2015 年 35 巻 1 号 p. 023-027
Langerhans cells (LC) are the outermost immunological sentinels of mammalian organisms and represent the unique dendritic cell subset in epidermis. LC have been the focus of vigorous research, but their physiological roles are just beginning to be elucidated. While LC are clearly potent antigen presenting cells in vitro, demonstration of in vivo functions had been challenging. This short review will summarize a series of some recent work that has uncovered the ability of LC to induce humoral responses after antigen capture via tight junctions, a process that confers systemic immunity against antigens that have not yet breached epidermal barriers. This process, which we refer to as “preemptive” immunity, might also be relevant for percutaneous sensitization in allergic skin diseases.
