Veterinary Immunology and Serology

CUTANEOUS IMMUNE SYSTEM

• The skin contains a specialized cutaneous immune system consisting of lymphocytes and APCs.
• The epidermis contains keratinocytes, melanocytes, epidermal Langerhans cells and intraepithelial T cells.
• Both keratinocytes and melanocytes are responsible for innate immune response.
• Langerhans cells capture antigen and because of antigenic stimulation move to dermis due to the stimulation by chemokines.
• They subsequently home to lymph nodes through lymphatic vessels.
• In epidermis, about 2% lymphocytes are present and majorities are CD8+ T cells.
• Dermis contains both CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells, predominantly in a pervascular location with scattered macrophages.