Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1990 Apr;69(4):622–625.

Subsets of keratinocytes and Langerhans' cells express epitopes associated with suppressor-inducer capabilities in resting normal human epidermis.

G De Panfilis 1, G C Manara 1, C Ferrari 1, C Torresani 1, G Rowden 1
PMCID: PMC1385639  PMID: 1692305

Abstract

In recent years two cell populations with down-regulatory immune capabilities have been identified in murine epidermis. The present report demonstrates that even in human epidermis at least two populations of cells expressing suppressor-inducer phenotypes (i.e. CD45R-positive) exist, namely small subsets of keratinocytes and Langerhans' cells, respectively. Highly specific and sensitive 5-nm colloidal gold-immunoelectronmicroscopic techniques were carried out using anti-CD45R monoclonal antibodies, on freshly isolated crude epidermal cell suspensions, and 4000 cells were scrutinized in the electron microscope. Over 2% of the total epidermal cell population was CD45R+. Subpopulation analysis revealed that approximately 2% of keratinocytes and about 5% of the total Langerhans' cell population showed strong gold-plasma membrane staining, whilst the remaining epidermal cells were absolutely negative. Heterogeneity of staining together with this somehow surprising distribution of CD45R positivity on non-lymphoid epidermal cells was confirmed by the negative controls. These CD45R+ Langerhans' cells and keratinocytes are clearly candidates for the cells which have been functionally demonstrated as being capable of inducing down-regulation responsiveness in the human epidermis. However, functional investigations are needed to clarify the roles of the CD45R+ keratinocyte and Langerhans' cell subsets in the modulation of cutaneous immune responses.

Full text

PDF
622

Images in this article

624Figure 1
on p.624
625Figure 2
on p.625

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beverley P. C., Merkenschlager M., Terry L. Phenotypic diversity of the CD45 antigen and its relationship to function. Immunol Suppl. 1988;1:3–5. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cruz P. D., Jr, Nixon-Fulton J., Tigelaar R. E., Bergstresser P. R. Disparate effects of in vitro low-dose UVB irradiation on intravenous immunization with purified epidermal cell subpopulations for the induction of contact hypersensitivity. J Invest Dermatol. 1989 Feb;92(2):160–165. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12276682. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. De Panfilis G., Manara G. C., Ferrari C., Torresani C. Simultaneous colloidal gold immunoelectronmicroscopy labeling of CD1a, HLA-DR, and CD4 surface antigens of human epidermal Langerhans cells. J Invest Dermatol. 1988 Dec;91(6):547–552. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12476912. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. De Panfilis G., Soligo D., Manara G. C., Ferrari C., Torresani C. Adhesion molecules on the plasma membrane of epidermal cells. I. Human resting Langerhans cells express two members of the adherence-promoting CD11/CD18 family, namely, H-Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) and gp 150,95 (CD11c/CD18). J Invest Dermatol. 1989 Jul;93(1):60–69. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12277352. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Flotte T. J., Murphy G. F., Bhan A. K. Demonstration of T200 on human Langerhans cell surface membranes. J Invest Dermatol. 1984 May;82(5):535–537. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12261154. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Granstein R. D., Askari M., Whitaker D., Murphy G. F. Epidermal cells in activation of suppressor lymphocytes: further characterization. J Immunol. 1987 Jun 15;138(12):4055–4062. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Granstein R. D., Lowy A., Greene M. I. Epidermal antigen-presenting cells in activation of suppression: identification of a new functional type of ultraviolet radiation-resistant epidermal cell. J Immunol. 1984 Feb;132(2):563–565. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Matutes E., Catovsky D. The fine structure of normal lymphocyte subpopulations--a study with monoclonal antibodies and the immunogold technique. Clin Exp Immunol. 1982 Nov;50(2):416–425. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Morimoto C., Letvin N. L., Boyd A. W., Hagan M., Brown H. M., Kornacki M. M., Schlossman S. F. The isolation and characterization of the human helper inducer T cell subset. J Immunol. 1985 Jun;134(6):3762–3769. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Morimoto C., Letvin N. L., Distaso J. A., Aldrich W. R., Schlossman S. F. The isolation and characterization of the human suppressor inducer T cell subset. J Immunol. 1985 Mar;134(3):1508–1515. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Munro C. S., Campbell D. A., Du Bois R. M., Mitchell D. N., Cole P. J., Poulter L. W. Suppression associated lymphocyte markers in lesions of sarcoidosis. Thorax. 1988 Jun;43(6):471–474. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.6.471. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Peeler J. S., Callanan D. G., Luckenbach M. W., Niederkorn J. Y. Presentation of the H-Y antigen on Langerhans' cell-negative corneal grafts downregulates the cytotoxic T cell response and converts responder strain mice into phenotypic nonresponders. J Exp Med. 1988 Nov 1;168(5):1749–1766. doi: 10.1084/jem.168.5.1749. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Romani N., Schuler G., Fritsch P. Ontogeny of Ia-positive and Thy-1-positive leukocytes of murine epidermis. J Invest Dermatol. 1986 Feb;86(2):129–133. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12284135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rowden G., Davis D., Luckett D., Poulter L. Identification of CD4+, 2H4+ (T8 gamma +) suppressor-inducer cells in normal human epidermis and superficial dermis. Br J Dermatol. 1988 Aug;119(2):147–154. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1988.tb03195.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sullivan S., Bergstresser P. R., Tigelaar R. E., Streilein J. W. Induction and regulation of contact hypersensitivity by resident, bone marrow-derived, dendritic epidermal cells: Langerhans cells and Thy-1+ epidermal cells. J Immunol. 1986 Oct 15;137(8):2460–2467. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wood G. S., Warner N. L., Warnke R. A. Anti-Leu-3/T4 antibodies react with cells of monocyte/macrophage and Langerhans lineage. J Immunol. 1983 Jul;131(1):212–216. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES