title: Generation of human dendritic cells/Langerhans cells from circulating CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells.
abstract: Human Langerhans cells (LC) are CD1a+ dendritic cells (DC) that function as potent antigen-presenting cells for primary and secondary immune responses. Limitations in DC/LC numbers, imposed by difficult and tedious isolation procedures, have so far precluded their use as immunogens in the generation and/or augmentation of host responses against various pathogens. Therefore, we have developed a procedure for the generation of human DC/LC from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) isolated (mean: 0.7 x 10(6)/ buffy coat and 2.6 x 10(6)/leukapheresis product) and purified ( > 95%) from the peripheral blood of healthy adults. In vitro stimulation of these cells with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha led to their vigorous proliferation and differentiation resulting in the emergence of CD45+/CD68+/CD3-/CD19-/CD56- leukocytes some of which (mean: 12%) express CD1a and exhibit anti-CD4 and anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II reactivity. These CD1a- leukocytes include (1) LC as evidenced by the presence of Birbeck granules (BG), (2) CD14+ monocytes, and (3) Birbeck granule-negative cells with a dendritic morphology. Addition of interleukin (IL)-4 to the cytokine cocktail interfered with the development of monocytes and led to a reduction in the overall yield but, on the other hand, resulted in an increased percentage of CD1a+ cells (mean: 24%) among all cells generated. In vitro generated CD1a+, but not CD1a- HPC-derived cells are potent stimulators of the primary mixed leukocyte reaction and, as such, promising candidates for vaccination purposes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vienna International Research Cooperation Center (VIRCC), University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strunk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rappersberger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krömer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stingl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000032:analysis; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology; D002455:Cell Division; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018949:Antigens, CD1; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor