Aim To investigate the distribution of immunogenic and tolerogenic vascular dendritic cell（VDC） within the arterial wall in the lower limb atherosclerosis occlusion syndrome（ASO）, and to discuss the relationship between the immunogenic and tolerogenic VDC and the disease of lower limb ASO. Methods Forty human arterial specimens were collected from surgical operation and autopsy, and paraffin sections were made and HE stained routinely. Ten of them without obvious morphosis change were assigned as control group and the other thirty cases of lower limb artery lesions clearly were set to lesion group. The distribution of S100 positive, immunogenicity CD1a, CD83 and C-C chemokine receptor type 7（CCR7） positive and tolerability CD11b, dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin （DC-SIGN）, toll-like receptor 2（TLR-2）, indoleamine 2, 3 dioxygenase （IDO） positive cells were detected by using immunohistochemistry method on sections. The expression of proteins of immunogenicity CD1a, CD83 and tolerability CD11b, IDO were detected by the method of Western Blot. Results Immunogenicity S100, CD1a, CD83 and CCR7 positive VDC were heavily found in intima plaque and around the small vessel of adventitia on artherosclerosis aorta of lesion group. But few positive cells were detected in tunica media. There were low expression of CD1a, CD83 positive tolerogenic VDC in intima plaque and around the small vessel of adventitia on artherosclerosis aorta of lesion group. But few positive cells were detected in tunica media. Western Blot results found that they were high expression of CD1a, CD83 and low levels of CD11b and IDO in the ASO group. Conclusions Immunogenicity and tolerability VDC were assembled in the process of ASO, and the quanity of immunogenic VDC was significantly higher than the tolerogenic VDC, which suggected that VDC might be involved in the formation process of ASO and the high level of immunogenic VDC might be involved in the inflammatory immune response disease of ASO.