Immunophenotypic and ultrastructural evidence of the langerhans cell origin of the canine cutaneous histiocytoma.

Canine cutaneous histiocytoma (CCH), a histiocytic benign, dermal, self-healing tumor in the young dog, and epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are thought to be related. In this study, we used immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy for 5 fresh CCH and 17 fixed tumors, to examine if, on the basis of their immunophenotype and their ultrastructural morphology, these tumor cells originate as LCs. The immunophenotype of CCH: canine CD11a, 11c, 18, 45, MHC II positive and ACM1, human CD14 negative, was different from canine macrophage immunophenotype but very similar to the canine LC phenotype. Furthermore, we have described ultrastructural markers in CCH cells for the first time: these consist of coated vesicles, regularly laminated bodies, pleiomorphic inclusions, paracrystalline structures, and deep invaginations of the plasma membrane, usually observed in congenital self-healing histiocytosis, a human LC tumor, or occasionally observed in human LC. The occurrence of such immunophenotype and ultrastructural markers confirmed the common lineage of LCs and CCH cells.