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Langerhans cells in cervix
CORRESPONDENCE
4. Thiery, M., and Willighagen, R. G. J.: Roy. Zoo!. Soc. In press. 5. Langerhans, P.: Virchow Arch. path. Anat. 44: 325, 1868.
Langerhans cells in cervix To the Editors: I wish to compliment Dr. Younes and associates1 for their beautiful paper discussing the identification of Langerhans cells in the human cervix. Their statement (page 397), however, that " ... Langerhans cells have not been known to occur in the cervix" is not entirely correct. We have observed 2 and discussed 3 • 4 the occurrence of the dendritic cell originally described in the human skin by Langerhans 5 and named after him since, in the female genital tract of man and a great variety of mammals. It has been shown that Langerhans cells can be easily demonstrated in squamous epithelium because they are the only elements to show cytoplasmic activity of adenosinetriphosphatase. In man ATP-positive cells have been traced in a wide variety of healthy squamous epithelium (vulva, cervix, skin, esophagus, vagina, and nasopharynx), in squamous cell carcinoma of various origin (vulva, portio, skin, esophagus, nasopharynx, lung, penis), and in epidermal inclusions found within cystic trratoma of the ovary. Even following irradiation of cervical carcinoma dendritic cells may still be recognized in some of the tumors. Langerhans cells have also been found in the course of chemical carcinogenesis of the cervicovaginal squamous epithelium in the mouse, i.e., in hyperkeratotic and dysplastic epithelium, in carcinoma in situ and in full-blown epidermoid carcinoma. In fact, the presence of this star-shaped cell is so characteristic of healthy and pathologically altered homo- and heteropic squamous epithelium in man and mammals that we have suggested that the A TP method be used for the identification of epithelium of squamous origin.
Michel Thiery, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Obstetrics University of Ghent, Belgium
Roelof G.
f.
Willighagen, M.D.
Department of Pathology University of Leyden, The Netherlands Nov. 12, 1968
Reply to Drs. Thiery and Willighagen To the Editors: I would like to thank Drs. Thiery and Willighagen for their kind compliments on our paper on Langerhans cells in the human cervix. Dr. Thiery has referred to his earlier work in which he demonstrated "dendritic" cells in the squamous epithelium of various organs, including the cervix, by studying adenosinetriphosphatase (A TPase) activity of these cells. I am not able to find a basis for corn parison of our articles since "dendritic" is a collective morphologic term used to describe melanocytes, Langerhans and other cells and is not limited to Langerhans cells. They stated in their letter that " . . . Langerhans cells can be easily demonstrated in squamous epithelium because they are the only elements to show cytoplasmic activity of adenosinetriphosphatase." I am' not aware of any evidence that ATPase activity is specific only for Langerhans cells and not for other nonepithelial cells found in the intercellular spaces of the squamous epithelium. The latter spaces contain various types of nonepithelial cells, lymphocytes, plasma cells, melanocytes as well as Langerhans cells. The mere demonstration of ATPase activity in a nonepithelial cell in the squamous epithelium does not necessarily mean that this cell is a Langerhans cell. More commonly, Langerhans cells are differentiated from other nonepithelial
REFERENCES
1. Younes, M. S., Robertson, E. M., and Bencosine, S. A.: AM. J. 0BsT. & GYNEC. 102: 397, 1968. 2. Thiery, M.: Bijdrage tot de kennis van het Experimentele Cervicovaginale Carcinoom, Brussels, 1962, Arscia Uitgaven, N.V. 3. Thiery, M., and Willighagen, R. G. J.: AM. J. 0BST. & GYNEC. 95: 1059, 1966.
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4. Thiery, M., and Willighagen, R. G. J.: Roy. Zoo!. Soc. In press. 5. Langerhans, P.: Virchow Arch. path. Anat. 44: 325, 1868.
Langerhans cells in cervix To the Editors: I wish to compliment Dr. Younes and associates1 for their beautiful paper discussing the identification of Langerhans cells in the human cervix. Their statement (page 397), however, that " ... Langerhans cells have not been known to occur in the cervix" is not entirely correct. We have observed 2 and discussed 3 • 4 the occurrence of the dendritic cell originally described in the human skin by Langerhans 5 and named after him since, in the female genital tract of man and a great variety of mammals. It has been shown that Langerhans cells can be easily demonstrated in squamous epithelium because they are the only elements to show cytoplasmic activity of adenosinetriphosphatase. In man ATP-positive cells have been traced in a wide variety of healthy squamous epithelium (vulva, cervix, skin, esophagus, vagina, and nasopharynx), in squamous cell carcinoma of various origin (vulva, portio, skin, esophagus, nasopharynx, lung, penis), and in epidermal inclusions found within cystic trratoma of the ovary. Even following irradiation of cervical carcinoma dendritic cells may still be recognized in some of the tumors. Langerhans cells have also been found in the course of chemical carcinogenesis of the cervicovaginal squamous epithelium in the mouse, i.e., in hyperkeratotic and dysplastic epithelium, in carcinoma in situ and in full-blown epidermoid carcinoma. In fact, the presence of this star-shaped cell is so characteristic of healthy and pathologically altered homo- and heteropic squamous epithelium in man and mammals that we have suggested that the A TP method be used for the identification of epithelium of squamous origin.
Michel Thiery, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Obstetrics University of Ghent, Belgium
Roelof G.
f.
Willighagen, M.D.
Department of Pathology University of Leyden, The Netherlands Nov. 12, 1968
Reply to Drs. Thiery and Willighagen To the Editors: I would like to thank Drs. Thiery and Willighagen for their kind compliments on our paper on Langerhans cells in the human cervix. Dr. Thiery has referred to his earlier work in which he demonstrated "dendritic" cells in the squamous epithelium of various organs, including the cervix, by studying adenosinetriphosphatase (A TPase) activity of these cells. I am not able to find a basis for corn parison of our articles since "dendritic" is a collective morphologic term used to describe melanocytes, Langerhans and other cells and is not limited to Langerhans cells. They stated in their letter that " . . . Langerhans cells can be easily demonstrated in squamous epithelium because they are the only elements to show cytoplasmic activity of adenosinetriphosphatase." I am' not aware of any evidence that ATPase activity is specific only for Langerhans cells and not for other nonepithelial cells found in the intercellular spaces of the squamous epithelium. The latter spaces contain various types of nonepithelial cells, lymphocytes, plasma cells, melanocytes as well as Langerhans cells. The mere demonstration of ATPase activity in a nonepithelial cell in the squamous epithelium does not necessarily mean that this cell is a Langerhans cell. More commonly, Langerhans cells are differentiated from other nonepithelial
REFERENCES
1. Younes, M. S., Robertson, E. M., and Bencosine, S. A.: AM. J. 0BsT. & GYNEC. 102: 397, 1968. 2. Thiery, M.: Bijdrage tot de kennis van het Experimentele Cervicovaginale Carcinoom, Brussels, 1962, Arscia Uitgaven, N.V. 3. Thiery, M., and Willighagen, R. G. J.: AM. J. 0BST. & GYNEC. 95: 1059, 1966.
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