It help regulate the immune system, are normally found throughout the body, especially in the skin, lymph nodes, spleen, lungs, liver, and bone marrow.
Islets of Langerhans: Known as the insulin-producing tissue, the islets of Langerhans do more than that. They are groups of specialized cells in the pancreas that make and secrete hormones. Langerhans cells are a type of white blood cell that normally help the body fight infection. In LCH, too many Langerhans cells are produced and build up in certain parts of the body where they can form tumors or damage organs. A Langerhans cell is a specific kind of white blood cell. Found largely in the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, as well as in lymph nodes, Langerhans cells are an important element of the immune system. They are classified as dendritic cells because they grow projections called dendrites as they develop. Sensing any kind of danger in the skin, the Langerhans cells, located in the epidermis and the dermis, are like the air traffic controllers of the immune system. Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a disorder in which excess immune system cells called Langerhans cells build up in the body. Langerhans cells, which help regulate the immune system, are normally found throughout the body, especially in the skin, lymph nodes, spleen, lungs, liver, and bone marrow. Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a type of cancer that can damage tissue or cause lesions to form in one or more places in the body. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare cancer that begins in LCH cells (a type of dendritic cell which fights infection). Sometimes there are mutations (changes) in LCH cells as they form. These include mutations of the BRAF gene. These changes may make the LCH cells grow and multiply quickly.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4054 http://www.histio.org/lchinchildren http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-langerhans-cell.htm https://www.sharecare.com/health/healthy-skin/how-do-langerhans-cells-work http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/langerhans-cell-histiocytosis http://www.cancer.gov/types/langerhans/patient/langerhans-treatment-pdq
what do langerhans cells do