title: Novel expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD106) by squamous epithelium in experimental acute graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1; CD106), the receptor for VLA-4, is an important mediator of adhesive and co-stimulatory interactions that govern cutaneous immune responses. Initial studies designed to elucidate temporal aspects of endothelial adhesion molecule induction in murine acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) revealed unexpected and novel VCAM-1 expression by cutaneous and mucosal epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical techniques confirmed VCAM-1 staining as early as 7 days after transplantation in a distinctive subpopulation of squamous epithelial cells that normally occupy focal domains within the epidermal basal cell layer, the follicular infundibulum, and the dorsal lingual epithelium. Specifically, VCAM-1 expression was intimately associated with rete ridge-like prominences in footpad epidermis and in dorsal lingual epithelium. VCAM-1, as evaluated by serial section-labeling techniques, was preferentially expressed at sites of early epithelial infiltration by CD4(+) T cells. Western blot analysis confirmed expression of the 110-kd isoform of VCAM-1 in epithelium isolated from aGVHD animals, and immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated VCAM-1 reactivity restricted exclusively to epithelial cell plasma membranes. It is concluded that VCAM-1 is selectively expressed by discrete squamous epithelial subpopulations in murine aGVHD. As such, VCAM-1 may play a previously unrecognized role in mediating interactions between donor effector T lymphocytes and host epithelial cell targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Jefferson Center for Dermatopathology Laboratories for Cutaneous Research, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-6799, USA.
authors.forename: Judith C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitaker-Menezes
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Brigette S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korngold
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1