Langerhans and other Immunocompetent Cells in Vocal Cord Epithelial Hyperplastic Lesions of Patients with Chronic Laryngitis

Abstract

Ferluga D, Vodovnik A, Luzar B, Cör A, Perkovie. T, Gale N, KambiČ V. Langerhans and other immunocompetent cells in vocal cord epithelial hyperplastic lesions of patients with chronic laryngitis.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the intraepithelial and stromal density of Langerhans cells and lymphoid infiltrate in different stages of carcinogenesis in vocal cord biopsies of 24 randomly selected patients with chronic laryngitis. The Langerhans and lymphoid cells were counted using immunolabelling with antibodies against CD1a, S100, CD3, CD20. and CD68 on paraffin-embedded sections of 24 archival laryngeal vocal cord mucosa biopsy specimens, 6 classified as simple, 7 as abnormal, and 11 as atypical epithelial hyperplasia. Results were statistically evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon sign rank tests. The mean number of Langerhans cells and T lymphocytes per mm^' of cross-sectioned epithelium was found to increase from simple to atypical hyperplasia. There were statistically significant differences in Langerhans cell density between atypical hyperplasia and each of the other 2 grades, simple and abnormal hyperplasia, with p < 0.05. Our study suggests the involvement of immune mechanisms, particularly cell mediated, during laryngeal carcinogenesis and the possibility that the assessment of Langerhans cell density might be of prognostic significance.

Key Words:

• epithelial hyperplastic abnormalities
• laryngitis
• atypical hyperplasia
• laryngeal carcinogenesis
• Langerhans cells
• immunohistology
• CD1a antibody
• S100 antibody
• quantirative pathology