Epidermal Langerhans cells contain intermediate-sized filaments of the vimentin type: an immunocytologic study

In epidermal cell suspensions, prepared from healthy human and murine skin, Langerhans cells (LC) were identified by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy using monoclonal antibodies directed against human T6 and Ia markers, and against a murine Iak determinant, respectively. The cells were double-labeled on cytospin slides with antibodies against a cytoskeletal protein, either vimentin or keratin. In this way it was shown that epidermal LC contain intermediate-sized filaments of the vimentin type.