Epsilon cell Epsilon cell Epsilon cells (ε-cells) are endocrine cells found in the Islets of Langerhans and produce the hormone ghrelin. They were discovered in mice. In human fetal pancreases, single epsilon cells scattered in primitive exocrine tissue were observed to start aggregating into clusters after gestational week 13. From gestational week 21, epsilon cells were observed around developing islets, forming an almost continuous layer at the rim of the islets. In adult pancreas samples, they remained localized on the mantle of the islets in different amounts. Production of ghrelin with insulin, glucagon, or somatostatin was not detected during development. Co-production with
Langerhans cell histiocytosis Langerhans cell histiocytosis Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease involving clonal proliferation of Langerhans cells, abnormal cells deriving from bone marrow and capable of migrating from skin to lymph nodes. Clinically, its manifestations range from isolated bone lesions to multisystem disease. LCH is part of a group of clinical syndromes called histiocytoses, which are characterized by an abnormal proliferation of histiocytes (an archaic term for activated dendritic cells and macrophages). These diseases are related to other forms of abnormal proliferation of white blood cells, such as leukemias and lymphomas. The disease has gone by several names, including Hand–Schüller–Christian