On the extraordinary capacity of allogeneic epidermal Langerhans cells to prime cytotoxic T cells in vivo.

We have examined the relative alloimmunogenicity of monodisperse epidermal Langerhans cells (LC), Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells, and keratinocytes prepared from the skins of mice, using appropriate fluorescent-tagged mAb and flow cytometry. Graded doses of each cell type were inoculated i.v. and/or s.c. into allogeneic recipients that were selected on the basis of their degree of immunogenetic disparity with the donors of the epidermal cell (EC) inocula. From 4 to 6 wk later the spleens or draining lymph nodes of recipient mice were assayed for specific priming of cytotoxic T cells. LC proved to be extremely powerful immunogens. As few as 10 MHC-disparate EC primed allospecific T cells of mice that received i.v. or s.c. injected cells. By contrast, at least 10,000 keratinocytes were required to prime appropriate recipients, and then only when these class II MHC-negative cells were injected s.c. Thy-1 dendritic epidermal cells failed to sensitize by any route in the doses employed. With the use of appropriate donor/recipient strain combinations, it was determined that LC can effectively prime cytotoxic T cells specific for diverse types of alloantigens, including determinants encoded by class I and class II MHC genes, as well as minor histocompatibility genes. The results of these in vivo studies confirm that, among EC, the primary alloimmunogenic stimulus resides among LC, and support the hypothesis that LC play a major role in the immunogenicity of skin allografts.