Hosoi J, Murphy G F, Egan C L, Lerner E A, Grabbe S, Asahina A, Granstein R D
MGH-Harvard Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital East, Charlestown 02129.
Nature. 1993 May 13;363(6425):159-63. doi: 10.1038/363159a0.
Several observations suggest interactions between the immune and nervous systems. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis may worsen with anxiety and have been associated with anomalous neuropeptide regulation. Neurotransmitters affect lymphocyte function and lymphoid organs are innervated. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide and vasodilator that modulates some macrophage functions, including antigen presentation in vitro. CGRP is associated with Langerhans cells (LC) in oesophageal mucosa, particularly during inflammation, is present in epidermal nerves and is associated with Merkel cells. We examined the ability of CGRP to modulate LC antigen-presenting function and asked if CGRP-containing nerves impinge on LC. We report here that CGRP-containing nerve fibres are intimately associated with LC in human epidermis and CGRP is found at the surface of some LC. In three functional assays CGRP inhibited LC antigen presentation. These findings indicate that CGRP may have immunomodulatory effects in vivo and suggest a locus of interaction between the nervous system and immunological function.
多项观察结果表明免疫系统与神经系统之间存在相互作用。银屑病和特应性皮炎可能会因焦虑而加重，并且与神经肽调节异常有关。神经递质会影响淋巴细胞功能，且淋巴器官受神经支配。降钙素基因相关肽（CGRP）是一种神经肽和血管舒张剂，可调节某些巨噬细胞功能，包括体外抗原呈递。CGRP与食管黏膜中的朗格汉斯细胞（LC）相关，尤其是在炎症期间，存在于表皮神经中且与默克尔细胞相关。我们研究了CGRP调节LC抗原呈递功能的能力，并询问含CGRP的神经是否会影响LC。我们在此报告，含CGRP的神经纤维与人表皮中的LC密切相关，并且在一些LC表面发现了CGRP。在三项功能试验中，CGRP抑制了LC抗原呈递。这些发现表明CGRP可能在体内具有免疫调节作用，并提示了神经系统与免疫功能之间的一个相互作用位点。
