Christensen OB, Wall LM.
DOI: 10.2340/0001555567305309

In the present study we produced allergic, irritant, ultraviolet and liquid nitrogen inflammation in human volunteers. Biopsies were taken from each test site and adjacent normal skin as control 4-5 weeks later. The monoclonal antibodies OKT 6 and HLA-DR were used for light microscopic detection of Langerhans´ cells (LC). At all 4 post-inflammatory test sites the number of epidermal LC (OKT 6 positive as well as HLA-DR positive) were significantly increased compared to normal skin. Also, the density of dermal dendritic cells was increased in post-inflammatory test sites. The increased number of epidermal LC seems to be a result of inflammation and not a specific event strongly related to certain cutaneous inflammatory disorders. The present investigation supports the theory that epidermal LC play a role in skin homeostasis.