| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SHINZATO Masanori Fujita Health Univ., Div.Pathol.Cytol., Instructor, 総合医科学研究所・病態細胞学, 助手 (80148288)
KANEKO Chiyuki Fujita Health Univ., Div.Pathol.Cytol., Instructor, 総合医科学研究所・病態細胞学, 助手 (50204558)
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| Research Abstract |
The morphological and immunological characteristics of Langerhans cells (LC) and interdigitating cells (IDC) which were antigen-presenting cells were examined, in detail, to clarify the apparent difference between these cells. The cause of LC proliferation of histiocytosis X was also examined.
1. The pattern of distribution of LC and IDC in the whole human body : The distribution of LC was limited to squamous epithelium, baby's thymus, and lymph nodes and tissues directly draining from squamous epithelium. However, IDC were distributed in all human organs and tissues examined.
2. The migration and maturation of LC in rat tracheal and urinary bladder squamous epithelium, and also in regional lymph nodes due to vitamin A deficiency : We concluded that in vitamin A deficiency the precursors of LC without Birbeck granules (BG) migrated into the metaplastic squamous epithelium and matured into LC forming BG after exposure to the microenvironment of the squamous epithelium, and then these LC migrated into the regional lymph nodes.
3. Dermatopathic lymphadenopathy (DPL) and histiocytosis X : In DPL the proliferative activities of LC werevery weak and these cells might migrate from the pathological skin. On the other hand, LC in histiocytosis X possessed high proliferative activities and somewhat different immunological characteristics from the normal LC.
4. Homozygote Ishibashi hairles (ISh) rats : In ISh rats the superficial lymph nodes were 5 to 6 times larger than those of heterozygotes. The paracortex of these lymph nodes was expanded and the number of LC increased in these areas. The ISh rats should be a very useful animal model for studying DPL in humans. Furthermore, they may be a valuable model to investigate the mechanisms of not only maturation, movement and migration of LC,but also of their function for antigen presentation.
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