Progesterone increases the number of Langerhans cells in human vaginal epithelium

F Wieser, J Hosmann, W Tschugguel, K Czerwenka… - Fertility and …, 2001 - fertstert.org
Sex hormones control mucosal immunity in the female reproductive tract throughout a
woman's reproductive cycle (1). Langerhans cells (LCs) are bone marrow–derived dendritic
cells that play a major role in the immunity of the female lower reproductive tract (1).
Resident LCs of the vaginal epithelium detect antigens and present those antigens to T cells
in the same way LCs do in the epidermis. LCs in the female lower reproductive tract are
observed to be under control of sex hormones in rodents (1). The hormone 17ß-estradiol …