medical Science Fund; Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; and the “Promotion of Environmental Improvement for Independence of Young Researchers” program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. M. Amagai has been supported by a Health Labour Sciences Research Grant for Research on Allergic Diseases and Immunology from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The rest of the authors declare that they have no relevant conflicts of interest. |
Vol 134 - N° 4
P. 856-864 - octobre 2014 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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