Cervical healing and Langerhans' cells

Abstract

Summary. A study of cervical epithelium healing after laser treatment found the early presence of Langerhans' cells. These cells were demonstrated using a histochemical technique for adenosine tri‐phosphatase. The significance of Langerhans' cells in healing epithelium and their probable immunological role is discussed.

Healing of the Cervix After Laser Treatment

“…Granulation tissue is formed at the wound edges and from the base. The migrating epithelium covers the granulation tissue and becomes 4 weeks/10' Histologie examination of the cervical epithelium was found to be completely healed 4 weeks after laser treatment of the cervix/8,9' Maclean (11) noticed that in cervices treated by laser, after an initial inflammatory response, healing occurred from the squamous and columnar edges and also from columnar cells in crypts left in the base of the treated area. After restoration of the cover with columnar and immature squamous epithelium, squamous metaplasia and maturation occurred.…”

“…This study was performed on 20 patients with histologically proven CIN (2 had CIN I, 11 had CIN II, and 7 had CIN III). Age ranged from 21 to 46 years, with a mean age of 36.5 ± 6.72 years.…”

Langerhans Cells of Human Mucosa

“…LC of uterine cervix mucosa In 1983, Bjercke (53) observed 1% to 3% dendritic cells in the normal ectocervix epithelium. An increase in the number of LC has been observed in human cervical neoplasia (54)(55)(56). In 1986 Puts (57) detected the presence of a relatively large number of vimentin positive and T6 positive Langerhans cells in normal ectocervical stratified squamous epithelium, a small number in endocervical columnar epithelium, and large numbers in subcolumnar reserve cell hyperplasia and in immature squamous metaplasia.…”