Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Dermoscopy Aids in the Diagnosis of Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
Published on: May 16, 2025
Epidermal Langerhans cells in Actinic Prurigo: a comparison between lesional and non-lesional skin
J Calderón-Amador1, A Flores-Langarica, A Silva-Sánchez
1Department of Cell Biology CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico city.
Background:
Actinic Prurigo (AP) is a chronic pruritic dermatosis of unknown cause affecting sun exposed skin in defined ethnic groups with characteristic MHC alleles. However, the cutaneous dendritic cells have not been assessed.
Objective:
To assess in situ the epidermal Langerhans Cell (LC) status in Actinic Prurigo.
Study Design:
Fresh skin samples from three AP patients were used to evaluate in situ the epidermal LC, comparing lesional and non-lesional sites in each subject.
Setting:
AP patients attending the Dermatology Department at the Hospital M. Gea-Gonzalez in Mexico city.
Methods:
Lesional and non-lesional skin samples were taken from each subject to prepare both epidermal sheets and conventional tissue sections. Three markers restricted to LC in epidermis (CD1a, ATPase, MHC-II) were used to quantify the LC per area in epidermal sheets.
Results:
Compared to non-lesional skin from the same subject, a significant reduction in the number of LC per area of epidermis was found in lesional skin; with any of the three markers evaluated.
Conclusion:
The frequency of epidermal LC decreases importantly in lesional skin from AP patients.
Related Concept Videos
Papillary Dermis
The dermis might be considered the "core" of the integumentary system, as distinct from the epidermis and hypodermis. It contains blood and lymph vessels, nerves, and other structures, such as hair follicles and sweat glands. The dermis is made of two layers of connective tissue that comprise an interconnected mesh of elastin and collagenous fibers, produced by fibroblasts.
Papillary Layer
The papillary layer is made of loose, areolar connective tissue, which means the collagen and...
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
Cells of the Epidermis
The cells in all these layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes, a type of cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin. The keratinocytes in the stratum corneum are dead and regularly slough away, being replaced by cells from...
Skin Diseases and Disorders
Gram-positive Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. are responsible for many of the most common skin infections. However, many...
Skin Cancer
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. It typically develops in...
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells
