The influence of topical dermatological treatment modalities on epidermal Langerhans cells and contact sensitization in mice.

The influence of the widely used topical dermatological treatment modalities anthralin, coal tar and pyrogallol on surface markers of epidermal Langerhans cells and contact sensitization was studied and compared with that of a PUVA treatment. A common effect of all dermatological therapies tested was inhibition of Langerhans cell ATPase, whereas an effect on MHC class II antigens was found only after PUVA or tar treatment. The induction of contact hypersensitivity was inhibited only by PUVA, and not by the other treatments. These results show that various forms of topical therapy influence surface markers and immunological function of epidermal Langerhans cells differently.