L-Selectin and α4β7 integrin homing receptor pathways mediate peripheral lymphocyte traffic to AKR mouse hyperplastic thymus

S. A. Michie, P. R. Streeter, E. C. Butcher, R. V. Rouse

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Before the development of thymic lymphoma. AKR mice undergo a striking lymphoid hyperplasia of the thymic medulla. We have previously shown that there is a marked increase in traffic of B and T lymphocytes from the periphery into the preneoplastic, hyperplastic thymuses of these mice, in contrast to the scant traffic of such cells to normal thymuses. The traffic of lymphocytes to lymph nodes and Peyer's patches is controlled in part by the interaction of lymphocyte adhesion molecules called homing receptors with their tissue-selective endothelial ligands known as vascular addressins. We have investigated the roles of homing receptors and vascular addressins in the traffic of lymphocytes to the AKR hyperplastic thymus. We demonstrate that development of hyperplasia is accompanied by an increase in the number of thymic medullary blood vessels with high endothelial venule morphology and expression of the peripheral node addressin (PNAd) and the mucosal addressin (MAdCAM-1). In vitro and in vivo functional assays show that the addressin/homing receptor pairs PNAd/L-select in and MAdCAM-1/α4β7 are involved in lymphocyte traffic to the hyperplastic thymus. These results indicate that molecular adhesion mechanisms involved in tissue-selective migration of lymphocytes to peripheral lymph node and to mucosal lymphoid tissues play a role in the recruitment of B and T lymphocytes to the AKR thymus and thus in the pathogenesis of thymic hyperplasia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)412-421
Number of pages10
JournalAmerican Journal of Pathology
Volume147
Issue number2
StatePublished - Aug 1995
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

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