Langerhans' cell density and degree of keratinization in foreskins of Chinese preschool boys and adults.
BACKGROUND
Recent epidemiological studies have proposed that male circumcision reduces the relative risk of acquiring HIV-1. Here, we evaluated the density of Langerhans' cell and degree of keratinization in the foreskins of Chinese preschool boys and adults.


METHODS
Sixty preschool boys and 20 healthy men without infectious history following male circumcisions were included. The keratin thickness and Langerhans' cells were quantified by using keratin staining, immunohistochemistry, and image analysis.


RESULTS
The extent of keratinization was much greater in the inner foreskin than in the outer foreskin in adults and boys with infectious history. It was likely to be less keratinized in boys' foreskins compared with those of adults. The density of Langerhans' cells was higher in the outer foreskin than in the inner foreskin of adults and healthy boys. Furthermore, an increased density of Langerhans' cells of inner foreskin was also found in boys with infectious history compared with healthy boys. There was much higher Langerhans' cell density in boys' foreskin compared with those of adults.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that Chinese men may have a different feature of keratin in the foreskin, and a higher Langerhans' cells density in boys' foreskin may be due to it being less keratinized.
Qin
Qi
Q
Department of General Surgery, Children Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Zheng
Xiang-Yi
XY
Wang
Yu-Yong
YY
Shen
Hua-Feng
HF
Sun
Fang
F
Ding
Wei
W
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002452:Cell Count; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D052816:Foreskin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D007633:Keratins