Quantitation of Cutaneous Langerhans’ Cells of Sarcoidosis Patients

Details

• Personal Author:
  Berman B ; Fox JL ; Teirstein AS
• Description:
  Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology in which cell-mediated immunity is often depressed. Reduced delayed-type hypersensitivity to a wide variety of bacterial, fungal, and viral antigens is evident in sarcoidosis patients by hyporeactivity in skin tests. Whereas 90-95% of healthy controls exhibit a positive intradermal skin test to Candida albicans extract, positive reactions occur in only 40-53% of sarcoidosis patients. Further evidence of depressed cell-mediated immunity in sarcoidosis patients includes the reduced proliferative response of blood mononuclear cells to antigens and mitogens, and lower absolute numbers of peripheral blood thymus- derived (T) lymphocytes. On the other hand, there is evidence that the depression in cell-mediated immunity is not absolute: sarcoidal disease does not delay the rejection of skin homografts, and increased numbers of "helper" T lymphocytes are localized within sarcoidal granulomas. Although the origin and function of Langerhans' cells have been matters for conjecture and theory ever since the discovery of these cells by Paul Langerhans, similarities between Langerhans' cells and macrophages have recently been reported. Some of the similarities that have been found involve plasma membrane 5'-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, the ability to migrate, I-associated (Ia) histocompatibility crystallizable fragment (Fc) receptors, C3b receptors, non-specific esterase activity, the ability in vitro to transfer antigen in lymphocyte stimulation, and bone marrow derivation.' Langerhans' cells are immunocompetent cells that play a pivotal role in antigen-driven T lymphocyte proliferation, in allogeneic and syngeneic T lymphocyte proliferation, and in the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes: Langerhans' cells are also capable of synthesizing immunomodulatory products such as interleukin-1. Immunofluorescent detection of cells expressing HLA-DR and/or T6 antigenicity has been used to specifically enumerate Langerhans' cells within the normal epidermis. We investigated 17 anergic patients with sarcoidosis to determine 1) whether the density of Langerhans' cells (as detected by DR and T6 antigenicity) within the epidermis, in noninvolved, sarcoidal, and Kveim-reactive skin, differs from that within the epidermis of healthy volunteers and 2) whether demographic and clinical features of sarcoidosis patients can be related to Langerhans' cell density. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Blood Hypersensitivity Immune System Occupational Health Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Cellular Effects Clinical Tests Immune Reaction Immune System Disorders Lymphocytes Skin Sensitivity Skin Tests
• ISSN:
  0077-8923
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  250-259
• Volume:
  465
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060375
• Citation:
  Ann NY Acad Sci 1986 Jun; 465(1):250-259
• Contact Point Address:
  Veterans Administration Medical Center, 150 Muir Road, Martinez, California 94553
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1986
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:396fdb5f023f52ebc7d300c21c676677187c3bdfda62e1088644b3a90fc9b2aaf61c85f8ba4fda44131b5c627a81a7dfa1d9abfef7715f7d50415c3fedcbd71e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224309/cdc_224309_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 545.05 KB ]