A quantitative study of epidermal Langerhans cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to characterize the number and distribution of epidermal Langerhans cells in different clinical forms of dry-type cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).


METHODS
Sixteen cases of dry-type cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica were studied. These cases were classified clinically as five cases of acute leishmaniasis with indurated papules, nodules and plaques with central crust formation and duration < 2 years, six cases of lupoid leishmaniasis with characteristic papules around previous scars of cutaneous leishmaniasis with duration > 2 years, and five cases of chronic nonlupoid type with nonhealing lesions of duration > 2 years. Paraffin-embedded blocks were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and stained immunohistochemically for CD1a.


RESULTS
The number of Langerhans cells per millimeter length of epidermis was increased in acute cases compared to chronic and lupoid cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Lesions of acute leishmaniasis contain the greatest amounts of antigen for presentation, so Langerhans cells increase in number and in trafficking to present antigens derived from Leishman bodies to the cellular immune system. In chronic leishmaniasis, the Langerhans cell population is reduced, perhaps because of exhaustion of the source of Langerhans cells, or because of reduced response to modified antigen.
Meymandi
Simin
S
Department of Dermatology, Afzalipour Medical School, Kerman, Iran. meymandi_s@hotmail.com
Dabiri
Shahriar
S
Dabiri
Darya
D
Crawford
Richard I
RI
Kharazmi
Arsalan
A
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007895:Leishmania tropica; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies