title: Flow cytometric analysis of the Hermes homing-associated antigen on human lymphocyte subsets.
abstract: The homing of lymphocytes is controlled by interactions with high endothelial venules (HEV), specialized vessels that define sites of lymphocyte extravasation into lymph nodes and inflamed tissues. In humans, lymphocyte-HEV binding involves a lymphocyte surface glycoprotein (GP) of 85 to 95 kd (CD44, H-CAM), defined by monoclonal antibody (MoAb) Hermes-1. To define the expression of this homing-associated adhesion molecule during human lymphocyte development, we performed two-color immunofluorescence analyses of human bone marrow (BM), thymus, peripheral blood (PB), and tonsillar lymphocytes. The highest levels of Hermes-1 antigen are displayed by circulating B and T cells in the blood, which are uniformly positive and bear roughly twice the level of antigen present on mature lymphocytes within organized lymphoid tissues and BM. "Immature" (CD4+, CD8+) T cells in the thymus are Hermes-1lo to-, whereas thymocytes of mature phenotype (CD4+ or CD8+) are positive. The Hermes-1 antigen is present at high levels on the same population of thymocytes that bears high surface levels of CD3, a component of the T-cell antigen receptor complex, suggesting that levels of T-cell homing and antigen receptors characteristic of mature peripheral T cells appear coordinately during thymocyte maturation/selection. Essentially all T cells in the periphery are Hermes-1hi, including T blasts, and the homing-associated antigen is maintained at high levels on T cells stimulated in vitro by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and on interleukin-2 (IL-2) maintained T-cell clones and lines. In contrast, although most resting IgD+ B cells are positive a significant fraction of B cells in tonsils are Hermes-1lo to-; these cells are predominantly PNAhi, IgD-, and CD20hi, a phenotype characteristic of sessile, activated B cells in germinal centers. In all lymphocyte populations examined, there is a linear correlation in staining for Hermes-1 and for Hermes-3, an antibody that defines a distinct functionally important epitope on this molecule. The results demonstrate a precise regulation of this homing-associated antigen during lymphocyte differentiation.
authors: Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305-5324.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: de los Toyos
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Jalkanen
authors: E C
authors: EC
authors: Butcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000032:analysis; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000032:analysis; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000032:analysis*; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000939:Epitopes; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing