Cd1a-positive dendritic cell

As a link between innate and acquired (adaptive) immunity, dendritic cells occupy a prominent position in the immune system as professional antigen-presenting cells.

The CD1a+ dendritic cells (see below CD1a), also called CD1a+DC, are Langerin-expressing dendritic cells (DCs), which, in addition to CD1a expression, form another specific of the Langerhans cell, Birbeck granules. They are located in the conducting airways, but not in the lung interstitium, but also in lymphatic tissue and in the decidua (among other tissues).

Their further topographical distribution as well as their specific functional significance (functional demarcation to the Langerhans cells of the skin) is still largely unknown.

In chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps associated with Th2-associated chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa, CD1a+ and CD1c+ DCs were elevated (Poposki JA et al. 2015).

CD1a+DCs also accumulate in smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

CD1a+ dendritic cells are detected physiologically in lymphatic tissue. They are depleted there in AIDS patients (Gondak R et al.2014).

CD1a-positive dendritic cells and tumor diseases: CD1a-positive dendritic cells are found in papillary thyroid carcinomas, but not in benign thyroid adenomas, in close spatial association with the carcinoma cells (Pusztaszeri MP et al.2013). Here, the density of CD1a+DCs seems to have a positive predictive value (Hilly O et al. 2015)

Heat shock proteins induce pro-inflammatory maturation in CD1a+ dendritic cells of the decidua with formation of interleukin-15 (Redzovic A et al. 2015).

1. Gondak R et al (2014) Decreased CD1a(+) , CD83(+) and factor XIIIa(+) dendritic cells in cervical lymph nodes and palatine tonsils of AIDS patients. Histopathology 64:234-241.
2. Hilly O et al (2015) CD1a-positive dendritic cell density predicts disease-free survival in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Pathol Res Pract. 2015 Sep;211(9):652-6.
3. Hirai KE et al (2016) Langerhans cells (CD1a and CD207), dermal dendrocytes (FXIIIa) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (CD123) in skin lesions of leprosy patients. Microb pathog 91:18-25.
4. Mester B et al(2015) Expression of CD1a and Type-1 Polarization Are Dissociated in Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells. PLoS One 10:e0140432.
5. Poposki JA et al. (2015) Elevated presence of myeloid dendritic cells in nasal polyps of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Clin Exp Allergy 45:384-393.
6. Pusztaszeri MP et al (2013) Association of CD1a-positive dendritic cells with papillary thyroid carcinoma in thyroid fine-needle aspirations: a cytologic and immunocytochemical evaluation. Cancer Cytopathol 121:206-213.
7. Redzovic A et al (2015) Heat-Shock Proteins 70 Induce Pro-Inflammatory Maturation Program in Decidual CD1a(+) Dendritic Cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 74:38-53.