title: Migration of lymphoid cells from vaginal epithelium to iliac lymph nodes in relation to vaginal infection by herpes simplex virus type 2.
abstract: To determine whether lymphocytes and Langerhans cells in vaginal epithelium are migratory, we stained mouse vaginal epithelium, including its lymphoid cells, by intraluminal administration of H33342, a fluorescent, vital dye. Stromal staining was superficial, and no free dye reached the iliac lymph nodes. The numbers and phenotypes of H33342-stained cells that migrated from the vagina to the iliac lymph nodes during the next 48 h were determined in four groups: normal mice, mice infected intravaginally with wild-type herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), mice that were immune to vaginal HSV-2 infection, and immune mice that received vaginal challenge with HSV-2. H33342-stained cells migrated from the vaginal epithelium to the iliac lymph nodes in all groups and were mainly Thy-1.2+ cells and B220+ cells. The number of migrating Thy-1.2+ cells was similar to the sum of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in all groups and was not significantly different from the number of CD44+ cells, suggesting that most of the migrating T cells were memory cells. B lymphocytes comprised 31, 32, 43, and 68% of the migrating cells in the four groups, respectively. We found no evidence that Langerhans cells or macrophages were migrating. Thus, most MHC class II+ cells in all groups were accounted for by B cells, and migrating cells did not express B7.1 or F4/80 or exhibit indented nuclei or dendritic processes. We suggest that the migrating T cells and B cells probably belonged to a pool of lymphocytes that recirculates from blood to tissues and back to the lymph nodes via their afferent lymphatics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Parr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001365:Axilla; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D007085:Ilium; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014621:Vagina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C017807:bisbenzimide ethoxide trihydrochloride