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Updated: Oct 30, 2025

SCAnED - An Open-source Skin Segmentation Macro for Semi-automated Cell and Nuclei Detection in Epidermal and Dermal Skin Compartments
Published on: August 8, 2025
Morphological Alterations and Increased S100B Expression in Epidermal Langerhans Cells Detected in Skin from Patients
Fei Yang1,2, Lingli Yang1,2, Lanting Teng1,2
1Department of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka 5450051, Japan.
Abstract:
The role of Langerhans cells (LCs) in vitiligo pathogenesis remains unclear, with published studies reporting contradictory results regarding the quantity of LCs and no data on the features of LCs in vitiligo. Here, we aimed to analyze the presence, density, and morphological features of LCs in the epidermis of patients with vitiligo. Skin biopsies were stained for LCs using anti-CD1a/anti-langerin antibodies and analyzed by immunocytochemistry with light and electron microscopy. Compared with healthy controls, we detected significantly increased numbers of epidermal LCs in lesional skin from vitiligo in the progressive state. These LCs exhibited striking morphological alterations, including an elevated number of dendrites, with increased length and more branches than dendrites from controls. Ultrastructure examination via immuno-electron microscopy revealed markedly reduced Birbeck granules (BGs) and shorter BG rods in LCs from progressive vitiligo, with higher expression of langerin. Additionally, expression of S100B, the activity biomarker of vitiligo, was increased in these LCs. This work provides new insight on the cellular composition of LCs in vitiliginous skin, revealing altered morphology and increased LC numbers, with elevated S100B expression. Our data suggest LCs might play a critical role in vitiligo pathogenesis and thus may represent a novel therapeutic target for this disease.
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