Published July 28, 2018
| Version v1
Journal article
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Langerhans cells in hypospadias: Is the skin immune system compromised in patients with this congenital penile malformation?
Creators
- 1. Department of Pediatric Urology, Hospital of the Sisters of Charity, Linz, Austria
- 2. Department for Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
- 3. Section for clinical and functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
- 4. Department of Urology, University Clinic Gent, Belgium
- 5. Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
Description
While the immunology of normal penile skin is well studied concerning HPV and HIV in healthy subjects, there is only scarce data on immunological functioning in patients with penile malformations.
Langerhans cells play a pivotal role in HPV and HIV pathogenesis. Their precursors migrate to the skin during gestational weeks 9-14. This matches the timeframe that is relevant to the pathogenesis of hypospadias. Furthermore it has been shown, that the development of skin is altered in this congenital penile malformation.
Therefore, we sought to investigate the presence of Langerhans Cells in hypospadias by using immunofluorescence epidermal sheet staining as well as immunohistochemical analyses of whole skin sections.