CD207 Human

How does CD207 expression differ between Langerhans cells and other dendritic cell populations?

For example, tonsillar CD207+ DCs (tCD207 DCs) express high levels of CD11c and CD1c but lack characteristic markers of CD141 DCs such as Clec9A. They are more closely related to the CD1c+ myeloid DC lineage than to classical LCs . A methodological approach to differentiate these populations involves comprehensive phenotypic characterization using multiparameter flow cytometry with antibody panels including markers such as HLA-DR, CD11c, CD1a, EpCAM, CD141, Clec9A, CD1c, CD14, CD304, CD206, and FcERIα .

In which human tissues can CD207+ dendritic cells be found?

CD207+ dendritic cells have been identified in multiple human tissues beyond the epidermis. Research has documented the presence of CD207-expressing DCs in:

• Human tonsils (both adult and pediatric)

• Dermis

• Lung

• Liver

• Lymphoid tissue

• Lamina propria in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases or celiac disease

• Kidneys

• Breast cancer tissue

In tonsillar tissue specifically, tCD207 DCs represent approximately 3.2% of total HLA-DR+ DCs in children and 7.3% in adults . To identify these populations across different tissues, researchers should employ tissue-specific processing protocols followed by flow cytometric analysis or immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections .

What is the anatomical distribution of CD207+ cells within tonsillar tissue?

Immunohistochemical studies have revealed that CD207+ DCs within tonsils have a specific anatomical distribution. These cells are predominantly located:

• Outside the germinal centers (GC) in the lymphoid stroma

• Within the tonsillar epithelium

What are the optimal flow cytometry protocols for identifying CD207+ cell populations?

For optimal flow cytometric identification of CD207+ cell populations, researchers should implement the following methodological approach:

• Tissue processing: For tonsil samples, prepare mononuclear cell suspensions by mechanical disruption followed by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation

• Antibody panel design: Include the following key markers:

  • Lineage markers (CD3, CD19, CD56) for exclusion gating

  • HLA-DR as a pan-DC marker

  • CD207/Langerin as the target marker

  • Additional DC subset markers: CD11c, CD1a, CD1c, CD141, Clec9A, CD14, CD304/BDCA-4, CD206, FcERIα, and EpCAM

• Gating strategy:

  • First gate on lineage-negative, HLA-DR+ cells

  • Then identify CD207+ cells within this population

  • Further characterize using additional DC subset markers

• Controls: Include fluorescence-minus-one (FMO) controls to define background fluorescence for each marker

• Viability staining: Exclude non-viable cells using DAPI staining

• Fc receptor blocking: Block non-specific antibody binding using human Fc receptor blocking solution

Analysis should be performed on multiparameter flow cytometers (e.g., FACS Canto II) with data analysis using specialized software such as FlowJo .

How can CD207 expression be induced in vitro for experimental studies?

For experimental induction of CD207 expression in vitro, researchers can utilize several methodological approaches:

• Cytokine-based induction on CD14+ monocytes:

  • Isolate CD14+ monocytes from peripheral blood using positive selection kits

  • Culture cells (1 × 10^5 CD14+ cells) in RPMI supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics

  • Add a combination of recombinant GM-CSF (50 ng/mL), IL-4 (20 ng/mL), and TGF-β

  • This approach typically results in peak CD207 expression at day 4, which decreases by day 10

• Plasma-based induction:

  • Culture CD14+ monocytes or total PBMCs with plasma from patients with active Langerhans cell histiocytosis (10% vol/vol)

  • For CD14+ monocytes: Plate 1 × 10^5 cells in 500 μL complete medium

  • For PBMCs: Plate 1 × 10^6 cells in 500 μL complete medium

  • This approach induces CD207 expression on CD11c+CD11b^low DCs at days 7-10

• Direct detection in research models:

  • Human monocyte-derived Langerhans dendritic cells can be generated by treating monocytes with IL-4 (20 ng/mL) and GM-CSF (50 ng/mL) for 6-7 days before staining with anti-CD207 antibodies

Researchers should monitor CD207 expression at multiple time points (days 4, 7, and 10) to capture the kinetics of expression .

What is the relationship between CD207+ dendritic cells and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection?

CD207+ dendritic cells in tonsils have been found to have a significant association with EBV infection. Research has shown that:

• Tonsillar CD207-expressing DCs (tCD207 DCs) abundantly infiltrate EBV-infected areas in tonsils

• These cells are also commonly encountered in EBV-infected tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma

• The presence of tCD207 DCs appears to be independent of EBV status in some cases, as they have been identified in both EBV-positive and EBV-negative tonsils, as shown in this data table:

This relationship suggests potential functional roles for CD207+ DCs in viral immune responses. Methodologically, researchers investigating this relationship should utilize molecular techniques for EBV detection in conjunction with immunophenotyping of DC populations .

How do CD207+CD1a+ cells relate to the pathogenesis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH)?

The relationship between CD207+CD1a+ cells and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) pathogenesis represents a critical area of investigation. Research has revealed several important findings:

• CD207+CD1a+ cells are present in the circulation of patients with active LCH but not in those with non-active disease or in healthy controls (adults or cord blood)

• In patients with active disease compared to those with non-active disease:

  • The myeloid compartment shows an increased CD11b fraction (39.7 ± 3.6% vs 18.6 ± 1.9%)

  • Higher percentage of circulating CD11b^high CD11c+CD207+ cells (44.5 ± 11.3% vs 3.2 ± 0.5%)

  • Presence of CD11c^high CD207+CD1a+ cells (25.0 ± 9.1% vs 2.3 ± 0.5%)

• Increased levels of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) are detected in the plasma of patients with active LCH

• Plasma from patients with active LCH can induce CD207 expression on CD14+ monocytes in vitro, suggesting that soluble factors in the plasma drive the generation of these cells

Methodologically, researchers should approach this question through comprehensive flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from LCH patients, quantifying cytokine levels using ELISA, and conducting in vitro experiments to assess the impact of patient plasma on CD207 induction .

Can CD207+ cells serve as biomarkers for disease activity or treatment response?

Research indicates that CD207+ cells may have significant potential as biomarkers in certain clinical contexts:

• In Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), circulating CD207+CD1a+ cells correlate with disease activity and could serve as indicators of:

  • Active disease status

  • Treatment response

  • Disease relapse

• The presence of these cells, along with elevated TSLP and TGF-β levels, could form a panel of predictive biomarkers for LCH

Methodologically, researchers seeking to develop these biomarkers should:

• Establish standardized flow cytometry protocols for detecting circulating CD207+CD1a+ cells

• Combine cell analysis with measurement of plasma cytokines (TSLP and TGF-β) using ELISA

• Perform longitudinal studies correlating these markers with clinical outcomes and treatment responses

• Validate findings across different patient populations (pediatric and adult)

While this application shows promise, larger cohort studies are needed to fully validate these cells as clinical biomarkers.

What is the lineage relationship between different CD207-expressing cell populations?

The lineage relationship between different CD207-expressing cell populations represents a complex and evolving area of research:

• Classical Langerhans cells (LCs) present in the epidermis represent a distinct cell lineage that develops independently of other dendritic cell subtypes

• CD207+ dendritic cells in the dermis (dermal CD207+ DCs) have been shown in mouse models to develop independently of epidermal LC populations

• Tonsillar CD207+ DCs (tCD207 DCs) appear closely related to the CD1c+ myeloid DC lineage based on:

  • Common expression of CD11c and CD1c

  • Variable expression of FcERIα and CD141

  • Lack of Clec9A expression

  • Strong positive linear correlation between tCD207 DCs and CD1c DCs abundance in tonsils (SC = +0.897, p < 0.05)

• Human "inflammatory" DCs (infDCs) can also express CD207, forming another distinct population of CD207+ cells

Methodologically, researchers investigating these lineage relationships should:

• Perform comprehensive phenotypic characterization using multiparameter flow cytometry

• Conduct transcriptomic analyses to compare gene expression profiles

• Utilize lineage tracing techniques where possible

• Examine developmental pathways through in vitro differentiation models

Understanding these relationships is essential for clarifying the ontogeny and functional specialization of human DC subsets.