The impact of langerin (CD207)+ dendritic cells and FOXP3+ Treg cells in the small bowel mucosa of children with celiac disease and atopic dermatitis in comparison to children with functional gastrointestinal disorders

What is it about?

In the present study we aimed to evaluate the relative impact of the langerin (CD207)+ dendritic cells (DCs) and the FOXP3+ immunoregulatory T cells (Treg cells) in the intestinal mucosa of two common childhood diseases – celiac disease (CD) and atopic dermatitis (AD) - in comparison to children with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD). Although langerin+ dendritic cells have been demonstrated occasionally in other tissues than skin, the systematic investigations are still missing. Therefore we aimed in present study to analyze langerin+ cells in parallel with other immunological players in the intestinal mucosa. As a key question, we have asked whether these cell types are differently represented in celiac disease with and without atopic dermatitis in comparison with functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The study highlights the absence of elevated density of small bowel mucosal FOXP3+ Treg cells, CD4+ cells, and CD11+DCs in atopic dermatitis (AD), unlike in celiac disease (CD) where the numbers of these cells in the mucosa were increased. However, elevated level of total IgE or specific IgE to food allergens was associated with higher expression of CD11c+ and langerin (CD207)+ DCs in the small intestinal mucosa, indicating a possible link between the presence of these cells in small bowel mucosa with elevated serum IgE.