SUPERANTIGEN-INDUCED LANGERHANS CELL DEPLETION IS MEDIATED BY EPIDERMAL CELL-DERIVED IL-1-ALPHA AND TNF-ALPHA

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cytokines in stap hylococcal enterotoxin-A (SEA)-induced epidermal Langerhans cell (LC) depletion. This was accomplished by analyzing the effect of SEA on cyt okine secretion by cultured epidermal cell populations by means of ELI SA and by assessing the capacity of cytokines and cytokine-specific an tibodies to affect epidermal LC density (as measured by immunoperoxida se staining of epidermal cells bearing surface Ia). The results of thi s study indicate that SEA induces the secretion of IL-1 alpha and TNF alpha by epidermal cells, that these cytokines induce LC depletion fro m epidermis, and that antibodies specific for these agents inhibit the depletion of LC by SEA. Taken together, these findings suggest that I L-1 alpha and TNF alpha may play essential roles in SEA-mediated deple tion of LC from murine epidermis. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.