Immune cells

[Wahoo07]

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Could someone please clarify the relationship between macrophages, dendritic cells, and Langerhans cells? I've looked, and some sources say that Langerhans cells are skin dendritic cells, while others say that Langerhans cells are skin macrophages. Are macrophages and dendritic cells in the same line?

And while we're at it, what are Langhans cells of a granuloma?

Thanks! 🙂

 

[ucbdancn00]

sups..

hopefully this will help both of us...g'luck studying by the way

maco, dendritic and langerhans cells---> all phagocytic type cells and more importantly all are APC (they are all a type of macrophage).

Hence they all contain Class 1 MHC (like all nucleated cells) and Class II MHC important in Ag presentation to T cells.

Dendritic cells are primarily in the Lymph node/spleen/thymus. An important distinction is that dendritic cells are the cells that can present to naive T cells as part of the positive selection process within the thymus.

Langerhans cells are macrophage cells in the skin that will serve the same APC purpose.

Langhans cells are a type of multinucleated giant cell whose nuclei is arranged in the periphery (horse-shoe shaped). They are seen in TB primarily, but this IS NOT a diagnostic feature. Multinucleated giant cells are important in granulomatous reactions (TB, sarcoid, cat-scratch fever, berrylliosis, etc).

on the exam though, the defining characteristic of a granuloma is the epitheliod cell (which is a differentiated macrophage).

hope this helps.

ucb

 

[fang]

sups..

hopefully this will help both of us...g'luck studying by the way

maco, dendritic and langerhans cells---> all phagocytic type cells and more importantly all are APC (they are all a type of macrophage).

Hence they all contain Class 1 MHC (like all nucleated cells) and Class II MHC important in Ag presentation to T cells.

Dendritic cells are primarily in the Lymph node/spleen/thymus. An important distinction is that dendritic cells are the cells that can present to naive T cells as part of the positive selection process within the thymus.

Langerhans cells are macrophage cells in the skin that will serve the same APC purpose.

Langhans cells are a type of multinucleated giant cell whose nuclei is arranged in the periphery (horse-shoe shaped). They are seen in TB primarily, but this IS NOT a diagnostic feature. Multinucleated giant cells are important in granulomatous reactions (TB, sarcoid, cat-scratch fever, berrylliosis, etc).

on the exam though, the defining characteristic of a granuloma is the epitheliod cell (which is a differentiated macrophage).

hope this helps.

ucb

There are 2 kinds of "langerhans" cells--

1. one is the one that ucbdancn00 described that participates in a granuloma

2. a second is an antigen presenting cell in the *epidermis* that are part of the monocyte phagocytic system

I don't think these 2 have anything to do with each other-- they just share the same name.

Dendritic cells are also APC's and are part of the monocyte phagocytic system, but are in the CT/spleen/nodes/etc.

 

[ucbdancn00]

There are 2 kinds of "langerhans" cells--

1. one is the one that ucbdancn00 described that participates in a granuloma

2. a second is an antigen presenting cell in the *epidermis* that are part of the monocyte phagocytic system

I don't think these 2 have anything to do with each other-- they just share the same name.

Dendritic cells are also APC's and are part of the monocyte phagocytic system, but are in the CT/spleen/nodes/etc.

supps..

actually i think that the "Langerhans" is your APC type cell vs. "Langhans" which is the granuloma affiliated one. so they are two separate cells..because the names are so similar they prolly get all switched around.

this is from BRS path by the way...

ucb

 

[fang]

supps..

actually i think that the "Langerhans" is your APC type cell vs. "Langhans" which is the granuloma affiliated one. so they are two separate cells..because the names are so similar they prolly get all switched around.

this is from BRS path by the way...

ucb

Yup, you're right!