LCH 的具体病因仍不清楚;不过,其中一个假设是,这是由免疫失调引起的一种反应性疾病,引起 Langerhans 细胞和 T 淋巴细胞之间异常的相互作用。增生细胞的良性形态以及出现炎症浸润表明病症可能为炎症疾病。[14]Broadbent V, Pritchard J, Davies EG, et al. Spontaneous remission of multi-system histiocytosis X. Lancet. 1984 Feb 4;1(8371):253-4.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6142997?tool=bestpractice.com 不过,所有疾病类型中均检测到克隆性组织细胞、[15]Willman CL, Busque L, Griffith BB, et al. Langerhans'-cell histiocytosis (histiocytosis X) - a clonal proliferative disease. N Engl J Med. 1994 Jul 21;331(3):154-60.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008029?tool=bestpractice.com 且 p53、c-myc 和 Bcl-2 的表达升高、[16]Schouten B, Egeler RM, Leenen PJ, et al. Expression of cell cycle-related gene products in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2002 Dec;24(9):727-32.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468913?tool=bestpractice.com 染色体不稳定且染色体 1、4、6、7 和 9 的杂合性缺失,[17]Betts DR, Leibundgut KE, Feldges A, et al. Cytogenetic abnormalities in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Br J Cancer. 1998 Feb;77(4):552-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9484810?tool=bestpractice.com[18]Murakami I, Gogusev J, Fournet JC, et al. Detection of molecular cytogenetic aberrations in Langerhans cell histiocytosis of bone. Hum Pathol. 2002 May;33(5):555-60.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12094383?tool=bestpractice.com 同时在疾病所有阶段发生端粒缩短,[19]Bechan GI, Meeker AK, De Marzo AM, et al. Telomere length shortening in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Br J Haematol. 2008 Feb;140(4):420-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18162125?tool=bestpractice.com 均支持LCH是肿瘤性疾病的假设。重现性 BRAF 突变发生率高也提示LCH属于肿瘤性疾病。[20]Badalian-Very G, Vergilio JA, Degar BA, et al. Recurrent BRAF mutations in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Blood. 2010 Sep 16;116(11):1919-23.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20519626?tool=bestpractice.com
疾病可能由 HHV-6 等病毒触发,[21]Glotzbecker MP, Carpentieri DF, Dormans JP. Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a primary viral infection of bone? Human herpes virus 6 latent protein detected in lymphocytes from tissue of children. J Pediatr Orthop. 2004 Jan-Feb;24(1):123-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14676546?tool=bestpractice.com[22]Glotzbecker MP, Carpentieri DF, Dormans JP. Langerhans cell histiocytosis: clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and treatment from the LCH etiology research group at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. UPOJ. 2002;15:67-73.http://upoj.org/archive/volume-15-spring-2002/ 但研究尚未证实这一观点。[23]McClain K, Jin H, Gresik V, et al. Langerhans cell histiocytosis: lack of a viral etiology. Am J Hematol. 1994 Sep;47(1):16-20.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8042610?tool=bestpractice.com[24]Jeziorski E, Senechal B, Molina TJ, et al. Herpes-virus infection in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a case-controlled sero-epidemiological study, and in situ analysis. PLoS One. 2008 Sep 23;3(9):e3262.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810271?tool=bestpractice.com[25]Nicholson HS, Egeler RM, Nesbit ME. The epidemiology of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 1998 Apr;12(2):379-84.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9561907?tool=bestpractice.com