Research on epidermal Langerhans cell has led to the discovery that the epidermis actively participates in immunologic reactions and is not merely an innocent bystander or target. Several of the epidermal cell populations including Langerhans cells, keratinocytes, and epidermal T cells are involved in immunologic reactions; of these, Langerhans cells have been most extensively studied. The contributions presented here avoid merely listing a large number of facts and instead take a critical approach, discussing various aspects of the immune system as it relates to the skin in health and disease, with the Langerhans cell as the primary focus. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
Epidermal Langerhans Cells focuses on epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and the important role they play in the induction of contact hypersensitivity and graft rejection. This in-depth work discusses how these antigen-presenting cells are modulated by various physicochemical agents (such as UV light) and how they can be infected by the AIDS virus. It also reveals that cytokines mediate their development into potent T cell-stimulatory dendritic cells. This comprehensive review covers important experimental details and methods, and fascinating information on LCs. It also provides an overview of the immune system as it relates to the skin in health and disease. This up-to-date publication is an indispensable resource for all investigative and clinical dermatologists, as well as immunologists interested in antigen-presenting cells.
