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Dermal infiltrates of cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas with epidermotropism but not other cutaneous lymphomas are abundant with langerin + dendritic cells
Author(s) -
DerPetrossian M.,
Valencak J.,
Jonak C.,
Klosner G.,
Dani T.,
Müllauer L.,
Pehamberger H.,
Knobler R.,
Trautinger F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03882.x
Subject(s) - langerin , pathology , mycosis fungoides , medicine , lymphomatoid papulosis , t cell , lymphoma , dendritic cell , immunology , immune system
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.