Characterization of antigen presenting cells and T-cells in progressing scabietic skin lesions

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 247 - 258
• Main Authors: Stemmer, Betty L., Arlian, Larry G., Morgan, Marjorie S., Rapp, Christine M., Moore, Peter F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 31.12.1996
• Subjects: Acari; Animals; Antigen-Presenting Cells - immunology; Antigen-Presenting Cells - pathology; Biopsy; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Immunity; Immunohistochemistry; Immunophenotyping; Langerhans Cells - immunology; Langerhans Cells - pathology; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies; Scabies - immunology; Scabies - pathology; Scabies - veterinary; Skin - immunology; Skin - pathology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - pathology; Time Factors; Sarcoptes scabiei; Scabies; Immunity
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-4017(96)01038-2

Experimentally infested dogs expressed successful adaptive immunity and self-cured of scabies after previously having scabies that required treatment to cure. A biphasic increase and decrease of CD1a + Langerhans cells (LCs) in the epidermis of hosts infested the first time (sensitized) and infested a second time (challenged) suggested that these cells were actively in the hosts' early immune response to scabies. In contrast, in the dermis CD1a + cell densities during both infestations increased to a single peak that followed the first peak of these cells in the epidermis. In addition, there was an influx of T-lymphocytes (CD ϵ + cells) and CD11c + cells into the dermis following the first peak of LCs in the epidermis. The influx of T-lymphocytes in the dermis coincided with the peak density of CD1a + cells in the dermis and epidermis during the second infestation. In both the epidermis and dermis, MHC Class II + cell density profiles were similar to that of CD1a during the first infestation and then exhibited single peaks during the second infestation. The increases in CD1a +, CD3 ϵ + (T-lymphocytes), CD11c +, and MHC Class II + cell responses in the dermis occurred earlier and were more intense in the challenge infestation compared with the first infestation. These data indicate that T-lymphocytes (CD3 ϵ +), CD11c +, MHC Class II +, and CD1a + cells in the dermis played a major role in the successful immune response to scabies mites.