title: Allergen specificity and endothelial transmigration of T cells in allergic contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis are associated with the cutaneous lymphocyte antigen.
abstract: Recent investigations have indicated a role for antigen-specific T lymphocytes in the local skin immunity. The cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) is supposed to represent a skin-homing receptor for T cells. Inhibition experiments with specific monoclonal antibody demonstrate that CLA participates in selective transendothelial migration of memory/effector T cells in vitro by interaction with E-selectin on endothelial cell layers after activation with proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, the receptor-ligand pairs VLA-4/VCAM-1 and LFA-1/ICAM-1 are involved in this process. Moreover, only CLA+, CD45RO+ (memory/effector) T cells freshly isolated from peripheral blood of patients with allergic contact dermatitis or atopic dermatitis specifically proliferate in response to the respective allergen. CLA-, CD45RO- T cells from these patients do not respond to the allergens. In contrast, memory T cells from asthmatic individuals and patients with both asthma and atopic dermatitis express the allergen specificity in both T cell subsets. Tetanus toxoid, a systemically acting antigen, also induces a proliferative response in both CLA+ and CLA- memory/effector T cell subsets. These results strongly support the selective role of CLA in homing T cells to the cutaneous tissues and therefore playing a role in the local immunity and inflammatory reactions of the skin.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos Platz.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Perez Soler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blaser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D010328:Patch Tests; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000502:physiology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C063419:CTAGE1 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing