Morphological aspects of LFA-1/ICAM-1 and VLA4/VCAM-1 adhesion pathways in human lymph nodes.
Monoclonal antibodies specific for the adhesion molecules participating in lymphocyte homing, lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and very late antigen 4 (VLA4), and their respective ligands, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), were used to characterize their expression pattern in human lymph nodes by immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopic techniques. The location of LFA-1-positive lymphocytes and selective expression of ICAM-1 on the luminal plasma membrane of high endothelial venule endothelium suggested that the LFA-1/ICAM-1 adhesion pathway participates only in the initial step of the lymphocyte migration process. Lymphocytes passing through endothelium appear not to be influenced by this pathway. VCAM-1 was detected occasionally on the endothelium of high endothelial venules in the hyperplastic lymph nodes in the mesentery, but not in peripheral lymph nodes. VLA4-positive lymphocytes tended to be more frequently observed within high endothelial venules in mesenteric lymph nodes than in peripheral ones. Strong expression of both ligands, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, was noted on the plasma membrane of follicular dendritic cells, and was especially prominent on their labyrinthine folding, and on the interdigitating cells in the paracortex. Furthermore, both LFA-1- and VLA4-positive lymphocytes localized around these cells. This suggests that LFA-1/ICAM-1 and VLA4/VCAM-1 adhesion pathways play an important role in the lymphocyte recognition of antigen-presenting cells.
Tanaka
H
H
Institute of Medical Science, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Saito
S
S
Sasaki
H
H
Arai
H
H
Oki
T
T
Shioya
N
N
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000502:physiology; D016029:Receptors, Very Late Antigen / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D016029:Receptors, Very Late Antigen; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1