Inhibitory effect of IL-10 on human Langerhans cell antigen presenting function.

Abstract

IL-10 has been previously described by Mossman and coworkers as a product of murine Th2 clones that inhibits the production of cytokines by Thl clones (1). Accumulated evidence now indicate that this cytokine is secreted by other cell types including monocytes and B cells and that it displays pleiotropic activities (2). Apart its stimulating and differenciating effects on B cells, IL-10 was shown to inhibit antigen presentation to T cells by acting on the antigen presenting monocytes. The recent finding that keratinocytes might be a potent source of IL-10 (3) prompted us to analyse its effect on human Langerhans cells (LC), the antigen-presenting cells from epidermis.