title: Langerhans cells are not required for efficient skin graft rejection.
abstract: The mechanism of skin allograft rejection has been thought to require presentation of graft antigen by resident epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs). We have previously engineered mice that have a selective and constitutive absence of epidermal LCs. By using donor skin from these LC-deficient mice, we show that LCs are not required for rejection of major (FVB --> B6) or minor (H-Y, male --> female on B6 background) antigen-mismatched skin grafts. On the FVB background, where H-Y mismatched grafts are normally maintained indefinitely, grafts lacking LCs are efficiently rejected. Thus, LCs in the donor graft are required for long-term skin engraftment, which supports a regulatory role for LCs in skin graft acceptance.
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Jagdeep S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Obhrai
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oberbarnscheidt
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Warren D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Shlomchik
authors.forename: Fadi G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Lakkis
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shlomchik
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; C498497:Cd207 protein, mouse; D006182:H-Y Antigen; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7