Dendritic cells interacting mainly with B cells in the lymphoepithelial symbiosis of the human palatine tonsil.
The lymphoepithelial symbiosis (LES) of the human palatine tonsil is composed of spindle- or star-shaped epithelial cells forming a loose meshwork, containing numerous lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). In the present study, we immunohistochemically characterized DCs in the LES (LES-DCs). LES-DCs were phenotypically immature DCs that were S100beta+, fascin-, HLA-DR+, CD1a-, CD80-, CD83-, CD86-, and CD123-. The most characteristic feature of LES-DCs was that they contacted many B cells, which were mostly IgM+ IgD+ resting naive B cells. Langerhans cells (LCs) located in the nonsymbiotic squamous epithelium were immature DCs that were S100beta+, fascin-, and CD1a+ and did not contact lymphocytes. In contrast to LES-DCs, interdigitating dendritic cells (IDCs) in the T zone were mature DCs that were HLA-DR+, CD1a-, fascin+, CD80+, CD83+, and CD86+ and contacted numerous CD4+ T cells. Two subsets of IDC, S100beta+ fascin+ IDC (IDC-1) and S100beta- fascin+ IDC (IDC-2), were identified, and the majority of IDCs are IDC-2. In contrast to IDCs, which were distributed in the T-cell area in groups, LES-DCs were distributed along the crypt as if forming a barrier. These findings suggest that LES-DCs are a novel type of DC playing an important role in the induction of humoral immune response against incoming air- or food-borne pathogenic antigens.
Takahashi
Kiyoshi
K
Faculty of Health Science, Okayama University Medical School, 2-5-1, Shikata-cho, Okayama City, 700-8558, and Department of Pathology, Mitoyo General Hospital, Kagawa, Japan. dend@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Nishikawa
Yuriko
Y
Sato
Hiaki
H
Oka
Takashi
T
Yoshino
Tadashi
T
Miyatani
Katsuya
K
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C020324:fascin