Cell-Specific Gene Expression in Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Lesions Reveals a Distinct Profile Compared with Epidermal Langerhans Cells

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease characterized by heterogeneous lesions containing CD207+ Langerhans cells (LCs) and lymphocytes that can arise in almost any tissue and cause significant morbidity and mortality. After decades of research, the cause of LCH remains speculative. A prevailing model suggests that LCH arises from malignant transformation and metastasis of epidermal LCs. In this study, CD207+ cells and CD3+ T cells were isolated from LCH lesions to determine cell-specific gene expression. Compared with control epidermal CD207+ cells, the LCH CD207+ cells yielded 2113 differentially expressed genes (false discovery rate < 0.01). Surprisingly, the expression of many genes previously associated with LCH, including cell-cycle regulators, proinflammatory cytokines, and chemokines, were not significantly different from control LCs in our study. However, several novel genes whose products activate and recruit T cells to sites of inflammation, including SPP1 (osteopontin), were highly overexpressed in LCH CD207+ cells. Furthermore, several genes associated with immature myeloid dendritic cells were overexpressed in LCH CD207+ cells. Compared with the peripheral CD3+ cells from LCH patients, the LCH lesion CD3+ cells yielded only 162 differentially regulated genes (false discovery rate < 0.01), and the expression profile of the LCH lesion CD3+ cells was consistent with an activated regulatory T cell phenotype with increased expression of FOXP3, CTLA4, and SPP1. Results from this study support a model of LCH pathogenesis in which lesions do not arise from epidermal LCs but from accumulation of bone marrow-derived immature myeloid dendritic cells that recruit activated lymphocytes.