Epidermal Langerhans cells tune skin reactivity to contact allergens
Mark C. Udey
Mark C. Udey
Published April 23, 2012
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2012;122(5):1602-1605. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI63190.
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Commentary

Epidermal Langerhans cells tune skin reactivity to contact allergens

Abstract

Allergic contact dermatitis is a common disorder that has fascinated dermatologists and immunologists for decades. Extensive studies of contact sensitivity reactions in mice established a mechanistic paradigm that has been revisited in recent years, and the involvement of Langerhans cells (LCs), a population of epidermal dendritic cells, in immune responses to epicutaneously applied antigens has been questioned. In this issue of the JCI, Gomez de Agüero et al. describe an elegant series of experiments that implicate LCs in tolerance induction, positioning these cells as key regulators of immunologic barrier function.

Authors

Mark C. Udey

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Figure 1

A suggested role for epidermal LCs in contact dermatitis susceptibility.

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A suggested role for epidermal LCs in contact dermatitis susceptibility....
(A) Strong sensitizers activate LCs and dermal DCs (dDC), but dDCs preferentially stimulate effector immune responses that cause contact dermatitis. (B) In nonallergic individuals, weak sensitizers preferentially activate LCs that stimulate Tregs and anergize CD8+ T cells, leading to tolerance of the weak sensitizer. (C) In allergic individuals, LC dysfunction may allow even suboptimally activated dDCs to initiate contact sensitivity reactions (contact dermatitis).