Staining of Langerhans cells with monoclonal antibodies to macrophages and lymphoid cells.

Langerhans cells are Ia-bearing antigen-presenting cells in the epidermis that share many functions with macrophages. We have used monoclonal antibodies to the macrophage antigens, Mac-2 and-3, Ia antigen, Fc fragment receptor and the common leukocyte antigen CLA to compare the cell surface antigens of these cells with those of interdigitating and follicular dendritic cells and of macrophages in lymphoid tissues. Immunoperoxidase staining was carried out with epidermal sheets from BALB/c mice and epidermal cell suspensions enriched for Langerhans cells by Fc rosetting. Langerhans cells stained for all of these antigens. Comparison with the staining properties of other dendritic cells and macrophages, in combination with previous observations, indicates a close relationship of Langerhans cells to the interdigitating cells of lymphoid tissues.