Ontogeny of Langerhans cells: phenotypic differentiation from the bone marrow to the skin

We have performed double immunolabelings for cytofluorometric analysis and electron microscopy to investigate the coexpression of the CD1a (OKT6 and DMC1 monoclonal antibodies) antigen and the promonocyte/monocyte differentiation antigens CD14 (My4) or CD33 (My9) on putative bone marrow and umbilical cord blood precursors of the Langerhans cells (LC) and the epidermal LC. By cytofluorometric analysis, the percentage of CD1a+ cells which coexpressed the CD33 antigen was different from the bone marrow (5% of CD33+ cells are CD1a+), to the cord blood (3% of the CD33+ are CD1a+) and to the epidermis (the whole population of CD33+ LC are CD1a+). The ultrastructural morphology of the CD1a-expressing bone marrow, cord blood cells closely approximated that of a promonocyte/monocyte. Only LC epidermal were specifically recognized by the intracytoplasmic Birbeck granules. These CD1a+/CD33+ or CD14+ subpopulations found in three different locations (epidermis, bone marrow, cord blood) display a similar quantitative expression of the CD14 and CD33 antigens.