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. 1997 May;81(5):402–406. doi: 10.1136/bjo.81.5.402

Increased number of IgE positive Langerhans cells in the conjunctiva of patients with atopic dermatitis

A Yoshida 1, S Imayama 1, S Sugai 1, Y Kawano 1, T Ishibashi 1
PMCID: PMC1722197  PMID: 9227207

Abstract

AIM—To determine the role of Langerhans cells (LCs) found to bear IgE in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) by evaluating the surface distribution of these cells in the conjunctival epithelium and epidermis of skin lesions in patients with AD.
METHODS—The double labelling method was used to evaluate IgE positive cells that were positive for anti-CD1a or anti-CD23 antibody in an epithelial sheet of the conjunctival limbus. Specimens of conjunctiva were obtained from 12 men, six of whom had AD and ocular complications. Five patients without atopic disease served as controls, plus one additional patient with asthma but no AD. A similar study was conducted using epidermal sheets obtained from two patients with AD and from one without AD.
RESULTS—The number of CD1a+ cells present in the conjunctival epithelium of the patients with AD significantly exceeded that of the patients without AD. Most CD1a+ cells in the conjunctival epithelium and epidermis from the patients with AD bore IgE on their surfaces. Few such cells from patients without AD bore IgE. No CD23+ cells were found in the patients with or without AD.
CONCLUSIONS—The presence of an increased number of LCs bearing IgE on their surfaces in the conjunctival epithelium of patients with AD suggests that these cells may be involved in eliciting the hypersensitivity reaction and participate in ocular inflammation.



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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Epithelial sheet of conjunctival limbus from patient no 4 with AD and ocular complications. Cells were double stained for IgE (A) and CD1a (B). Numerous IgE positive cells (396 cells/mm2) (A) were found in the same area as the CD1a positive cells (B). Some IgE positive cells were CD1a negative. Bars = 10 µm.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Epithelial sheet of conjunctival limbus from patient no 11 without AD. Cells were stained for IgE (A) and CD1a (B). Although no IgE positive cells (A) were observed, CD1a positive cells (B) were present (294 cells/mm2). Bars = 10 µm.

Figure 3  .

Figure 3  

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Epidermal sheet of abdominal skin from patient no 5 with AD and ocular complications. Cells were stained for IgE (A) and CD1a (B). Numerous IgE and CD1a positive cells (628 cells/mm2)were present. Bars = 10 µm.

Figure 4  .

Figure 4  

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Epidermal sheet of normal abdominal skin from a patient without AD stained for IgE (A) and CD1a (B). CD1a positive, IgE negative cells (913 cells/mm2) were present. Bars = 10 µm.

Figure 5  .

Figure 5  

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Number of CD1a positive cells in the conjunctival epithelium of patients with and without AD. The number of such cells in the patients with AD and ocular complications significantly exceeded that in the patients without AD (p<0.05).

Selected References

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

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