Langerhans' cells and T cells in human skin tumours: an immunohistological study

Abstract

In this study normal skin and a range of skin tumours, both benign and malignant, have been examined using monoclonal antibodies to identify the distribution and morphology of Langerhans' cells and T cells, the distribution of T lymphocytes and their subsets have been analysed using monoclonal anti-T cell antibodies. The results indicated that Langerhans' cells can be reliably identified in both normal and malignant skin biopsies using monoclonal antibodies. A striking finding to emerge was that in benign skin lesions Langerhans' cells were increased, whereas in malignant tumours they were not only markedly depleted or absent but also grossly stunted and deformed in outline. The majority of lymphocytes surrounding these skin tumours were shown to be T cells with helper cells outnumbering suppressor cells by a ratio from 2 to 5:1. This study shows the usefulness of immunohistological techniques using monoclonal antibodies for examining the morphology and distribution of Langerhans' cells in skin pathology. In addition they are particularly appropriate for identifying their topographical relationships with other immunologically important cells such as T cells.

Immunohistochemical Study of CD1a-labeled Langerhans Cells and Anti-tumor Immune Cells in Oral Verrucous Carcinomas.

“…In carcinomas, LCs present antigens to lymphocytes. After sensitization, the lymphocytes eventually kill the malignant epithelial cells (11,13,31). We found no significant correlation between the density of CD1a-positive LCs and anti-tumor immune cell infiltration; however, CD8-positive T-lymphocyte-dominant OVCs had slightly higher numbers of LCs than did CD4-positive Tlymphocyte-dominant OVCs.…”

“…Both intraepithelial and subepithelial CD1a-positive LCs were slightly but not significantly more numerous in mucosa adjacent to OVCs than in normal mucosa. Many carcinomas have increased numbers of CD1a-positive LCs as compared with adjacent tissues, and epithelial parenchymal tissues contain more CD1a-positive LCs than stromal connective tissues (28,(30)(31)(32)(33). We found that CD1a-positive LC density was higher in intraepithelial and subepithelial portions of OVCs than in adjacent mucosa and normal oral mucosa, and intraepithelial CD1a-positive LCs were more numerous than subepithelial LCs in OVCs.…”

Calcifying Epithelial Odontogenic Tumour with Clear Langerhans Cells: A Novel Variant, Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

“…Gatter et al [21] in 1984, for the first time described many defective and deformed LC with rounded cell bodies and shortened or missing dendrites in basal cell carcinoma of the skin, an ingenious tumour mechanism for evading the host's immune response.…”

CD1a-positive infiltrating-dendritic cell density and 5-year survival from human breast cancer

“…S-100 is a small acidic regulatory protein involved in a wide range of cellular processes and exhibits relative tissue specificity for DCs and cells of neural origin, including melanoma cells (Heizmann et al, 2002). The density of DCs, using either CD1a or S-100 as markers for DC, has been reported for a variety of human cancers including cervix (Younes et al, 1968;Bethwaite et al, 1996), ovary (Eisenthal et al, 2001), lung (Bassett et al, 1974;Fox et al, 1989;Zeid and Muller, 1993), larynx (Schenk, 1980), salivary glands (David and Buchner, 1980), skin (Gatter et al, 1980), breast (Hillenbrand et al, 1999;Coventry et al, 2002), thymus (Hammar et al, 1986), oesophagus (Matsuda et al, 1990), stomach (Tsujitani et al, 1987), pancreas (Dallal et al, 2002), thyroid (Schroder et al, 1988;Willgeroth et al, 1992), colon (Ambe et al, 1989), nasopharynx (Nomori et al, 1986;Gallo et al, 1991a;laryngeal (Gallo et al, 1991b)), oral (Kikuchi et al, 2002), prostate, bladder and kidney (Bigotti et al, 1991;Inoue et al, 1993;Troy et al, 1998aTroy et al, , b, 1999. Furthermore, DC numbers, as measured using either CD1a or S-100 antibodies, have been positively associated with improved outcome (increased survival) for many of these cancers, although the mechanism remains unclear.…”