[The presence of IgE on limbal Langerhans cells in patients with atopicdermatitis]

Limbal conjunctival biopsies from 8 patients with atopic dermatitis and from 5 age-matched healthy individuals undergoing cataract or retinal detachment surgery were analyzed by light microscopy and immunological techniques. They were immuno-double labelled with anti-CD1a and anti-IgE or anti-CD23 (IgE receptor). In the specimens from atopic dermatitis 24 approximately 75% of positive anti-CD1a staining cells were double-stained by anti-IgE. Weak positive immuno-double stained cells with anti-CD23 were also observed, but less than with anti-IgE. The ratio of positive anti-IgE double-stained cells to positive anti-CD1a stained cells seemed to be parallel to serum IgE level, but not significant. The presence of IgE and CD23 (IgE receptor) on conjunctival Langerhans cells seems to have a positive effect on IgE-dependent antigen presentation.