title: Molecular mechanisms involved in intraepithelial lymphocyte migration: a comparative study in skin and tonsil.
abstract: Intraepithelial lymphocyte migration is a biological process frequently observed in skin and tonsil. Using immunohistochemistry, we have studied the molecular bases of this process in seven skin biopsies involved by mycosis fungoides (MF) and in 12 tonsils, four involved by B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) and eight by lymphoid follicular hyperplasia (LH). In the skin, intraepidermal T-lymphocyte infiltration was associated with narrowing and fragmentation of the basement membrane, as shown by an anti-collagen type IV antibody. Immunostaining of serial sections with an anti-collagenase type IV antibody revealed that collagenase type IV was localized in the upper dermis and strictly co-distributed with collagen type IV, suggesting that enzymatic digestion played a role in the alterations of the basement membrane. Further migration through the epidermis was mediated by expression on keratinocytes of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and of leukocyte-function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) on infiltrating lymphocytes. In the tonsil, intraepithelial infiltration was mediated by the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) by epithelial cells and of very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) by infiltrating lymphocytes. Further intraepithelial lymphocyte migration was then established, as already shown in the skin, by ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction. Lymphocyte recruitment from the systemic circulation was studied using antibodies directed against endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1), ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. These adhesion molecules were highly expressed by blood vessels in the upper dermis of MF and the percentage of ELAM-1+/VCAM-1+ vessels was significantly higher than that observed in tonsils.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biopathology, University La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uccini
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ruco
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monardo
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: La Parola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cerimele
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Baroni
mesh_terms: D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000276:immunology; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000276:immunology; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000276:immunology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1