TY  - JOUR
A1  - Blank, Christine
A1  - Fuchs, Harald
A1  - Rappersberger, Klemens
A1  - Röllinghoff, Martin
A1  - Moll, Heidrun
T1  - Parasitism of epidermal Langerhans cells in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis with Leishmania major
N2  - Murine epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) have been demonstrated to stimulate a vigorous T cell response to Leishmania major, a cause of human cutaneous leishmaniasis. It was therefore of interest to analyze whether LC can take up viable parasites. Epidermal cells were obtained from mouse ear skin for incubation with L. major and subsequent detection of intracellular parasites by cytochemistry. Freshly isolated LC, but not cultured LC, phagocytosed L. major and the uptake was inhibited by antibodies to the complement receptor type 3. Electron microscopic studies revealed the presence of viable amastigotes within Le. Moreover, with double-Iabeling techniques, L. major-containing LC could also be detected in infected skin. The results demonstrate that LC can internalize L. major. Since the number of organisms per infected LC remained consistently low, the prime task of LC may not be the promotion of parasite spreading but the presentation of L. major antigen to T cells and, thus, the regulation of the cellular immunity during cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Y1  - 1993
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/4006
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-45850
ER  -