Histiocyte


A histiocyte is a vertebrate cell that is part of the mononuclear phagocyte system. The mononuclear phagocytic system is part of the organism's immune system. The histiocyte is a tissue macrophage or a dendritic cell.

Development

Histiocytes are derived from the bone marrow by multiplication from a stem cell. The derived cells migrate from the bone marrow to the blood as monocytes. They circulate through the body and enter various organs, where they undergo differentiation into histiocytes, which are part of the mononuclear phagocytic system.
However, the term histiocyte has been used for multiple purposes in the past, and some cells called "histocytes" do not appear to derive from monocytic-macrophage lines..
Some sources consider Langerhans cell derivatives to be histiocytes. The Langerhans cell histiocytosis embeds this interpretation into its name.

Structure

Histiocytes have common histological and immunophenotypical characteristics. Their cytoplasm is eosinophilic and contains variable amounts of lysosomes. They bear membrane receptors for opsonins, such as IgG and the fragment C3b of complement. They express LCAs CD45, CD14, CD33, and CD4.

Macrophages and dendritic cells

These histiocytes are part of the immune system by way of two distinct functions: phagocytosis and antigen presentation. Phagocytosis is the main process of macrophages and antigen presentation the main property of dendritic cells.
Macrophages and dendritic cells are derived from common bone marrow precursor cells that have undergone different differentiation under the influence of various environmental and growth factors such as GM-CSF, TNF and IL-4. The various categories of histiocytes are distinguishable by their morphology, phenotype, and size.
A subset of cells differentiates into Langerhans cells; this maturation occurs in the squamous epithelium, lymph nodes, spleen, and bronchiolar epithelium. Langerhans cells are antigen-presenting cells but have undergone further differentiation. Skin Langerhans cells express CD1a, as do cortical thymocytes. They also express S-100, and their cytoplasm contains tennis-racket like ultra-structural inclusions called Birbeck granules.

Clinical significance

describe neoplasias wherein the proliferative cell is the histiocyte.
The most common histiocyte disorders are Langerhans' cell histiocytosis and haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.