Human Langerhans cells in epidermal cell culture, in vitro skin explants and skin grafts onto "nude" mice.
In order to find a model system which best preserves human Langerhans cells (LC) outside of the human body, three possibilities were examined: epidermal cell culture, skin explants, and skin grafts onto "nude" mice. Using OKT-6 and anti-HLA-DR monoclonal antibodies, we quantified LC in epidermal sheets or epidermal cell cultures. All observations were carried out over a period of 4 weeks. We found that under epidermal cell culture conditions, LC rapidly disappeared, to the extent that after 10 days only rare HLA-DR-positive cells could be observed. In contrast, in the presence of intact dermis (explants and grafts), 60%-80% of the original number of LC, morphologically unchanged, dendritic and OKT-6 and HLA-DR-positive, were seen. These findings suggest that human LC are either a long-lived cell population or else can proliferate locally. The systems studied may be a useful tool for future investigation of LC function.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II