Address of Corresponding Author

Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2005;138:278-290 (DOI: 10.1159/000088865)

  Key Words

• Dendritic cells
• Atopic dermatitis
• Fcε receptor

  Abstract

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) represent a major portion within the infiltrate of atopic dermatitis (AD) lesions. As antigen-presenting cells they have the ability to regulate both the quantity and quality of T-cell responses and, thus, are likely to play a key role in the pathogenesis of T-cell-dominated skin diseases such as AD. Thus we sought to identify the DC repertoire occurring in AD patients. Methods: For this purpose, we phenotypically analyzed various defined DC subsets of AD patients and healthy controls in skin biopsies and peripheral blood by immunofluorescence staining. Results: In AD lesions, two inflammation-associated DC subsets with varying expression of costimulatory molecules occurred besides epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and dermal myeloid DCs (dmDCs) indigenously residing in normal skin: (1) CD1a+/CD1c+/FcεRI+/IgE+/CD207- myeloid DCs (mDCs) in the epidermis and dermis and (2) CD123+/BDCA-2+/CD45RA+/CD68+ plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) in the dermis. In the peripheral blood of the patients, these cells exhibited an immature phenotype. Interestingly, we found FcεRI and cell-bound IgE to be expressed not only on myeloid, but also on plasmacytoid DCs from both the skin and peripheral blood of AD patients. Conclusions: It is tempting to speculate that the disease-regulating role of inflammatory DCs in AD is influenced by both FcεRI occupancy and their degree of maturity.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Correspondence to: Tamara Kopp
Department of Dermatology, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20
AT-1090 Vienna (Austria)
Tel. +43 1 40400 2532, Fax +43 1 403 1900, E-Mail tamara.kopp@meduniwien.ac.at

  Article Information

G.S. and C.B. contributed equally to this study.

Received: March 9, 2005
Accepted after revision: July 7, 2005
Published online: October 7, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 13
Number of Figures : 6, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 51