Dermal infiltrates of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas with epidermotropism but not other cutaneous lymphomas are abundant with langerin⁺ dendritic cells.
BACKGROUND
The Langerhans cell (LC) hypothesis suggests that cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) are diseases of chronic T-cell stimulation by LC-mediated antigen presentation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate a broad panel of CTCL and cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL) for the spatial association of langerin(+) dendritic cells (DC) with T and B cells in the skin, respectively.


METHODS
Fifty-five specimens of CTCL and 10 of CBCL were double-stained with monoclonal antibodies against langerin and CD3 or CD20, respectively, and evaluated by confocal laser scan microscopy.


RESULTS
Dermal infiltrates in mycosis fungoides (n = 38), primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma (n = 3) and primary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (n = 3) were characterized by a high frequency of dermal langerin(+) DCs. These cells were exclusively present in the malignant infiltrates. No direct co-localization of CD3 and langerin could be resolved. Dermal langerin(+) cells were detected only in one of six primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphomas (C-ALCL), characterized by epidermotropism. In other C-ALCL cases (five of six), in lymphomatoid papulosis (n = 3), subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (n = 2), and all variants of CBCL no dermal langerin(+) DCs could be found.


CONCLUSIONS
Langerin(+) DCs are abundant in the dermal infiltrates of T-cell lymphomas with specific involvement of the epidermis. This might indicate that immature LC and neoplastic T cells interact and gives rise to further studies to characterize the phenotype of the langerin(+) cell population described here and its role in the pathology of CTCL.
Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. manon.der-petrossian@meduniwien.ac.at
M
M
Der-Petrossian
J
J
Valencak
C
C
Jonak
G
G
Klosner
T
T
Dani
L
L
Müllauer
H
H
Pehamberger
R
R
Knobler
F
F
Trautinger
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000378:metabolism; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018951:Antigens, CD20; C121916:CD207 protein, human; D017252:CD3 Complex; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins